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Patchy morning fog gives way to sunshine, chance of storms looms

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Back Mountain National keeps rolling; Mtn. Top drops opener

<p>KINGSTON &#8212; Ten-year-old Jah&#8217;sir Vasquez, of Kingston, approached Ken Lorah and asked: &#8220;Did you paint that eagle over there?&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;Yes, I did,&#8221; the 45-year-old artist from Trucksville said.</p><p>&#8220;I like it,&#8221; the youth said with a shy smile.</p><p>That exchange between a pair of strangers was one of many affirmations that took place last week during the opening reception for an exhibit of work by artists from Studio e, an art therapy group for individuals dealing with epilepsy.</p><p>Working on art projects is &#8220;very good for people with epilepsy,&#8221; said artist Rachelle Yatko, 30, of Pittston. &#8220;It helps to keep your mind active. It keeps you going.&#8221;</p><p>Yatko&#8217;s disability prevents her from having a job, but sharing her artwork helps her feel more connected.</p><p>&#8220;I like wolves,&#8221; she said, explaining her choice for an animal silhouette that she thinks would make a good tattoo. Not that she wants a tattoo herself. &#8220;My philosophy is, why pay to feel pain?&#8221;</p><p>Artist Tony Gill, 41, of Shickshinny, whose mother, Kathleen, is the local coordinator for Studio e, contributed several pieces to the show, including a picture of a colorful bird poised to enter the knot hole in a tree, a mountain scene and a deer resting on a patch of grass. That last picture resembles a deer he once saw, but he opted to change the thick underbrush he had seen in real life to smooth grass.</p><p>Lorah, who had painted the eagle, also painted a scene of a lighthouse, which he said reminded him of one he had seen on a family trip to Maine.</p><p>&#8220;It was a trip to Connecticut,&#8221; his mother Joyce Lorah said, explaining one symptom of her son&#8217;s epilepsy is memory loss.</p><p>While seizures, surgeries and side effects complicate their lives, the Studio e artists said expressing themselves through art is a welcome release.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s very therapeutic,&#8221; said Tony Gill, who had his first seizure during a Boy Scout camping trip at age 12.</p><p>&#8220;The process of painting is very relaxing and finishing the work is a good source of self-esteem,&#8221; said art therapist Amy Bogdon, who led the class during the past several weeks as members met at the Hoyt Library. &#8220;Each of those pieces has a special meaning to (the artists). I&#8217;m very proud of them.&#8221;</p><p>Studio e started in Chicago several years ago and is represented in many cities across the United States.</p><p>The major sponsor is Lundbeck, a manufacturer of medications that combat epilepsy and other disorders of the central nervous system.</p><p>Kathleen Gill, the local coordinator, said Studio e artists enjoy working in a setting with other people who have first-hand knowledge of their condition.</p><p>&#8220;They want people to know it&#8217;s a disability, not a disease,&#8221; she said.</p><p>Years ago, she said, people had many misconceptions about epileptic seizures, and some believed proper first aid involved restraining the person who was seizing and putting something, like a pencil, into his or her mouth. That would not be helpful, she said.</p><p>Safety tips to follow include easing the person to the floor and turning him or her onto one side to help the person breathe. Removing anything hard or sharp from the area can prevent injury, as can putting something soft and flat, like a folded jacket, under his or her head.</p><p>If a seizure lasts longer than five minutes, or it&#8217;s the first time a person has had a seizure, call 911. For more information on the Epilepsy Foundation, call 570-592-1150.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Nature themes dominate the artwork of Tony Gill, 41, of Shickshinny, whose pieces are on display at the Hoyt Library in Kingston along with work by other artists from Studio e, a program for people with epilepsy. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_Epilepsy-Art-Therapy-1-1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Nature themes dominate the artwork of Tony Gill, 41, of Shickshinny, whose pieces are on display at the Hoyt Library in Kingston along with work by other artists from Studio e, a program for people with epilepsy. </caption0><photoCredit0>Tony Callaio | For Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_Epilepsy-Art-Therapy-2-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Jasiyah Vasquez, 8, left, and her brother Jah&#8217;sir Vasquez, 10, stopped by the Hoyt Library to see the artwork created by artists from Studio e. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_Epilepsy-Art-Therapy-2-1.jpg</photo1><caption1>Jasiyah Vasquez, 8, left, and her brother Jah&#8217;sir Vasquez, 10, stopped by the Hoyt Library to see the artwork created by artists from Studio e. </caption1><photoCredit1>Tony Callaio | For Times Leader </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_Epilepsy-Art-Therapy-3-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Avid artist Ken Lorah, 45, of Truckville, describes his painting of a lighthouse. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_Epilepsy-Art-Therapy-3-1.jpg</photo2><caption2>Avid artist Ken Lorah, 45, of Truckville, describes his painting of a lighthouse. </caption2><photoCredit2>Tony Callaio | For Times Leader </photoCredit2></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_Epilepsy-Art-Therapy-4-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Art therapist Amy Bogdon, left, of Mountain Top, receives a gift of appreciation from Epilepsy Therapy Project coordinator Kathleen Gill, during a reception at the Hoyt Library. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo3>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_Epilepsy-Art-Therapy-4-1.jpg</photo3><caption3>Art therapist Amy Bogdon, left, of Mountain Top, receives a gift of appreciation from Epilepsy Therapy Project coordinator Kathleen Gill, during a reception at the Hoyt Library. </caption3><photoCredit3>Tony Callaio | For Times Leader </photoCredit3></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_Epilepsy-Art-Therapy-5-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Studio e artist Rachelle Yatko, 30, of Pittston, shows off a heart-shaped keepsake box she decorated. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo4>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/web1_Epilepsy-Art-Therapy-5-1.jpg</photo4><caption4>Studio e artist Rachelle Yatko, 30, of Pittston, shows off a heart-shaped keepsake box she decorated. </caption4><photoCredit4>Tony Callaio | For Times Leader </photoCredit4></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta></subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p><strong>By Mary Therese Biebel</strong></p><p>mbiebel@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><factboxMeta><p><strong>IF YOU GO</strong></p><p><strong>What:</strong> Studio e artwork exhibit</p><p><strong>Where:</strong> Hoyt Library, 284 Wyoming Ave., Kingston</p><p><strong>When:</strong> Open during library hours, through Aug. 10</p><p><strong>Info:</strong> 570-287-2013</p></factboxMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Mary Therese Biebel at 570-991-6109 or on Twitter @BiebelMT.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Art therapy program aids people with epilepsy, exhibits at Kingston library