Seeking the Sublime in the Everyday

 Last week Arthur and I went to Chicago to see Sam, his wife, Annye and Sunny, who never sits still. They live near Oak Park, Frank Lloyd Wright territory, so we took nice walks and saw some great houses. We went to the Zoo--the bears were snoozing but the rhino, my favorite charismatic megafauna, posed nicely for me. We'll be seeing more of him. Then Arthur went home and I met my dear friend of long standing, Lenesa Leana, for a visit in the Windy City which, by the way is not America's windiest city.  It got that name because in the competition to host   the great exposition of 1895 a defeated New Yorker said we were beaten by "that windiest windbag, a Chicago politician."  Windy or not, it's a wonderful city--and this New Yorker acknowledges that the term "Second City" comes from the rebuilding after the great fire, not that New York is the First City.  OK, I'll allow it. Our first stop was the Chicago Art Institute because Lenesa wanted to visit ...

  Happy New Year!   Now that we're done with the recent forty days and nights of rain we can enjoy one of life's treats--Autumn in New York. Julia Glass, in her novel Vigil Harbor said,  "October in New York reminds people to renew their vows to stay forever." So let's be sure to take some long walks.  You may remember the architectural tour I posted in 2019,  An Architectural Tour of NYC Here are two great buildings I left out.  If you stumble upon either of these you might think you're not in New York City but somewhere in Europe.   Here's the Old Police Building at 240 Centre Street between Grand and Broome Streets And First Baptist Church, at Broadway and 79th Street. As another way to celebrate Autumn I'm moved to write about my favorite calligraphy ink. It's been my go-to material ever since I branched out from Black and White. People would ask if I ever filled in my black and white drawings with color and no, that really doesn't work; it...

 Wednesday morning I had a very early training session at the gym and then found myself on the street before even the grocery store was open so I took a stroll. the sun was shining on the Jefferson Market Library. Isn't it beautiful? It's been closed for the past three years to build an accessible entrance. The old door stood at the top of five steep stairs, which made it difficult if not impossible for people with strollers and wheelchairs to enter.  The new way in is this beautiful ramp to what was a window, now a door, into a brightly lit white room thoughtfully furnished with a drinking fountain, and some wit,   this door to nowhere is marked "Mystery!"  You're greeted by    three gracious ladies,  I think they're the muses, the inspirational goddesses of literature, science and the arts. There's a link to read about the project in Time Out's July 14 issue. Next to the library is a beautiful garden where the Women's House of Detention once stoo...

Almost done with the Blue House--at least I've gotten to the roof line.  I've read that the custom in building a house is that when the roof is complete you throw a party. So I hope you'll celebrate with me. I still have to finish the round window on the top floor-- but that'll be easy.  Then I'll hang curtains and decide who to put in the windows.  Then on to Blue House Interior! All week I've been thinking about blue; Navy Blue, Sky Blue, Cobalt Blue, Aqua, Ultramarine, Teal, Cobalt, Periwinkle, Cerulean, Cyan, Indigo, Woad, Prussian Blue, Egyptian Blue, Slate Blue. My etching inks were Chinese Blue and Horizon Blue. Then I hit my crayon box and found Robin's Egg Blue (there's a robin living on my block-he's so handsome I think I'll draw him!) Turquoise, Cornflower, Pacific Blue, Denim, have I missed anything? My friend, Mara, told me about this wonderful book, the Secret Lives of Color, by Kassia St. Clair, the history of all the colors.  Br...

 This week we say goodbye to Knox Martin, painter and beloved teacher at the Art Student's League. He was ninety-nine.  Do you know this work of art? Have you ever noticed it?  Painted in 1970, it is located on the south side of Bayview Correctional Facility at 19th Street and The West Side Highway so it's been there as long as I've lived in New York and I see it every time we head north out of town. That building is no longer correctional facility and its future is uncertain.  I hope the painting survives--it's ten stories tall! It's titled "Venus."  Here's what I read about it, by Marilyn Kushner. "Traditionally the goddess of love and fertility, Venus represents woman, erotic and supple, but it also conveys Martin's love affair with New York. Venus is his love poem to the city where he has always lived, a place that is part of his being. The feminine, curvilinear shapes of the image are in direct contrast with the straight forms that inters...

 I was planning to take you on a stroll through the collages of 2007 in my date book, for that year and I will, but first look what popped up in my email this morning! This is the church of Santa Barbara in Llanera, Spain, built in 1912,  abandoned for some years and then discovered by a group of skateboarders who "saw the church's potential for their type of worship."  They formed a collective titled "The Church Brigade" and installed a halfpipe where the pews once stood.  What would Barbara think?  Well, she was a pretty adventurous girl who was open to new things so I'm going to guess that she's there, enjoying the fun. I hate to see a church fall into disuse, but I also try to practice reduce, reuse and recycle so I'm celebrating. And doesn't it look pretty?  I love all the colors, and the big owl over what was once the altar. But let's talk about me. I've talked before about the notebooks I started keeping when I quit teaching to wor...