City Views, Country Dreams

Good morning from New York.

As I began to look through the photographs I took during my visit to the United Kingdom, I realized that there are too many for just one post.  I also realized how many more places and friends I could have seen if only I could have stayed at least one more week.  I do hope that those of you whom I just could not manage to meet up with this time will forgive me.  Perhaps 2014 will provide me with more travel opportunities.

And with that introduction, please allow me to show you some of what I recently saw and did.  My London base was the Rembrandt Hotel, where I have stayed on many prior holiday visits.  It's in a very convenient location and the staff are wonderful.

I was assigned a room over one of the little balconies like those you can see in the above photograph, and so my view was of the magnificent Victoria and Albert Museum, just over the road.

I am a great fan of the V&A and, as a member, was able to visit not only the beautiful permanent collection galleries, but also several of the special exhibits.  One was Club to Catwalk: London Fashion in the 1980s; the other was Masterpieces of Chinese Painting.  They could not have been more different, and I am delighted to have been able to see them both.

While in London, I visited several other museums, including the Tate Britain and Tate Modern.  On my way to the Tate Britain, I came across some acrobatic tree trimmers, working without a net.  I admired their bravery, but wondered about how the trees might have felt about their winter haircuts.

If you see what I mean.  Lots of noisy mulching was also going on.

The Tate Britain is in the midst of some external maintenance, and so it was necessary to enter via the side door.  My mission was to see the L. S. Lowry exhibit, with its many depictions of the life of workers during the time of the industrial revolution.  One of my British friends calls Lowry an acquired taste, and it is true that what he depicted is not always pretty, but it does seem true.

Back to the V&A, where I made wonderful use of the cafe for many lunches and afternoon cakes and coffee.  Unfortunately, although the weather was mostly fine, the interior open courtyard was closed to the public as some exhibition-related work was underway.

The following picture shows my little journal book on the window seat overlooking the courtyard.  It was a fine place to sit and make some notes of my daily experiences.

Not all of my art observation occurred in museums.  I am a fan of the artists who've been using spray paints to decorate various walls in the East End.  This is done with the approval of the owners of the walls.

And this one.

And this view of a very grand bird and an octopus hybrid.

On Hanford Street, I came upon three fellows who were working on adjacent paintings.  Only the fellow on the right of the following photograph was making use of a mask over his nose and mouth.  He was also using a ladder.

 It takes quite a while to complete these works.

Apparently, these wall paintings are now being subjected to curatorial interest.  True.

The photo below shows another artist beginning to sketch in his design from a sketch on paper he's holding in his left hand.

I am a great fan of the warm hospitality and wonderful traditional food served at the E. Pellicci restaurant at 332 Bethnal Green Road.  I would recommend this place to any of you who enjoy a welcoming atmosphere.

I first became aware of Pellicci's and other East End locations via the excellent Spitalfields Life blog, written by the Gentle Author.

It was my great pleasure on this London trip to be able to attend the launch party for the Gentle Author's newest book.  The launch was held in the remarkably beautiful Christ Church.  It was a grand event. Those of you all who do not yet know the wonders of  the Spitalfields Life  posts will benefit from a visit.

During the launch, I got to meet many folks who've been written about in the Gentle Author's posts.

One of these folks  is Barn the Spoon, who maintains a tiny shop at 260 Hackney Road.  It is pictured below just behind the traffic light.

Barn is a very talented craftsman, and I am now the proud owner of a sycamore wooden spoon that is definitely a one of a kind creation.  Isn't it splendid?  I would greatly recommend any of you who treasure well made objects and those who make them make a visit to Barn, Friday through Tuesday, 10 to 5.

Just to prove I can take some touristy photographs, here is a view of a red bus and a lamp post.

And this would be Trafalgar Square.

And strangely, this would also be a view in Trafalgar Square.  The plinth gets lots of things landing on it over the years.

Corporate designers are taking tips from those adventurous aerosol spray painters.  The amber leaves are not real.

 The artwork in the following photo may be found in the Rough Trade Records shop in the old Truman Brewery building off Brick Lane.  It was created by Robson Cezar from many, many bottle caps.

I did not spend all my time in London.  In my next post I'll be showing some places a bit further afield.  Hoping you will enjoy this initial holiday report and will keep an eye out for more to come.

Please note that some of the links I wish to add to this post are not currently operating...I will return later today to see if I can get them up and running.

Update...I have been able to correctly set the link to the Spitalfields Life post.

Good morning from New York.

Yes, it's been a while since my last post.  Things got busy here in New York, and then ... I went on a wonderful trip to the United Kingdom.  

