Summer is on its way at Jo-Ann Gaffron-Hargrove’s Studio

Outside artist Jo-Ann Gaffron-Hargrove’s window, the day is gloomy, with overcast skies and bare branches. Her studio, though, is warm and welcoming, full of neatly organized paints, brushes, frames, and other supplies vital to her work, which is reverse glass painting.

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Summer is on its way at Jo-Ann Gaffron-Hargrove’s Studio By Karen Engdahl The ShopperJanuary 21, 2017 Gaffron-Hargrove Gaffron-Hargrove Gaffron-Hargrove SPRINGFIELD, Vt. – Outside artist Jo-Ann Gaffron-Hargrove’s window, the day is gloomy, with overcast skies and bare branches. Her studio, though, is warm and welcoming, full of neatly organized paints, brushes, frames, and other supplies vital to her work, which is reverse glass painting. A self-taught artist, Gaffron-Hargrove discovered the reverse painting technique when she saw it done at an art show. “I thought, ‘I can do that,’” she said. “I tried it out and have been doing it for fourteen years, learning by trial and error.” Over the course of those years, Gaffron-Hargrove has shown her work at dozens of art shows all over New England. She dedicates much of her studio time during the winter to preparing an inventory for the busy summer season. “I have a real following of customers now,” she said. “They look for me at the shows and want to know what new paintings I’ve added. A lot of them follow me on my website.” Gaffron-Hargrove described the reverse painting technique. “The images are painted on one side of the glass and viewed on the other,” she said. “The technique requires a lot of forethought on the part of the artist. Painting is done in layers, in reverse order of the method used in painting on canvas or other surfaces. The first brush strokes are what the eye will see initially.” Gaffron-Hargrove paints most of her images from nature. Local birds and flowers are favorites at her shows. “I find that if I’m really interested in my subject, it seems to speak to the customers as well,” she said. “I saw a flock of crows outside my window a few years ago and got interested in learning more about them, so I borrowed a book from the library and learned all about their habits, things like that. I painted crows in a birch tree and have sold many, many versions of that painting. People really respond to it.” Saffron-Hargrove spent 31 years working as a school counselor in Berlin, Germany. When she left Berlin and returned to Vermont, she said she was overwhelmed with the beauty of nature here. “There is no lack of inspiration, living in the Green Mountains of Vermont,” she said. “It is like living in a painting. Everywhere I look, at every time of year and in every bend of the road, there is something beautiful to see. Painting what I love is just a natural evolution.” Gaffron-Hargrove is one of the organizers of the May Festival at the Unitarian Universalist Church. This year will mark the fourth year she will curate an art exhibit and sale featuring seven or eight local artists.The show is scheduled for Saturday, May 20. Gaffron-Hargrove’s work can also be seen on her website, gaffron-hargroveart.com, where you will also find her art show schedule for the year.