A HIVE OF CREATIVITY NESTLED IN NATURE

Applied Serendipity Artist Colony

Introducing the Applied Serendipity Artist Colony: inspired by my bee colonies, I'm fostering a hive of creativity nestled in the heart of nature. I’ve hosted five talented artists and I’m honored to feature their work here. I'm inviting painters, designers, and artisans to my Artist Colony in the forest for painting en plein air, sculpting, drawing, design, and more. Contact me if you are interested in spending an artful day in nature, complete with cabins and an apiary, for an immersive experience that merges art with the organic beauty of the woods.

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Wendy

Caldwell

Maloney

Wendy Caldwell Maloney is a fine artist in Buffalo, NY. who specializes in watercolor paintings of nature, seacoast and stones, abstract and dance works.

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“I am a primarily a watercolorist; it is the immediacy and the versatility of the medium that appeal to me. Sweeping washes, bold brushstrokes, and exacting detail can all be executed without the interruption of prolonged drying time. Excited by line, texture, and detail in the natural world, I am drawn to imagery that has presence: subtle or brilliant color, a sense of power or calm, elegant simplicity or stunning complexity.
As a former graphic designer, my challenge was to grab the attention of my viewers and hold it long enough for a message to be communicated — elegantly, powerfully, immediately. I use the same approach in choosing subject matter to paint.
A digital camera enables me to isolate areas of interest from scenes of visual overwhelm and to zoom-in to capture and expose details in nature that are often overlooked. While awed by the near-perfect symmetry of a thousand-petaled flower, I am equally excited by the visual impact of a fractured tree limb or the riot of color in decaying foliage.
My work is experiential; as I paint, I become the surging wave, the intricate surfaces of beach stones, the saturated reds of autumn. There is a physical and emotional response toward a particular subject and as I observe and render it, the child in me wants to take you by the hand and say, ‘Come with me, I have to show you something!’
My love for nature was formed during childhood summers on Lake Erie and in the Canadian woods and summers in a rustic camp setting in the Adirondacks. Numerous painting trips to the Eastern seaboard heightened my interest in the textures and surfaces of stones and surf. Cracks, crevices, and geologic shifts describe handsome graphics along the Atlantic coastline, and calligraphy emerges in the frenzied and liquid lines of the ocean’s tides and, closer to home, in the raging current of the Niagara River. Quiet time to explore and observe is crucial to my work.
While my representational work is inspired primarily by what I see, my abstract work is additionally informed by what I hear and feel. When painting abstract pieces, music becomes my partner. My brushstrokes speak to the visceral sensation of motion and rhythm I feel as an athlete and a dancer, and the structural integrity of music is explored through the repetition of shapes on the page. “

A Note from Allison

On a beautiful day in September 2023, Wendy spent the afternoon in the woods and the creek at my property, Serendipity Gardens. We talked for awhile, then walked in the creek and took pictures of shapes, colors, patterns, and textures that we each found interesting. We were like kids playing in the creek! Wendy brought her paints, so I headed out to the plant nursery so she could spend some time in nature to see what inspired her. When I returned, she had set up her easel in the middle of the creek!

She describes her process in the video below. I hope you enjoy her photos from this day, as well as paintings that she was inspired to do from her day in the woods and creek.

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A watercolor of the creek on Allison's property

A photo of the creek on Allison's property

A watercolor of a tree on Allison's property

A watercolor representing a close-up of a tree

The artist and photographer Wendy Caldwell Maloney

Brenda

Feldstein

Brenda Feldstein is a Brazilian-born filmmaker, photographer and founder of A Special Story, an award-winning video production company in Buffalo, N.Y. Her mission is to empower organizations, brands and non-profits of all sizes to connect with their audiences through the power of storytelling.