The above photo is of the NYC subway station under Bryant Park at the corner of 42nd Street and Fifth Avenue.  There is quite a slant.

I promise to show you all lots of the beautiful places that I visited across the Pond in my next post.  It might actually take two posts!

Meanwhile thank you for checking in here.

City Views, Country Dreams

Good evening from New York.

A brief thunderstorm has just cleared the air of some of the heat and humidity that clung to this city for most of the day.  The cooler air is so welcome.

It is like a late day gift on this day, my birthday.  Long time readers of my posts already know that the eve of my birthday has a history-marking date. 

We New Yorkers cannot possibly ignore the significance of the eleventh of September, yet I do try to let my own personal day be a time for celebration.

Valerie Greeley, the wonderful artist who posts as acornmoon, recently offered a giveaway ... and I was the winner of a gift certificate from Novica.  I selected a beautiful woven cotton shoulder bag from Thailand.  It arrived last week and I am delighted with this colorful, useful bag.  Thank you again, Valerie! 

Although I would have loved to have had a late beginning to this birthday morning, fate intervened.  My apartment building's management posted an announcement a few days ago that all our water would be be shut off today from 9 to 5.  This would allow the basement boiler that heats the water and radiators to be readied for chilly weather that will arrive in a month.  

I did not take this warning personally, particularly since I had an invitation to a members preview of a wonderful new exhibit at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.  Not only would this invite grant me entry to a beautiful show; it would also grant me access to all the Met's features, including running water, hot and cold.

And so, not long after 9 a.m., I set off on the crosstown bus to East 82nd Street and the Met.

The show is a beauty!  I do love textiles, but would recommend it to folks who truly don't know much about fabrics, warps, wefts, resist printing, ikat, etc.  

The exhibit is titled Interwoven Global, and it attempts to show the visitor how ships sailing around the globe in the 1500's, 1600's, 1700's, and thereafter allowed artists, craftspersons and patrons to experience cross-pollination.  It's a feast!

Ages ago, in a prior professional life, I was an archivist at the Met, and therefore, am still a bit aware of the rules and regs of various bits around the museum.  As I began my slow stroll through this magnificent exhibit, I asked a museum guard if photography was okay...since it seemed that most of the textiles on display were from the Met's own collections.  She said that she'd taken time to check and that yes was the answer.

And that is how I happened to take take these not so wonderful photos in the subdued light of the exhibition's galleries.

How I hope that those of you who do live within reasonable traveling distance from NYC will be able to visit this show.

Do you see the scary face on this warrior's jacket?  Do you also see the completely non-plussed museum viewer under the arm?  It is all in the context.

This is a large show, that begins with textiles from lands far away from the European trading countries that sent their ships across oceans seeking treasures and trading opportunities in faraway lands.

What becomes apparent, little by little is the way that these various cultures began to infiltrate each other, and influence both demand from patrons, and supply via talented weavers, embroiderers, printers, and other artists and artisans.  The traders, of course, were important players in this inter-weaving.

It's quite amusing when viewing some of the textiles to see the iconography of differing cultures appearing intermingled in the designs.

As I was taking my last photo, I was approached by a very gracious museum guard who advised me that in the hour since I'd entered the exhibit, he and his colleagues had been visited by their security supervisor and told that No Photographs Would Be Allowed.  And so, dear readers, the photos you see in the post could not now be taken without breaking the Met's rules.

Timing favored me and my Canon, even if I did not take very good photographs.

Leaving this fine textile show, I took the designated elevator up to the roof of the Met.  Every summer a particular artist is commissioned to create a piece just for the roof space.  The Met is on the eastern edge of Central Park, and so this rooftop space serves not just as a outdoor gallery, but also as a marvelous viewing point for anyone wanting to see the treetops of the Park and the skyscrapers at the Park's edges.

The weather was becoming more and more opaque as humidity and temperature signaled a storm arriving.  A perfect time to visit the roof and see what artist Imran Qureshi had painted on the concrete surface of the space.

To my eye, this mainly monochromatic linear painting had floral motifs.  Chrysanthemums, or dahlias, perhaps.  There was also an echo of the henna hand painting tradition.  The following photo shows an area where the floor painting continues up the side of the surrounding concrete wall.  I think that this photo also reads as a two-dimensional image, with a horizon line.

Here I show you a view of the floor at my feet, indicating how the petals extend across the squares of concrete.  Like a chalk drawing on a sidewalk, perhaps?  You will also see a few white painted accents.

My eye was also drawn to the periphery of the roof garden watching the clouds over the southwestern views change as the forecast storm sped up its arrival.

I could not resist taking this photo featuring a few folks walking about, just to give you an idea of the scale of the commissioned art.

