Artist donates original pieces to county

Goshen — Octogenarian artist Val Sorrentino, of Middletown, has a creative eye and a generous heart. The talented senior has a way of turning bits of paper, images from magazines, and newspaper headlines into complex compositions that look like richly painted works of art. And he does it almost entirely out of paper. For a look at Sorrentino’s creative collages, stop by the Orange County Government Center at 255 Main St., Goshen, where a number of pieces that he has donated to the county are on display on the third floor. Among these are two works that pay tribute to those who lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2001. In addition to his collage work, Sorrentino shines as a talented woodworker. Also on display is an intricately carved, brightly colored, three foot tall bald eagle on a pedestal. “I carved the eagle by hand in 1952 from an old apple tree,” said Sorrentino. “It’s hand-painted and metal-coated and took me six months to complete.” Now 80, Sorrentino has been creating collages since he was 12-years-old and has completed thousands in his lifetime. Each work takes about nine days to complete. His subjects include landscapes, wildlife and florals.