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"It was a wet spring day when we arrived at the farm. The sky was entirely overcast. I was concerned I wouldn't be able to leave the covered safety of the ATV, fearing the rain might damage my camera. However, during our drive through the muddy terrain, I managed to disembark occasionally to capture Allison's meticulous and careful foraging among the trees.
Raindrops made the petals and leaves shimmer, and their allure evoked memories of the past and hopes for the future.
Reflecting on that day, I realize the rain perfectly mirrored the intense – and occasionally melancholic – emotions that filled the air. As we navigated the forest trails, I learned of the emotional significance that day held: the farm represented both a refuge and a fresh start for Allison; foraging for her daughter’s wedding allowed Allison to immerse herself fully in the festivities; and taking a moment to gather the tiny blue flowers she found along the way, which were her mom’s favorites, allowed her to connect to her late mother.
I selected a few photos that encapsulate the essence of that day. I typically print my images in vibrant color, but on this occasion, I chose black and white. This choice accentuates the contrasts, highlights textures, and brings forth the hidden details, capturing the poetic atmosphere of that Spring rainy day – simple, yet profound."

A photograph of Allison's desk with a window looking out onto her property

A photograph of Allison looking at a tree

A photograph of Allison with a tree in bloom

A photograph of one of the fields at Allison's property

A photograph of Allison in her Polaris truck

Casi

Hall

Casi Hall Creative is a boutique branding and design and photography studio focused on empowering women in business.

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“I had the honor of working with Allison to help develop her visual brand identity through her logo design suite and brand photography. Allison envisioned her “Act II” work and lifestyle focused around her forestcore vibe on her dream property in Holland, N.Y. When I had the chance to tour her property, I was blown away and immediately felt a connection to her style. Ferns, bees, tall pines, flowers, and mossy rocks in a creek bed. It was gorgeous! I knew I had to do justice capturing her portraits in this environment. By embodying the spirit of Jane Goodall, Julia Child, and J.Lo, Allison rocked her session and we came out with some beautiful images to represent the heart of who she is.”

A photograph of Allison sitting at her desk looking out the window

A photograph of Allison holding a bouquet of sunflowers toward the camera

A photograph of Allison with trees and twinkle lights

A photograph of Allison standing in a creek on her property holding her skirt up out of the water

A photograph of Allison peering out from behind a tree

A photograph of Allison smiling with ferns behind her

Pamela

Hokanson

Pam is a Buffalo, N.Y., native, a Senior Vice President at M&T Bank and President of Buffalo Promise Neighborhood.

Pam has traveled extensively across five continents to observe and photograph wildlife, most recently in Patagonia. Pam has traveled frequently to Africa, visiting remote areas to observe the great apes studied by anthropologist Louis Leakey’s “Trimates.” Her lifelong love of Africa and its animals brought her there the first time, but it was the spirit of the people she met that kept bringing her back. She enjoys sharing her experiences and knowledge in the conservation and preservation of our natural world, both as a Licensed Wildlife Rehabilitator at Messinger Woods and a Docent of the Buffalo Zoo.
When she’s not traveling, Pam combines her interest in photography and the natural world by observing and photographing wildlife throughout Western New York. After a day of rehabilitating owls at Messinger Woods in Holland, N.Y., Pam came to the woods and glade to photograph the gardens in the process of rewilding.

A photograph of flowers at Allison's property

A photograph of a tree and garden art at Allison's property

A photograph of a handmade arbor at Allison's property

A photograph of a field at Allison's property

A photograph of the Certified Wildlife Habitat sign at Allison's property

Mark

Mulville

Mark followed the news of the day with a camera in his hand for nearly 30 years. It has been a ride of a lifetime – seven newspapers, the wire services, hundreds of freelance assignments and deadlines, and he’s happy for all of it. There are countless places around Western New York that he will pass and be reminded of a story or a person that he met there.

“I think of a World War II veteran, Charlie Hahn, every time I drive by the trailer park he lived in on Transit Road and standing with the Dalai Lama at the University at Buffalo when he visited the law school. I remember when Buffalo Sabres forward Chris Drury scored an overtime playoff goal and turned towards me, arms raised in victory with his teammates, and I was looking through my viewfinder capturing the most perfect moment. I remember being thousands of feet down into the ground where a company mined for rocksalt. I have so many stories, all different. All a part of my life because I was there.
I was fortunate to photograph Allison and her amazing property in the spring of this year. The flowers had just started to come up; daffodils, tulips and fritillaria. The creek was running fast from the snow thaw. Riding through the meadows on the ATV you could smell the earth that was coming to life, melted and soft from being frozen all winter. I was amazed with the beech and birch trees that started to take life again. Nature is an amazing wonder – Allison has created a place that fosters the beauty and growth of nature, no matter the season.”

