D.'s Studio in LIC

Study for D's Studio in LIC
Oil on canvas panel
6x6 inches

Last summer I stopped by an artist's studio in LIC for a visit. As I was leaving I heard my name being called. After looking around and up and saw my friend Donna waving from the window of the building where she has her studio. She came downstairs and we had a chance to catch up and chat. It's always nice running into fellow artists in the neighborhood and I'm reminded once again of what a vibrant arts community exists in Long Island City.

LIC Courthouse Reflections 2019

Study for LIC Courthouse Reflections 2019
Oil on canvas panel

6x6 inches

SOLD

I've been working on a series of small studies for possible larger paintings and was pleased with this one. The venerable Long Island City Courthouse sits amid a massive amount of construction and development these days. The beautiful old building, constructed in 1874 and remodeled in 1904 is reflected in a nearby new glass residental building. The Court Square area is unrecognizable as I walk around these days and I was glad to find this view which highlights the old and the new sitting side by side. Having painted the Courthouse several times over the years, I am still struck by its stately elegance.

Hudson Yards Reflections once more

Reflections on Hudson Yards II
Oil on canvas
16x12 inches

A new painting of some of the many reflections to be found in the Hudson Yards development on the west side of Manhattan.

One of my guilty pleasures is watching the television program "Million Dollar Listings New York" on Bravo. Being a native New Yorker, I'm astounded, amazed, curious and horrified all at the same time while watching these multi-million dollar listings all around town trying to find buyers - very rich buyers. High powered real estate brokers are frantically coming up with gimmicks to show and sell these properties, many of which do find buyers. Last night's episode featured several apartments in the area dubbed "SoHY" by one of the brokers - short for South of Hudson Yards. Please. Enough already. Many of the buyers of these high-end properties might live in them a few weeks out of the year as they are often bought as investments and are not permanent homes. So much for creating an environment that becomes a tight knit community.

What is interesting is that this area of Manhattan, as with so many others, also contain NYCHA projects and thankfully some really affordable housing. Housing where you find a real diversity of people, all ages from the very young to a large senior population, varied ethnicities, families, young professionals. I'm just sad that more AFFORDABLE housing has become harder and harder to find and that many New Yorker's who were born here can no longer afford to live in their hometown and are forced to relocate.

Anyway, that is the nature of real estate in NYC. I'll keep painting my hometown, always trying to find interest in both the gritty and the beautiful that surrounds us.

Award time!

42nd and Sixth Reflections
Oil on canvas
24x18 inches

When I arrived at my studio this morning a letter informing me that my painting, "42nd and Sixth Reflections" has received an award in the Allied Artist's 106th Exhibition, now on view at the Salmagundi Art Club, 47 Fifth Avenue @ 12th Street, New York, NY. The exhibition runs through September 15th and is free and open to the public. A reception and awards presentation will take place on Sunday, September 15 from 1-5pm. It is always a thrill to have work accepted into this annual exhibition and an honor to receive an award. If you're in the neighborhood stop in as the art on view is wonderful.

A moment in time on 9th Avenue

A moment in time on 9th Avenue
Oil on canvas
24x42 inches

My summer painting is finally complete. I photographed this scene on Ninth Avenue around 50th Street during this year's 9th Avenue Food Festival. The area is aptly named Hell's Kitchen as there is one restaurant after another to be found along this stretch on Manhattan's west side. Some of the older tenement buildings still dot the area with thei intricate iron fire escapes. There was a time when one would see people hanging out on them but not a sight often seen these days. I hoped to capture this sunny Saturday in May with the sun hitting the pavement and people heading about their business, just a moment in time.

Giclée prints available on select paintings

Manhattan Bistro

Hope everyone is enjoying the summer. I've been busy painting a large street scene that I'll post as soon as it is finished. At times I feel as if this blog, Facebook, Instagram and other social media platforms are a beast that needs constant feeding.

On another note, I've recently added several new paintings to my page on TurningArt.com. These paintings are now available as giclée prints. Link.

Gargoyles Galore!

In addition to being a painter, I also enjoy creating quilts and fiber art, often incorporating NYC imagery into my projects. I was recently commissioned to create a gargoyle themed quilt which I enthusiastically tackled as I have many photographs of gargoyles around New York and thought it would be a fun way to use them. Some of these gargoyles can be found on the City College campus, the Upper West Side and Chelsea among other locations. The three photographs below depict the full quilt, a close up section of one corner and a sample of one of the quilt blocks. Each block was created using the same pattern but I varied the way the fabrics were configured. A nice way to use up a bunch of scraps and as any quilter knows, those scrappy quilts come in handy in diminishing the ever growing pile of left over fabrics. The center of each block features a gargoyle with smaller gargoyles sprinkled around the quilt corners and on the border.

Creating these fiber art pieces is a nice companion to my paintings as I can explore the New York City themes that interest me using a very different and creative medium.