Seeking the Sublime in the Everyday

 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...

 I made a mistake and this week's post will come at 7:15 this evening.  So Sorry!

 Last week the refrigerator and the vacuum cleaner broke down irrevocably and a leak sprung in the bathtub which will necessitate tearing out all the tiles to investigate and then reseal whatever it is.  I realize this is a first world problem; I'm grateful to have a home with  two bathrooms;  since the children moved out Arthur and I have had the luxury of a private bath each.  So please forget I even said anything. It seems that it's not the whole fridge, just the ice maker, so I was thinking how am I going to get ice?  Those bags they sell are so heavy will I have to lug them home? and Arthur said, we have ice cube trays, you know. Can I really complain about having to make my own ice?  As I said, please forget I said anything. Sam just reminded me that this bathroom disaster happened about twenty years ago--I had totally forgotten.  Our apartment is a loft; we bought a big room with a kitchen and a bathroom in what was once a warehouse and we ...

 When I call my work on the Houses of Blue a work in progress I have to say progress is a relative term. I'm proceeding very carefully, afraid to make a wrong move that would be irrevocable as I work in ink.  I often can find a way to work around a false move or mistake, and sometimes they lead to a revelation but I prefer to have no mistakes.  I keep thinking of Casey Stengel speaking of the newborn Mets; "We're coming along slow but fast." So here's the latest. When it's all finished I'll get a better shot. One reason things are going slowly is that, as I said in my post of July 7, I'm back at my Alma Mater, my artistic home, where it all began for me--the Art Students League.  I showed you two new plates ...   and now I've printed them so....Ta Daaa! these are not finished works but raw material for future collages.  Now they'll sit in the flat file while I court the Muse!  I'll keep in mind what someone once said; "the Muse doesn...

 Last week we said good-bye to Claus Oldenburg, and artist whose work fills me with delight-- an interesting combination of serious and silly.  Spoonbridge and Cherry  The Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, Walker Art Center, Minneapolis.   To think of a giant spoon with a cherry is one thing, to draw that image is another thing. To convince the world that it's serious art and then to carry it into reality takes a lot of conviction, plus serious engineering, not to mention money.  This piece with the graceful curves of the spoon, the birght red of the cherry on top is perfect. It speaks to me of pleasure-- anticipation or satisfaction?  Do you eat the cherry on top of the sundae first or do you save it for last? Shuttlecocks The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City I love the birght white diagonals against the sober  beige horiaontals and verticals of the building.  Badminton speaks to me of summer afternoons and tea on the lawn. Oldenburg's wife, ...

  Happy Birthday to all born under the sigh of Leo. Does it look like the lions are quarreling?  I did this drawing thinking that I would illustrate A.A. Milne's wonderful poem, The King's Breakfast,  (Nobody, my Dear, could call me a fussy man, I only want a little bit of butter for my bread!") with lions as the King and Queen. I lost interest when I realized that there would be copyright issues, but I still love this. Before I go on I need to say that the majority of my family members were born under the sign of Taurus, and I'm thinking of them this week partly because I didn't greet all of them on their days, and partly because of a post this morning in Marginalian, the blog formerly known as Brain Pickings by Maria Popova.  She wrote about Ferdinand, who I wrote about a few years ago in a Happy Birthday, Taurus blog post. Remember Ferdinand was raised to fight in the bull ring but he was a peaceful bull and all he wanted to do was to sit and smell the flowers. ...

 I read Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird years ago and I still go back to it for comfort and fun.  It's a memoir, a faith journey, and a very practical and hilarious manual for beginning writers. I can't recommend it enough. I just took it down from the shelf to take this picture and I got pulled in again by Anne's friendly voice.  But, I have to get to work. On Monday Anne Lamott wrote on The NY Times OpEd page about prayer.  Here's the link https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/08/opinion/prayer-supreme-court-football.html Read what she says and get back to me--I'd love to hear what you think. I wrote about  prayer a few weeks ago, March 31st to be exact, inspired by my friend Barbara Lubliner's  beautiful prayer flags . She said,  As I made the flags, I imbued them with positive feelings, meditating on loving kindness and wishing good will out into the world. They are meant to spread peace, happiness, and good fortune to all.  I think making art is a form ...