Broadway's original Lord & Taylor

An elegant store for the ladies who shopped

"Zig Zag Broadway"
Oil on panel
6 x 6 inches

An intimate painting of Broadway around 20th Street. This Flatiron district has some wonderful buildings on Broadway as well as the side streets radiating off the main drag. Lot's of architectural details to be found. The original Lord & Taylor's department store is the building pictured on the left-hand side of this painting, which will be in the upcoming fall exhibit at the Franklin 54 Gallery in Chelsea. Artist Susan Pyzow will be exhibiting a painting and etching featuring this building and Emily Trueblood will have a linoleum cut on view. As you can see, we three artists have been drawn to many of the same sites and showing our work together will make for an intriguing exhibit. Our catalogue is almost complete and will be sent off to print in early September. Meeting in my studio several times over the summer to work on the layout and then capping it off with lunch at a local LIC diner has become something of a "tradition," one that I hope we can continue in some fashion after our show is up and running. Also, thanks to my friend Sandy, designer extraordinare, we now have a beautiful brochure designed and in production. Exciting times and working with other artists on this collaboration has been a wonderful experience.

Pete's Tavern on Irving Place

O'Henry wrote and ate here

"Pete's Tavern"
Oil on canvas
24 x 24 inches

Another new painting in the hopper for the upcoming Fall exhibit in Chelsea at the Franklin 54 Gallery. Pete's Tavern is located on Irving Place, a street running from 14th to 20th Streets. A cozy haunt in Gramercy Park, Pete's has a nice, old-timey wooden bar with the restaurant located in the back rooms. Black wooden booths, tiles on the floor and numerous photos on the walls create a nice ambiance. The noted writer O'Henry lived in the area and frequented this restaurant often, sitting in a booth and and working on his stories. As I walk by Pete's Tavern fairly often, I wanted to try to capture it on canvas. It's been around a long time and I can't imagine the corner of 18th Street without it.

Meeting with the other two artists in the show this week and our catalogue project is almost complete. I'm very happy that we were able to capture this collaborative effort in print and I know we have a very interesting exhibit on our hands. As an added plus, Alfred Pommer, a popular New York City tour guide, will be conducting a "walking tour" in the gallery as a special event. He'll talk about the places depicted in the artworks hanging on the gallery walls and it will be a great introduction to these neighborhoods, should folks want to then hit the streets and see the actual places on their own. I'll post more details about this event soon.

Metropolitan Life Reflections

A stately sentinel on 23rd Street


"Metropolitan Life Reflections"
Oil on canvas
24 x 18 inches

I've been missing working on a new reflection painting when I came upon this view of the Met Life building several weeks ago. Took a few photos and settled on this view. Just love the undulating forms and limited palette used in this painting. I've painted this building several times over the years and never get tired of this subject and as I'd never done a reflection painting, it was high time that one came off the easel. Another in the series I've been working on for the upcoming Gramcery/Flatiron show in the fall. Still have to come up with a good title though, and would welcome any ideas for a really catchy show title. I'm sharing this painting with you today because of the cool colors, blues, whites and grays. The current heat wave is getting to me and everyone else here in NYC so I hope this painting might be a refreshing change of pace.

Off to buy a new Mac computer tomorrow as mine is 6 years old and starting to falter. It's worked hard over the years and served me well, but it's time for an upgrade. My friend Sandy was visiting the studio yesterday and when she saw my monitor she told me the colors on a new screen will look much sharper and more saturated. Hadn't even thought of that. It will be interesting to see how my paintings look once I'm up and running with a fresh new system.

Keep cool everyone!

19th Street Carriage House

We're having a heat wave...

"19th Street Carriage House Study"
Oil on panel
6 x 6 inches

Smack dab in the middle of a heat wave I thought I'd share this snowy scene with you. I LOVE THIS HOUSE! A former carriage house on 19th Street in the Gramercy Park area was refurbished into one of the most charming residences in NYC, in my humble opinion. Passersby often stop to look it over, point out different details and just smile when they see this place. I know I do. I remember when the small carriage house was a boarded-up ruin, painted green and yellow and covered with graffiti. Happily that is no longer the case. Two buildings were combined, bricked in red, with white wood trimmings and wrought iron details. There are two small iron horses on the facade in homage to the building's former days as a stable. A lovely tree in front of the house is covered with pink blooms today. The photo that I worked from was taken last winter just after a snowstorm. Try to imagine a cold, blustery day filled with sunshine and snowy sidewalks. Sending cooling thoughts your way.

Union Square Park

Greenery, art, produce, memorials, politics and more...


"Union Square"
Oil on canvas
24 x 24 inches

Something a little different today, a street scene. I recently completed this view of the southern end of Union Square Park, a major hub from 14th to 17th Street. A wonderful farmer's market takes place on the northern end several days a week with the southern end filled with tables and booths of crafts and the like. While I was working on this painting there was some discussion in city government circles about the possible need to limit the amount of street vendors/artists allowed to set up shop in this park as well as in other areas of the city. An ongoing debate. Union Square drew thousands of people together in protest during the Civil War and then again to memorialize and mourn just after 9/11. Back in the bad old 1970's, you were wise to steer clear of Union Square as it was a dirty and dangerous area. Today, the park and the surrounding streets are bustling all the time. I honestly believe that 14th Street between Fourth Avenue and University Place is congestion central. All those NYU students among others. But, it does make for a lively neighborhood to be sure, and I'm glad that Union Square Park has come through the dark times of former years to be a very pleasant place today.

NAWA at NAC

National Association of Women Artists 121st Annual Exhibition

"Flatiron - Bird's Eye View"
Oil on canvas
24 x 18 inches

The National Association of Women Artists is holding their 121st Annual Exhibition at the National Arts Club in Gramercy Park and I received a call that my painting has won an award. Always nice to hear. The reception is on Thursday, June 17th, but I stopped in on my way home to check out the show the other day. I'm sorry to say that something went very wrong with this exhibit. Whoever installed this large show should never be allowed to wield a hammer and nails ever again. The work was hung haphazardly, some walls were chock full of paintings with little space between each work, other walls were bare or sparsely covered. No rhyme or reason for pieces hanging next to one another. A real disappointment for the artists in the show. I've been a member of this organization for many years and this is the first time this has ever happened. Artist-run organizations have their ups and downs to be sure, and a lot depends on the leadership and the volunteers involved. NAWA really dropped the ball on this one and I can only hope that things get sorted out by the time the 122nd Annual rolls around next year.

The Wrought Iron of Gramercy

Turn of the century

"Gramercy Park West"
Oil on canvas
10 x 8 inches

A new painting just off the easel. Work continues on the Gramercy/Flatiron theme for the upcoming October show. Today's scene is of a close-up section of a lovely row of homes on the west side facing Gramercy Park. Nice, decorative wrought ironwork. There is a challenge in painting these architectural details. Just really enjoy the feel of this area of the city. The hectic pace slows a bit when walking the streets around the park.

As for the upcoming show, I met with the two other artists last week and we're busy working on the layout of a small catalogue of the works in the show. Nice work! Emily Trueblood's linocuts and Susan Pyzow's paintings and etchings really capture the neighborhoods. Each of we three artists has her own unique style and it's fascinating to see how we've handled this subject. It was a real treat to see everyone's work and to try to decide how best to place the images. We're meeting again in a few weeks time and I think we're going to have a fantastic exhibit when all is said and done.