| Here in New York City many of the locals can't be bothered with owning a car. I'm a native myself and didn't even learn to drive until I became an adult. After all, public transportation around here is pretty good, and a parking spot is as easy to find as a herd of unicorns. And everyone knows what cars do to the environment. So I guess it's a good thing I don't have one. But it also means that taking my painting gear on the road can be a big pain in the you-know-what. |  The Unicorn in Captivity, from the Unicorn Tapestries, 1495–1505, South Netherlandish |
It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
That's one reason why I look for plein air subjects right in my own back yard. I like to set up my easel within a few blocks from home because it saves energy and time. Two things I could definitely use more of. But convenience isn't the only reason I do this. With the never-ending construction, noise, and chaos of the city all around and everywhere I go, my eyes seem to scan the scene for something, anything that's peaceful and lovely. Especially on my way to the subway or to the corner grocery store. Sometimes I get lucky and find something.
Evening at 91st & Third
Evening at 91st & Third, Oil on Board, 8x10 in Here's a wonderful view I came across one evening on a street quite close to where I live. I did my best to capture it's quiet, jewel-like beauty, like a still point in the whirling dervish that is New York. Some day I'd like to go back and paint it again, changing the composition just a little. Artists and writers are like that. We're never completely satisfied, forever tweaking and editing.
And yet while I was working on it I got one of the best compliments ever from a woman passing by. She said "Wow, I walk by here every day and I never noticed how beautiful that is." Well that made my day. Because it's too easy to concentrate on the dirt and menial tasks and the crushing events that happen to us. So sharing the joy of life is really what it's all about, isn't it?
I painted this at the tail end of summer 2014. It's in Manhattan on 91st Street and Third Avenue looking west. That's the Brick Presbyterian Church with a few Madison Avenue apartment buildings in the distance. They're like a castle on a hill taking in the last golden rays of the sun. You can click on the picture to see a larger version.
And yet while I was working on it I got one of the best compliments ever from a woman passing by. She said "Wow, I walk by here every day and I never noticed how beautiful that is." Well that made my day. Because it's too easy to concentrate on the dirt and menial tasks and the crushing events that happen to us. So sharing the joy of life is really what it's all about, isn't it?
I painted this at the tail end of summer 2014. It's in Manhattan on 91st Street and Third Avenue looking west. That's the Brick Presbyterian Church with a few Madison Avenue apartment buildings in the distance. They're like a castle on a hill taking in the last golden rays of the sun. You can click on the picture to see a larger version.