A photograph of books at Allison's cabin

A photograph of a tree at Allison's property

A photograph of birch trees at Allison's property

A photograph of a handmade Peace sign at Allison's property

A photograph of a rustic picnic table at Allison's property

A photograph of daffodils at Allison's property

A photograph of flowers and a flowering shrub at Allison's property

A photograph of the creek at Allison's property

A photograph of hats hanging on iron hooks at Allison's cabin

A photograph of bee chalk art at Allison's cabin

A photograph of flowers at Allison's cabin

A photograph of a tree at Allison's cabin

Kathy

Contrino

I met Kathy when I visited her native plant nursery. I’m in the third season of creating a garden in my woods — and this year as I added perennials and grasses, Kathy taught me so much about native plants which inspired me to primarily plant natives in my garden. I’ve since visited her nursery many times and have planted hundreds of plants. I got to know Kathy and saw first-hand the growth of her business. This past summer she opened a store on the site of her nursery that features botanical products — soaps, lotions, creams — as well as garden decor and other beautiful items. I told her about my bees and apiary and a collaboration was born. Kathy now incorporates raw honey from my hives into a special line of soaps called The Raw Honey Collection. Kathy is the first artisan to join the Applied Serendipity Artist Colony. I am honored to work with Kathy — she is a leader in the Native Plants of Western New York Collaborative. I invite you to join this group on Facebook and be part of the change that is happening in promoting biodiversity. This group is effecting change “grass roots” — perhaps I should say “native grass roots” — by promoting sustainable practices and working with municipalities to adopt native habitats. Learn more about Kathy in her Artist Statement, and in the gallery, see her at her nursery as well as pictures of her artisanal soap — along with pictures of native plants in my garden that I sourced from her nursery.

“I started planting with native plants over 20 years ago—long before it was a national movement—and began with a hackberry tree. The more I added to my small suburban yard, the more birds and wildlife visited the property, the more I planted to see what else would show up. It was there that the Gardens at Murder Creek began as a dream of restoring Great Lakes native plants to knit together an ecosystem to support biodiversity. As I continued to plant native species on my property, I decided to launch my own nursery and the CW Native Plant Nursery was born. CW Native Plant Nursery sells trees, bushes and perennials native to the Northeast and Great Lakes. Nursery stock is grown onsite and/or sourced locally as much as possible.

Adding plants native to the local area, grown from open pollinated seed in urban, suburban and rural gardens can increase biodiversity while adding pollinator pathways and support for migrating birds. The mission of the CW Native Plant Farm is to add natives to the environment one yard at a time. I am a member of the WNY Native Plant Collaborative whose mission is to encourage native plantings in private and public spaces. I manage the website and social media portion of the Collaborative.

I became an artisan and branched out to create the CW Native Botanika brand to promote the medicinal value of native plants and to foster resiliency.

My own body was damaged by sickness and medication and I made the very products that restored my body to health using medical herbs and now offer my products through CW Native Botanika. The use of plants for health and vitality is not new—it is as ancient as the human race. I was asked by a client to develop a soap that repels insects and, to my surprise, I hit upon neem oil soap. Neem oil, historically used in Ayurvedic medicine, is anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-microbial and helps restore the skin to a natural resilience. It also makes skin just pungent enough that is invisible to you but repellent to insects including mosquitoes, ticks, and certain flies. The idea that you can just use soap to repel insects is incredible. Imagine a world where no one sprays pesticides! All of my soaps contain 5%-15% neem oil, herbal infusions, in addition to the best quality carrier oils and butters I can source. And in Fall 2023, I began collaborating with Allison and Applied Serendipity℠ to offer The Raw Honey Collection—these soaps and lotions contain raw honey from her hives and are available on my website below.
The CW Native brand builds off of our complex and dynamic relationship with nature, and the war between the mystical and capitalism. In keeping with that I dress in Steampunk outfits to demonstrate that connection. In the end, restoring the environment will foster resiliency in the ecosystem in the face of climate change while using small-batch, artisanal neem oil soap to reduce waste and runoff while also reducing the use of pesticides.”