Seeking the Sublime in the Everyday

Don't you love it when someone says, "You know what would be fun?" and someone else says, "Yeah, let's do it!" and they get a lot of other people together and share their ideas and get to work and then something magical appears? That happened this week in my neighborhood. Well, it took a few years but...  Here it is    Little Island. a four acre public park built on pillars and the remnants of pier 55. I'm afraid my pictures don't really show the wonderfulness.   Go to littleisland.org  and see videos of the amazing construction process.  I think it's kind of Tolkien-y, with those giant mushroom supports.  From 6 am until noon you can just walk in; in the afternoon when it gets crowded you need to make a reservation but it's still free. I visited Monday morning; I followed the winding trail past gardens and open sloping lawns all the way to the top and saw from there the Statue of Liberty and the Verrazano Bridge! On my way down the path I ra...

 You know how when you learn a new word and suddenly you see that word wherever you go?  Is that synchronicity?  When I got the news that Arthur and I had a brand new granddaughter and her name was Sunny I was on a Zoom chat with my friend, Sunny Buick.  In the following three days I saw two Sunny's in the credits of TV shows.  This morning I heard a new word; duplicative--that is, of or meaning a duplicate and I heard it again this evening.  I expect to hear it constantly for the next week. Is that synchronicity or coincidence? Then there's serendipity. I've been thinking about how sometimes images fall into place and I feel delight and my work almost does itself.  Sunny gave me a few thoughts on Serendipity from her journal-she spoke so fast I'm not sure I got it all down but I think she said, "Opportunity aligns with readiness; Luck and preparation create magical alignments or miracles." This spring I planned to submit work to an open call for a gal...

I hope you can come see another presentation of Fragile Earth tomorrow evening!  New York Artists Circle presents: Fragile Earth /  Artists Talk On Art   Please join us on Monday, May 17th 6-7:30pm ET For a Special joint NYAC / ATOA Event Click Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/ 84198882925   Zoom meeting ID: 841 9888 2925 Five artists showing in  Fragile Earth: Artists Respond to C limate Change  will present their work and discuss their relationship to environmental issues. Fran Beallor •  Pauline Galliana •  Eleanor Goldstein  Jenna Lash  •  Barbara Sherman

My work is currently in an online show  titled Lost and Found  on the New York Artists Circle website .   "The New York Artists Circle presents the unique visions of 117 selected Artists who explore and reveal what is truly important in our lives, as they cope with waves of serial losses and change during this Pandemic time.                                           https://nyartistscircle.com/curated-shows/lost-and-found Besides submitting artwork we had to write 40 words on the subject. Here's my piece and what I wrote.   We’ve lost the freedom to just go.  To protect our health and that of our neighbors we’ve settled in, turned inward and explored ways to travel, connect and explore with our imaginations and the help of the internet.  I found a new music platform and tuned in to the Beatles station--I enjoyed a full day of Beatlema...

I'm still swimming in green, although the lilacs appeared in the green market this week so I'm also enjoying a little purple.  There was more green at my friend Paula Heisen's show titled Light, and Time at the Painting Center.                                                             www.paulaheisen.com   www.thepaintingcenter.com When I say swimming in green I really mean it because my two current works in green are underwater fantasies.  House of Green is just about finished.  I put it away for a while so I could see it with fresh eyes and decided to fill the last empty windows with several phases of the moon.  Here it is. Drawing the moon makes me think of a beautiful line from Louis Armstrong's What a Wonderful World; The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night. Now I'm worki...

 The greens on the trees in my neighborhood this week really lift my heart. Ah, Green--spring green, sea green, pea green, olive green, jade, celadon, celery, lime, turquoise, chartreuse, teal, Nile, Kelly, moss, emerald, mint, British racing green, you're all so beautiful. When I was looking for a dress for Jessie's wedding t his dress called to me from across the floor at Saks.   I've worn it to five weddings since Jessie and Lee's. Now it hangs in my closet, complementing the pink wallpaper, reminding me of happy days, waiting for the next wedding.  Green is not my only love; look at this  unusual combination in a tree pit on Bleecker Street. It's the purple and orange that caught my eye. This reminds me of a story my brother, Alan, told me.  They're all sitting around the dining room table; Alan, Donna, their son, Allie, and granddaughter, Arya, age 3 1/2, all just hanging out.  Donna and Arya are coloring. Donna says, "Arya, do you know what colors we ...

  I spotted this painting by my friend, Elaine Forrest, on Facebook and it stopped me dead in my scrolling. Proust was right; these may not be madeleines, but the memory they invoked was vivid. My Dad, whose birthday is next Tuesday, adored Mallomars.  There were a lot of things he adored and when he loved something he loved with his whole heart. Like Mom.   One of the last times I was with both of them I overheard him say to her, "I appreciate everything you do for me and I love you very much." And his Mom.   She loved him back with a full heart and a clear eye. When he bragged to her that my brother, Larry, had made the honor roll he said, "You know, Mom, the acorn doesn't fall far from the tree." She gave him a long look and said, "Unless there's a big wind blowing." But let's get back to the Mallomars and this beautiful little painting.                            ...