Saint James Gets Scary And A Little Profound For Halloween

By Stephanie Healion 

It’s that time of year again, costumes are being bought and created, candy is being hoarded for the masses of trick or treaters.  Halloween infiltrates everywhere, turning even the most normal of places into a spooky display.

At the Mills Pond House Gallery in St. James, the Midnight Oils show has been on display since October 8^th. The show, which closed on Sunday, was a mix of philosophical, humorous, and romantic views on death and other frightening subject matter, perfect for this time of year.  Among the multitude of skulls and skeletons were deeply thoughtful pieces.  Brian Bartley’s piece, titled “Universal Life”, was inspired by the discovery of the bodies on Ocean Parkway this past summer.  The painting depicts a beautiful girl seemingly decaying in a body of water and surrounded by fish, the with vibrant blues and greens.“Universal Life” by Brian Bartley

Bartely’s statement on his painting states that “Universal Life depicts the transition between life forms.  Upon our departure from this life as we know it, our physical being breaks down to support and carry on through other living things.”

Mark Belton’s painting, titled “Host”, depicts a stark black and white skull and white robed figure in the bottom right “Host” by Mark Beltoncorner.  Belton says that this work of oil and charcoal Is an “expression of the vacancies we are all destined to leave in our wake.  However, the work also alludes to unknown future dimensions which we will inhabit.”  Like other works in this show,  Belton is commenting on the uncertainty of death and the idea of what happens after death. 

Among the other paintings on display was a series by artist Tim Davies, all depicting popular figures associated with Halloween such as Alice Cooper, Jack the Ripper and movie villain Jason from Friday the 13^th.   The mediums of the work ranged from oil paintings to sculpture, and while many of the “Treason” by Christopher Lauto

 artists are from Long Island, there were others from as far as Georgia and California.

Deepwells Farm in St. James was also participating in the Halloween spirit. Under the watchful eye of the Saint James Chamber of Commerce Deepwells was transformed into a haunted house.  This historic house has been the location of yearly holiday boutiques, craft fairs, and the annual fall festival.  The entire house was open to all families.  People waited on line in the front yard, being let into the house family by family. It was dark from the moment you walked in, but accented with flashing red lights and strobe lights in certain rooms.  Every room hosted a multitude of scenes, complete with real people lurking to spook the guests.  In a downstairs room, a seemingly headless statue waited for the perfect moment for a guest to get close enough before coming to life to scare them.  At the top of the stairs, the head of a little boy rested on a end table, opening his eyes to look at people as they got closer.  Costume-clad children hung around the doorways and in corners to spook everyone who attempted to peer into their respective rooms, provoking screams from more than one guest.  One particular room was set up as a nursery, with a woman in a nightgown hunched in a rocking chair in the corner, seriously eerie. 

It seems that not everyone was prepared for the level of scariness the haunted house would hold in store.  One mother had three children in tow, claiming she couldn’t even get them past the front hall before they dragged her back outside.  Some children made it to the exit, but not without some tears.  Other children declined to go inside, but waited at the exit for their friends to tell them how it was.  Back inside, a man walked the hallways with a severed head in hand and the dining room hosted an undead tea party.  It was a fun and spooky way to spend the weekend before Halloween.