The moods and personalities that exist in nature find their way from DeLong's heart to her colorful sculptures and illustrations

Harriet DeLong's home is a testament to a life-long love affair with art and the natural world. It is filled with DeLong's etchings, sketches, and paper mache animals; her late husband David's paintings and etchings; and art from friends - famous and not so famous. It is a place filled with the spirit of creative imaginations.

Among her creations were special sculptural works for the 2003 Telfair Museum of Art fundraiser, "The Artful Table."

For the event, local designers used paintings from the permanent collection to inspire table settings. DeLong created mice, inspired by the paintings, to add to the celebration.

For example, she created a Black Prince mouse and a Mary Telfair Mouse (complete with mouse broach). She captures the essence of the different paintings with her mice, whose clothes and expressions mimic the great paintings with aplomb.

Using a rodent to tell the story of grand art gently encourages onlookers not to take art and the viewing of art too seriously.

DeLong seems to be reminding us that art is fun. Stop being so stuffy and laugh a little.

Opening the windows of stuffy museums comes naturally to DeLong, who spent much of her early career cataloging works from the artists who were involved in the wild and freeform expressive "Happenings" movement of the late 1960s. She cataloged details from "The Nine Evenings of Theater and Engineering," which paired engineers with contemporary Happenings artists. As part of her work, she had the opportunity to interview those artists, many of whose work now fill the pages of art history textbooks.

"There was a wonderful energy," remembers DeLong.

Her husband raced motorcycles, and she often sketched during the races, capturing the untamed energy of motorcycle culture.

She also taught elementary school art for years, and allowed the innocence of children to fill her soul with fun.

Why animals? DeLong has incorporated her love of animals so thoroughly into her life that creating animals wasn't something she set out to do, it was simply a natural progression of her interests.

When living in Washington, D.C., she walked through the zoo every evening with her family. She got to know how the animals felt daily, what mood they were in, and what was going on in their lives. All those evening walks taught the whole family about animals, and her son Mark DeLong, delighted his parents by becoming a zookeeper.

DeLong knows that animals have personalities, moods, and feelings. The animals she creates, frogs mimicking Rodin's "The Kiss" or mice posing as Degas' ballerinas, or flamingo sisters who have to share their ballet slippers, seem like they are real, with real personalities.

DeLong is also illustrator, and recently completed a children's book for the Telfair commemorating Frederick Friezke's exhibit. In the story, mice become artists after falling into Friezke's paint palette.

For years, DeLong has made illustrations for her friends to commemorate their weekly supper club. The illustrations are generous little reminders of good times past.



Harriet DeLong illustration of one of her dinner parties.

In the illustrations, the dinner party is recreated, except DeLong has used her friends' pets to recall the scenes. The various dogs and cats act out the role of their owners, but also do pet like things - like steal a piece of steak. She throws in art history references to her illustrations liberally, with family dogs acting out famous paintings in the midst of preparing the dinner party.

The last time I spoke to DeLong, she told me that her two mice I had seen earlier have gone from waltzing to the dosido.

I stopped by her studio and saw the two mice, now gessoed white, kicking it up in an imaginary square dance. After seeing the two expressive white mice faces, clearly in love (or at least infatuation), it was hard to believe that they were destined for two separate galleries. "They should stay together!" I thought.

Of course, that could have just been Delong's passion rubbing off on me, coloring my vision. And isn't that what great art is all about?

---

Meet Harriet DeLong's Holiday mice!

Want to celebrate the holidays with Harriet DeLong's charming animals?

Bring your children or grandchildren (or come alone) to meet DeLong's Holiday Mice at the Telfair Museum Holiday Celebration for Friends and Family at the Telfair Museum and the Owens Thomas House.

On Dec. 7 from 2-4 p.m., holiday music and the laughter of children will fill the gracious historic homes-turned-museums. The Telfair staff and volunteers created this family friendly party as a way to thank members who join at the family level.

DeLong has created a Christmas mouse, Hanukah mouse and a Kwanza mouse for the children to enjoy. She has also created illustrations for the children to color.

The Gadsden Elementary School Chorus, along with soloists Verdise Bradford and Gracie Leigh will sing holiday favorites. There will also be harp and piano music - and St. Nicolas, a.k.a. artist Albert Seidl, will be on hand to meet and greet children.

There will be Chanukah, Christmas and Kwanzaa crafts for children, the lighting of the Christmas tree, photos with Belkie the Bear and gift bags.

The Owens Thomas House will be decorated in period Christmas decor.


If you go

If you're not already a member, you can call (912) 232-1177 ext. 26, to join. Family/joint memberships (appropriate for grandparents as well as parents) are $60. Members receive free admission to The Telfair and the Owens Thomas House for two adults and up to 6 children and a guest for the year. They receive a docent guided new member orientation tour, quarterly issue of preview magazine, 10 percent discount at shops and invitations to members-only openings and parties.

The Telfair is located at 121 Barnard St. in Savannah. The Owens-Thomas House is located at 124 Abercorn St. in Savannah. For more information, call (912) 232-1177.