A Garden Gone Wild Inspires “Come To The Pumpkin Patch Where Fish Fly”

It’s only fitting that painter Linda LeDily Herzog’s latest exhibition, Come to the Pumpkin Patch Where Fish Fly, debuts the weekend before All Hallows’ Eve.

“I worked on this series outdoors in my garden that I let go to weed out of concern for the environment and the creatures living there,” reflected Herzog, whose studio is located in Wainscott. “I learned to love the weeds as I had my planted garden.”

The whimsy of the wild greenery led to a creative spark. “I placed my favorite furniture in the garden letting them ‘go to weed’ as well and found the inspiration for the series there,” she noted. “The giant pumpkins in my paintings represent Mother Nature and her fecundity, and the pagan belief that pumpkins were vessels for souls.”

Come to the Pumpkin Patch Where Fish Fly will open at Ashawagh Hall in East Hampton on Friday, October 26.

“My paintings of flying fish and flying hats are metaphors for the magic that is always present and possible within and without us,” Herzog explained. “They are a playful nod to humankind’s evolving connection to and understanding of the world.”

Herzog, who has always been drawn to painting, spent her childhood musing at the Hamptons’ shores. “The beauty that I see around me is what stimulates me to paint. It may be the light upon a landscape, the face of a child, symmetries of pattern, textures and colors, all these and more that make my heart both sing and ache,” she shared. “These perceptions cause within me a tension that builds until I am compelled to create. This is a long and difficult process in which I have learned to take my cues from what excites me, and use that as a starting point, without directing the process or expecting a preconceived outcome. The finished work is always a surprise to me. “

Come to the Pumpkin Patch Where Fish Fly will remain on display through Sunday, October 28, open daily from 12 to 7 p.m. A Champagne Reception will take place on Saturday October 27 from 5 to 7 p.m.

Ashawagh Hall is located at 780 Springs Fireplace Road in East Hampton. For more information, visit herzogartstudio.com.