Though Rich Hanlon spent his childhood painting flames on model cars for his friends in the orphanage and redrawing every issue of MAD Magazine, he never believed he would be an artist. Throughout his life, he enrolled in the army, serving as an Army Ranger for almost 15 years, attended college, and worked at UPS. He continued to paint, but he never pursued art full time. However, “one thing expands into another and another and another,” he says, and life takes us by surprise.
In October 2022, Hanlon retired from his job at UPS to commit to painting as a career, and his business has only grown from there.
Now, as Hanlon embarks on an art study throughout Pleasantville, where he has resided since 2011, his work is displayed in stores across town such as The Black Cow, Pubstreet, Dolphin South Trattoria, Jacob Burns Film Center, and more.
Hanlon often paints seascapes and landscapes, but his work for Pleasantville storefronts has taken a different form. He captures local shops and restaurants from a unique perspective that highlights the warmth, ambiance, and energy they bring to the community. And he never knows when inspiration may strike.
After eating at Pubstreet late one night, Hanlon stepped outside to see the lights on in The Black Cow illuminated against the darkness. Reminded of Edward Hopper’s painting Nighthawks, he took a picture and began painting the next morning. His work is now displayed in The Black Cow for customers to enjoy as they sip their morning coffee. Though this type of work is different than Hanlon is used to, he thoroughly enjoys it: “I like the challenge,” he says.
Even as the focus of Hanlon’s paintings shifts, the heavy texture, depth, and brilliant colors that define his work remain. Completely self-taught, Hanlon learns and grows with each painting:
“I immediately look at the painting I just finished, and I know I could’ve done better… so you grow with every painting,” he shares.
Whether in regard to his creative process, a new commission, or the direction of his career as a whole, Hanlon is simply “letting it free flow and seeing where it goes.” After all, he never thought his art would be so successful in the first place. “I’m actually surprised,” he says. “Everybody says you can’t make a living doing art, to get a real job and keep that as a hobby, but it’s actually really been growing… and it’s surprisingly fun.”
Rather than putting energy into a rigid plan that will likely change, we can learn from Hanlon to put our energy into where we are now and take a chance. He is giving his all to each new painting and opportunity, allowing life to surprise him, and enjoying it along the way.
Hanlon is able to see his hard work pay off as he walks around Pleasantville to see his art displayed. “It makes me just melt,” he shares. “I just want my art to be on other people’ walls.” As his art hangs in homes and local shops, Hanlon hopes that the joy his paintings have brought him can be shared and enjoyed by others.
In recent years, Briarcliff’s Bill Stopera has been focused more on his children’s curling success than his own. But in April, the lifelong curler proved he wasn’t done adding to his own resumé.
While Stopera was facing off against some of the game’s former greats, he said the tournament had a friendly environment despite the tough competition.
If you live in Westchester, chances that you’re familiar with Mount Vernon’s Fleetwood Bakery – a staple of Italian American delights. But did you know that this local gem has recently opened its second location in Pleasantville? If you haven’t checked them out yet, I suggest you go try one of their tasty treats? I recently spoke with owner Enzo Cutaia all about the bakery, their new location in Pleasantville, and the future.
Customers can certainly smell all of the delicious baked goods when they come through the door. Fleetwood offers a large array of items from danish, muffins, cakes, pies, pastries, tarts, cookies and more, with all baking done on premises. One of the items they’re most famous for are their Lobster Tails. “We make our own fresh homemade Bavarian cream. Anyone can make the pastry shell, but the cream is what really makes it special.” Other top sellers include their cannoli and strawberry shortcake made with fresh, homemade whipped cream.
As a young girl growing up in Manhattan, Amy Shaw was exposed to all types of art on frequent family trips to museums. In addition, her great aunt was an artist who studied under abstract painter Arshile Gorky. Attending the Dalton School, Shaw was exposed to the “city as a classroom” learning model with access to figure drawing, sculpture, pottery and jewelry making.
Shaw continued to work in graphic design after moving to the suburbs to start a family. For 22 years, she was the Senior Art Director in promotion at Reader’s Digest. Raising her two young children and working full-time, Shaw did not have as much time to devote to painting as she would like but as her son and daughter grew up, Shaw soon found herself back at the canvas, primarily working on oil paintings.
Her paintings have been shown at Mimi’s Coffee House in Mount Kisco, Black Cow Coffee House, Pleasantville, Carriage Barn, New Canaan, Pelham Art Center, Ridgefield Artists Guild, the Katonah Library and Carmel’s Arbor Gallery and the RPAC Gallery in Ridgefield which recently closed.
Fast forward a few years and Shaw set out to create an after-school art program that would serve Westchester and Connecticut students. In 2015, Shaw opened the Westchester Art Studio along with Connecticut-based artist Alan Reingold. Shaw met Reingold while her daughter (who is now a freelance fashion designer) and several of her friends were students at Horace Greeley High School and working on their portfolios for college. They would spend their afternoons with Reingold who is an accomplished artist having visited the White House to draw presidential portraits and illustrating several covers of TIME magazine. Reingold taught previously at Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) and Parsons and focused on teaching teens and adults while Shaw focused on younger students up to age 10. The duo proved a winning combination and the studio flourished. Next year will be their tenth year in business with classes held at St. John Episcopal Church in Pleasantville.
