Still Life Sunday (and lunch w/Ellen)

Without over sharing, my friend Steven (and husband to friend Ellen) has been assembling a sculpture garden of sorts made out of rubber bands and other small components. These miniature artworks are organized in a small protected section of his desk and over time I've watched them accumulate in numbers.

Ellen wanted to collaborate on some still lives of them and had a perfect assortment of pantone paper in tones to please the eye. We spent a few hours photographing his creations and got a lot done. Still life bliss!

Afterward, we went out for lunch and walked downtown to One World Trade Center. 

We headed underground through an incredible vista of marble which connected seamlessly to the... 

...Westfield World Trade Center whose public areas, retail tenants and food court were amazing. Quite a departure from life around here. New sights and experiences are always good for the soul.

Throwback Thursday (photogram avec Dior)

I'm teaching myself how to use a large format scanner with an eye to archiving larger images in my flat files. Once upon a time my d.h. called me a "techno-zero" and I'd like to think I've come a long way since then. Always volumes to learn where technology is concerned but any progress is much appreciated and motivates me to push on.

On the Go

I've been hither and yon - well, Brooklyn and Manhattan. I had the pleasure of meeting Rosie Schaap, bartender, author and columnist for the New York Times who prepared two delicious cocktails which I imbibed with friends at her very welcoming bar. Now I am reading her book and really enjoying it. Thanks Rosie!

Met my friend Joyce today at the Frick Collection. A treasure trove of historic paintings, objects and furniture in the sumptuous setting of Frick's mansion completed in 1915. ("No photos allowed please.")

On foot in the neighborhood, I studied shop windows..

... and the sight of four window washers dangling from the side of a building required that I stop and make an image.

And thank you Joyce for the delicious lunch. (what a beautiful upstairs dining room!)

The Decisive Moment on a Saturday

For the past few years I've been volunteering as a cashier for The Friends of Warner Library book sale. I work with my friend Karen and we keep up a banter while managing the many transactions (along with asking every purchaser "do you want to buy a Warner Library bag for a dollar and support the library?) and inspiring a lot of smiles.

Books come in as donations steadily all year and by the time the sale rolls around (held two weekends a year- April and October) they have been organized, filling two tents installed on the property. The sale's proceeds pay for the library's great community programming that we all enjoy.

I'm always game to photograph spontaneously whenever I can and this event draws a wide range of individuals. It took me a little while to work up my courage- but the young lady's gloves moved me to take out my camera and ask if I could take a photo. And the three generations of one family- who could resist photographing that?

Primary Spring

Maybe the best part of April is the sight of flowers in the garden. Hope is eternal and is sometimes rewarded in kind.

A Busy Day

My day started early at Tappan Hill where I photographed the annual breakfast for the Westchester Library System. This year's speaker was Frank Bruni who gave an inspiring talk on the college admissions process (his new book addresses this topic). As a parent actively engaged in academia on behalf of our kids, this is a subject very close to my heart.

Midday I rode the train in to the city where I met a friend for lunch and it was great to bring each other up to date. Walking uptown, an installation and a store window begged to be photographed. Sometimes there's nothing like the unexpected of the city.

Saturday in Soho

I always like going to art exhibits with Ellen as she has great suggestions of what to see. I did fail to remember that meeting someone in front of Dean and Deluca's at 3:00 p.m. on a Saturday afternoon meant navigating a sea of people and their numerous modes of transportation in order to find her.

We made our way to the New Museum to see their current exhibition and our first stop was the top floor to admire the view.

Ellen treated me to a roasted marshmellow that was divine.

An hour spent looking....

....and then we departed the museum to stroll the neighborhood. There is always a lot to take in when exploring city streets, especially with a camera in your hands!

Author's note: leaving to exit The Sky Room level of the New Museum, I noticed it was named for 
Toby Devan Lewis, a woman whose portrait I took years ago. She is an art collector, philanthropist, curator and patron and the ex-wife of Peter B. Lewis of Progressive Insurance fame. (My father's father and Peter's father were friends for many years who raised their families in the same community of Cleveland Heights, Ohio.) These back stories often cause me numerous reflections too mundane to share.

Potato Love (for Jim Dine)

How many heart shaped potatoes have crossed your path? I know of exactly one and its uniqueness made me tuck it away so that I could examine its potential as a print making device. It was exciting to embrace the serendipity of polish applied to the surface and then transferred in succession to a white board. Nothing like the thrill of the unknown.

(and click here to see some of Jim Dine's iconic heart paintings....)

Random Thursday

From the Start

I've been on a mission to empty files and drawers of images and clean house. I don't need to keep everything I've done forever. What a chore (and a bore) to maintain it all- especially when possessing less has become the most interesting concept of all. This image, taken when I was in college of my good friend Catrina's manicured hands reminds how far back reach my fascinations and the sense of wonder they often inspire.

(For) Bass-Weejun in Miami

A picture from an earlier chapter when I worked in the city as a professional photographer and did my share of catalog work and travel. Going on location meant being thrown in to a temporary milieu and my role was to establish the camaraderie to get the work done and create the images- on time and under budget (while trying to have as much fun as humanly possible).

(And the chance to photograph a stunning vista is a benefit always welcomed by me.)

A Chance Encounter Makes My Day

Heading in to NYC the other night to meet friends, I spotted a very familiar face on the Metronorth platform boarding the same train. I found myself saying hello and sharing my appreciation for his entertaining t.v. shows on HGTV and then took the liberty of sitting in the empty seat facing his. We chatted amiably on the way in about his work and his current projects.  Jonathan Scott is a fascinating person and he and his twin brother Drew and older brother J.D. have developed The Property Brothers in to a global enterprise. A very nice guy and so talented and handsome to boot! (and thanks Jonathan for letting me take your picture.)