Audobon Ballroom Terracotta

 

Audobon Ballroom Terracotta
Oil on panel
8x8 inches
SOLD

One summer day pre-Covid, my friend Debbie and I went on an art stroll in Harlem and Washington Heights. All of a sudden I spotted this facade from across the street on Broadway and West 165th Street. Wow, what a fabulous facade. I hurried across to the island on the middle of Broadway and started taking photos of the building from all different angles. Just love coming upon these architectural details and this terracotta beauty is spectacular. Decided to do a painting and here is the result, another in my "kitchen table series of small works". A LOT of detail on a small scale panel. So happy the building was not torn down but restored and is still in use today.

The Audobon Ballroom was built in 1912 by Thomas W. Lamb as a theater. Here is some information about the building from Wikipedia.

Architect Thomas Lamb, who later would design the nearby eclectic United Palace, was an advocate of the use of ornamentation and color on his building's exteriors. He would write: ""Exotic ornaments, colors and scenes are particularly effective in creating an atmosphere in which the mind is free to frolic and becomes receptive to entertainment."^[10] In line with this philosophy, the facade of the Audubon Ballroom presents terra-cotta glazed polychromy, encrustations and cornices.^[11] Its ornamentations include brown foxes between the windows on the second floor, intended to flatter Fox,^[3] and, most prominently, a colorful protruding three-dimensional statue of Neptune on a ship.^[1]

Alterations to the building in 1996 were made by the architecture firm of Davis Brody Bond, who also designed Columbia University's new building, while the restoration of the facade was handled by preservation specialist Jan Hird Pokorny.^[11] 

Chrysler Reflections Revisited

 

Chrysler Reflections Revisited
Oil on panel
6x6 inches
SOLD

The Chrysler Building is truly a one of a kind architectural gem and I never tire of finding new vantage points of viewing and painting this NYC treasure. This view is from 42nd Street, west of the building. There is nothing else like the crown that adorns this always recognizable and beloved building. One day this small study might become the basis for a larger painting.

Two for the Oculus

 

"Two for the Oculus"
Oil on panel
6x6 inches
mounted on an 8x8 inch panel

The Occulus located in downtown Manhattan is a a very unusual building, unlike the architecture surrounding it. Reminds me of a bird about to take flight. The interior is light filled and is part of the memorial to 9/11. So much of lower Manhattan has been reimagined and rebuilt since the tragic events that took place 19 years ago this coming Friday, hard to believe and still a painful memory.

I saw these two people having a quiet conversation on the outside of the building on a sunny afternoon and thought this might be a good subject for a small painting.

Here is photo of the Occulus looking head on.

LIC's Lost Union Hall

 

LIC's Lost Union Hall
Oil on panel
6x6 inches
SOLD

Recently completed this small study of a former Union Hall located in Long Island City. I always admired the beautiful brickwork and terracotta detailing. When a developer bought this property and was about to tear it down to make way for new construction a number of neighborhood people protested, hoping to save this lovely historic building but it was not to be. It was sad to see the ram's heads stripped from the facade during the demolition. A shiny new glass building now stands on the site. Another piece of a lost New York.

Hot off the presses: Sharon Florin's New York: a retrospective

 

As this year marks the 40th anniversary of my studio space in Long Island City, Queens, I had planned several celebratory events which have been put on hold, postponed until sometime next year.

Happily, one of the projects, Sharon Florin’s New York: a retrospective, has been completed. This 48-page softcover book contains a selection of over 100 paintings, year by year, with photos of the studio and works in progress. Subjects include street scenes and cityscapes, NYC architectural treasures and details, the ongoing reflections series and scenes of Long Island City. The cost is $25.00 payable by check or PayPal. If you would like a copy, please email sjfstudio@aol.com and we'll work out the details.

The Always Majestic Flatiron Building

 The Flatiron (study)
Oil panel
8x8 inches
SOLD

This small study is currently on my tabletop easel. Never tire of painting some of New York's iconic buildings and the Flatiron is a real favorite, one of the city's  first skyscrapers.  I highly recommend a wonderful book, The Flatiron: The New York Landmark and the Incomparable City That Rose With It by Alice Sparberg Alexiou if you are interested in reading about the making and the history of the Flatiron building.

 

A rainbow on the Upper West Side

Upper West Side Rainbow

Oil on panel

6x6 inches
SOLD

There have been some strong thunderstorms rumbling through NYC this summer. A friend on the Upper West Side shared his photo with me of a beautiful rainbow over the Upper West Side of Manhattan. This study might become a larger painting one day but for now, this is my year of working small, often at my kitchen table.