Long Island City at dusk

A rooftop view

"LIC Rooftop Night"
Oil on canvas
14 x 11 inches
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A recently completed painting to share with you today. With all the show biz stuff happening the past few months I have been able to find time to do some painting after all. This piece was a commission for a young couple living in the neighborhood. They had seen an exhibit of my work several years ago and contacted me about a painting that had been in the show. As it had been sold we talked about doing another painting with a similar subject and I took a number of photos to show them. After some more back and forth, they decided what they really wanted was a painting of the view from their rooftop, where they spend many pleasant evenings, weather permitting. This is the painting that resulted and I'm very pleased with the result. I have been itching to paint more night scenes as there is a definite atmosphere and mood that develops with many dark colors punctuated with punches of light.

In this scene, the industrial aspect is of the "old" LIC neighborhood is portrayed with the factory building in the foreground. The eye is then drawn towards the waterfront with the newer developments that have cropped up in the past decade. Finally, the eye is drawn to the Manhattan skyline with the ever iconic Empire State Building lit up in the early evening light.

Small Works show at Jeffrey Leder Gallery in LIC

One show closes, another one soon to open

"LIC/Jackson Crossroads"
Oil on canvas
10 x 10 inches

Today, on the last day of the exhibition, "Triple Play...", I delivered a bunch of paintings to the Jeffrey Leder Gallery, a new addition to the Long Island City art scene. My friend Donna Levinstone, a wonderful pastel artist, will be having a one-woman exhibition of her pastel landscapes, the second show in this new gallery. If you would like to see samples of her work, check out her website.

Donna very kindly told the gallery director about my work and I was delighted when he made a studio visit and selected 16 small scale paintings to be included in the Small Works Salon exhibit accompanying Donna's show. 10 artists works will be exhibited, with a variety of styles and mediums on view.

The opening reception is on Sunday, December 5th, from 2 - 7 pm. The Jeffrey Leder Gallery is located at 1105 44th Road, 3rd Floor, Long Island City, NY 11101. For more information and directions contact: jeffreyledergallery.com

The show runs from December 5, 2010 through January 9, 2011. Hours are Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday,11-6.

A Walking Tour of "Triple Play..."

Who knew?

"Flatiron II"
Oil on canvas
24 x 18 inches

Last Saturday we enjoyed an "in-gallery walking tour" of the Gramercy Park and Flatiron districts led by Alfred Pommer, long-time NYC walking tour guide. Lot's of interesting facts were uncovered in the course of the talk. In this painting, the obelisk is the Worth Memorial, named after General Worth of the War of 1812 fame. He is buried there and the city of Ft. Worth is named after him. The wrought iron fence surrounding the monument was made of swords. Who knew?


"NAC Gramercy"
Oil on canvas
24 x 18 inches

The stately National Arts Club was built on a double lot owned by Governor Samuel Tilden, who actually won a presidential election by popular vote but lost the election due to fewer votes in the electoral college. Who knew? He was also fearful of uprisings after prosecuting members of Boss Tweed's Tammany Hall machine and had a tunnel built under the mansion leading out to the street a block away, just in case a fast getaway was necessary. Who knew?


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

The fabulous Flatiron building...rumor has it that a group of Italian investors now own the building and in several years time offices might be converted to condominium residences. True or false? Time will tell. Recently finished reading a marvelous book on the history of the Flatiron and the real estate climate of New York in the early 1900's. I highly recommend Alice Sparberg Alexiou's The Flatiron, The New York Landmark and the Incomparable City That Arose With It. A terrific read!

"Triple Play" exhibit online

American Art Collector Magazine has featured the exhibition on their website as of November 1st. So if you are an out-of-towner or cannot make it to the gallery in person, you can still see the exhibit. Looking at art online is definitely not the same as seeing the real thing of course, but it is still an opportunity to see the show.

"Triple Play: Flatiron/Gramercy from 3 Angles" can now be viewed online at http://www.galleryshowsonline.com/show/franklinangles1110

American Art Collector features "Triple Play" in November issue

The opening reception on the evening of October 21st was a real scene. The gallery was packed, the noise level was high and there was a lot of excitement in the air. People kept streaming in, well after the 8pm closing time. I learned that in Chelsea where so many galleries are now located, Thursday evenings are when many people come out to do the "Chelsea Walk", going from gallery to gallery to gallery to gallery...

We have gotten some nice publicity on the show thus far. A write-up on the exhibit is featured in the November issue of American Art Collector Magazine, pps. 206-207.

Town & Village, a weekly newspaper serving the Stuyvesant Town, Peter Cooper Village, Waterside, Gramercy Park, Union Square, East Midtown Plaza and the Kips Bay areas of Manhattan ran a cover story, "3 artists see new sides to the city". Off to a good start and it's been nice to talk with people about the work on view.

Another opening, another show

Opening reception Thursday, October 21, 6-8 pm



3 images from the exhibit. From left to right: Florin's "Flatiron-Bird's Eye View", Trueblood's "City Towers" and Pyzow's "Scheffel Night". Just an example of 3 of the 42 paintings and prints on view in this collaborative exhibit.

"Triple Play: Flatiron/Gramercy from 3 Angles" On View

The show is up and running!

Stopped by the gallery today to check out the show and it looks wonderful, better than I could have hoped for. The paintings and prints are grouped in such a way as to complement the work of three artists and makes for a fascinating "tour" through the Gramercy Park and Flatiron neighborhoods. Here's the press release. Hope to see some of you at the reception on Thursday, October 21st. Now to decide what to wear...

TRIPLE PLAY: FLATIRON/GRAMERCY FROM 3 ANGLES

SHARON FLORIN
SUSAN PYZOW
EMILY TRUEBLOOD

October 19th – November 24th, 2010
Reception: October 21st, 6-8p
Special Event: November 6th @ 2p: an in gallery walking tour of the exhibition by NYC tour guide Alfred Pommer

Franklin 54 Gallery is pleased to present a collaborative exhibition project by 3 New York City artists: Sharon Florin, Susan Pyzow and Emily Trueblood of paintings and prints that depict two New York City landmark areas- the Gramercy and Flatiron districts.

Sharon Florin has been painting and capturing NYC architecture for many years and they are expertly executed with a realist’s eye yet full of personality. They are detailed, rich and inviting – she captures the heart and feeling of each piece of architecture bringing the intimacy of it to life. Sharon’s respect and love for the architecture and NYC come alive in her paintings so we as the viewer can step in and enjoy so many aspects of the city.

Susan Pyzow’s paintings are strong and a bit eerie though quiet and still - components that make them intriguing along with her use of lush color and heightened contrasts. She draws us as viewers into the “light in the window” that is a beacon. The pieces are real but painterly and we are welcomed into her suspense hoping she will let us inside and reveal the secret. Susan will also have prints in the exhibition along side her paintings.

Emily Trueblood’s linoleum cut prints are clean, sharp and architectural. The imagery in these pieces whether shadow, shapes or angles are simple and striking. Her limited palette accentuates these handsome pieces and repeated use of the window variations keeps the eye moving in and out, up and down. Masterfully composed, they invite us to a fresh interpretation of these NYC buildings.

Each artist has her own technique and vision yet together they portray the richness of these neighborhoods. All three are award winning artists with works in numerous private, corporate and museum collections. Printmakers Susan Pyzow and Emily Trueblood also exhibit with The Old Print Shop in Manhattan. Sharon Florin has exhibited with Franklin 54 since it began in 2004.