The Met has thoughtfully provided some shady spaces on the roof, and also a refreshment stand offering rather expensive beverages and snacks for art lovers who do not find the views sufficient sustenance.  I could not resist taking a picture of this blossoming vine on a very old-fashioned trellis in the midst of this very au courant exhibit.

After leaving the museum, I boarded a Fifth Avenue bus headed downtown, on my way to meet a friend who treated me to delicious Italian pastry and cappuccino.  Thank goodness that bus ride provided good shelter and a good view of the heavy rain storm that occurred mid-trip.

The pastry was fabulous.  The company was fabulous.  By the time we left the cafe, the sun was out again, and the earlier heat and humidity had abated...just a bit.

It's funny that the Empire State Building does not really feature in the cityscape views from the Met's roof.  And so, I took this photo of that iconic building on my way walking back uptown, as I tried to exercise the departure of some the calories added on to my birthday self.

As always, I thank you all for your visits and comments.

City Views, Country Dreams

Good morning from New York.

August continues to be more kind to us than July was.  There have been many mild days, perfect for meeting friends in cafe gardens, visiting farmers markets, and just taking long walks.

Some New York towers are covered in mirrored glass.  These facades come into their own relationships with the sky on bright days when breezes keep the clouds moving.

I actually prefer the intricately decorated facades of older buildings, such as this beauty in my neighborhood.

However, what I truly prefer is yet another walk over to Central Park.

I wanted to see what was still abloom over in the Shakespeare Garden.  The foliage has gone a bit straggly, but there's still quite a lot of color, too.

As usual, there were only a few other folks strolling through the Garden.  I saw several other cameras in use.

Pink, white and green always make a fine combination.

Not all the leaves are green.

Aren't these roses lovely?

I hope that you all will forgive my continuing ignorance.  I do not know the name of this pretty little pink flower.

The following photos gives you an idea of the graceful design of the flag stoned pathways that wander through the garden.  You can also get a glimpse of the rustic wood fencing.

On the day of my Garden walk, the sky was overcast, but the yellow flowers still showed up brilliantly on their very long stems.

My camera and I were not quick enough to photograph any of the many bees that I saw enjoying their favorite flowers.  There were also some lovely varied colored butterflies that seemed quite camera shy.

As I left the Garden, and continued my walk along the western edge of the Lake, I saw evidence of the gradual departure of Summer.  These lacy leaves have their own natural beauty.

I hope that you all will enjoy this opportunity to see these city views.  As always, thank you so much for your visits and comments.

City Views, Country Dreams

Good morning from New York.

Summertime heat arrived in full force during July.  My energy levels dropped as the temperature rose.

I plead this excuse for a long pause in blog posting.  I'll now try to show a small sampling what has been going on during the heat wave.

Berry season arrived and a new bakery opened up in my neighborhood.  It is a tiny place, and offers a small selection of delicious pastries.  Cupcakes do not have starring roles in this bakery.

The trees' leaves reached full growth and deepest green.  Even the small park around the subway station became a place for folks to sit and hope for a breeze.

The nearby newsstand operator added a welcome seasonal ice cream selection.  I have not tried any of this ice cream, but have finally sampled delicious gelato from another neighborhood spot.

The Union Square farmers market reached a seasonal apex.  Each week during July new vegetables and fruit arrived.  I tried to visit the market every week, and sometimes was lucky to meet Elizabeth there.

I would buy fruit and veg, but did not buy and of the lovely flowers.  

The colors amongst all the farmers' displays are very beautiful.  It is so difficult to resist making many purchases.  I try to keep to a budget, but often get carried away.

During many July days the temperatures clung to the upper 90 degrees Farenheit.  With humidity added to the mix, the so-called comfort index was over 100 degrees. 

My existence became a tale of varying environments.  My workplace and the subway trains were severely air conditioned. Sweaters or jackets were required.  The museums and cafes that I visited with friends were pleasantly cool.  The movie theatre at which I saw Woody Allen's newest film, Blue Jasmine, was very comfortable.

 The great outdoors, the subway stations and my little apartment were quite warm.  I would like to praise the help offered to me by the quiet, reliable cooling breezes offered up by my noble Vornado fan.  I drank the more water each day than ever before.  Having cross ventilation from open windows also brought relief.

Relief also seems to have been delivered by the calendar's having moved on to August.  Once again the city is comfortable.  Knitting with wool yarn is much more fun than it was during July.  Strangely, I did quite a lot of knitting during July.

Many thanks to you all for your visits and comments.  Even though I have been a very lazy summertime blogger, I have greatly enjoyed my visits to your posts.   Keeping up with reports of your summertimes has been great fun!