The Jonah Center recently became aware of the artwork of Steve Cronkite, a longtime Middletown resident and artist. Steve is a semi-retired civil engineer who enjoys biking and paddling in our area. He and his husband Paul love to grow interesting trees and shrubs in their yard. Steve volunteers as a literacy tutor and is curating a new pinetum at Wickham Park in Manchester. Other paintings by Steve may be viewed on his Instagram page @s.n.cronkite_art . (The pinetum, an aboretum of pines or conifers generally, may be viewed on Instagram @wickham_park_tree_fan.)
The paintings below help us appreciate the special beauty in our own corner of the world. Do you know the scenes or locations featured below? Answers can be found at the bottom of this post.
Where is this paddler? What bridge is shown, from which direction?
What is the name of this hill, and where was the artist standing?
Can you guess what kind of tree this is, and where do these trees grow locally in abundance?
This type of tree is large and rugged. It thrives in an urban environment, even under harsh conditions.
Answers:
- “Coginchaug Paddle” — on the Coginchaug River approaching the railroad bridge near the kayak and canoe launch from upstream.
- “Higby Nightscape” — Mt. Higby viewed from the Country Club Road bridge over Interstate 91.
- “Moondance” — Cottonwood Tree, common near the mouth of the Mattabesset River and on Wilcox Island
- “Sycamore” — Sycamores and their related hybrid species, London plane trees, are common in our area.