A wintery visit to the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, Brooklyn NY

A chilly Sunday was spent exploring Jamaica Bay, a wonderland of bird sightings. I was more interested in what we saw along the way, it felt like being in any small town by the water in Northeastern United States. No one really thinks of Brooklyn in this way.


It is the only "wildlife refuge" in America, administered by the National Park Service. It covers 9,000 acre, "one of the best places in New York City to observe migrating species. In fact, it’s a birder's paradise with 332 bird species sighted at the refuge over the last 25 years."

Lacking in my pictures are, surprisingly, birds. Only in the first image can a seagull be found, dropping a clam from the sky with the purpose to crack it open.








The town was hit by the hurricane Sandy in  2012. So most homes have been lifted and put on cement bases, giving the homes a larger appearance. It was quiet on the streets except for the wandering cats of the neighborhood.

At the welcome center they had bird feeders set up, teeming with smaller birds. We could have sat there all day watching the birds, but we pushed off onto the cold trail and enjoyed a walk in the wild.

The day was chilly, and crisp. Lots of ducks were about, nothing amazing was sighted.  

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Holiday break paintfest, 2018

It is the holiday break from my day job, so I am off to the races in my painting studio! Here are a few of the works being completed during the break. It is hard when the days of my vacation just fly by, but I am fully enjoying being able to focus on just being an artist. The paintings below are part of my Glass Series, No one lives here.

 

 And then some pieces on upcycled cardboard. It is a great time of year to take the opportunity to utilize the free materials being sent my way. The odd shapes and strangeness of the different materials takes me in new directions. Kinda mystical...

Scored this chair in our apt. building garbage room. I was looking for a new painting stool, and ended up making another art piece. Found objects are one of my biggest inspirations. Perhaps it is because it is free, so it makes it less precious to paint, just in case I make a mess!

My first visit to Art Basel, Miami

I just returned from Art Basel, Miami and I am still in awe at the amount of art I was able to view and all the gallery owners I was able to meet. Below are some of the highlights from fairs attended. Wynwood wins hands down for great art viewing on the streets. The Rubell Family Collection is always a must visit.

 

 Eva and Adele, from Berlin 

 

 

 Mera Rubell at RFC

Swoon

Taco joint in Wynwood

Swoon

At Rubell Family Collection

Admiral Gray at Mana Contemporary

Duke Riley

At Scope

JKS Event - SoBe

Soiree at Nautilus, Miami

Fight in Flight!

Taken at the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, fighting over a kill.

Photo taken by Callie Hirsch, Fight in Flight.

Brute Architecture, the Unseen

I am often mesmerized by the angles and protrusions that have become part of modern architectural design. For over forty years I have been an inhabitant of NYC. I never tire of the views I happen upon during my numorous lunch time walks. The ever evolving landscape keeps my gaze ever upward, like a seasoned tourist, I am constantly drawn to something new. Huge windows allowing the observer to be the voyeur, as if life is only relevant if it can be seen.
This series is about the hidden lives, vs the new reality of putting our lives on display with the new wave of larger then life windows. No invitation to look in, to reveal. For what does it mean to be seen, what is it that we are really sharing? Is it like facebook, where you present to the world only what version of yourself you wish to display? These paintings make you feel locked out, you are the outsider not privy to our inside lives. The cold cement walls seperating us from oneanother. In direct oppostition of what we desire, to be invited in, if only with our eyes. The need to connect with others being so very prevailant. The loss of this invitation, isolating. 

The mystery of glass, the transparency of lives, perhaps the next step beyond social media. Do we embrace it, or is it in fact giving away our souls? In exposing our lives, putting ourselves on display, are we really just putting off being alone with one another?

The Garment District Alliance presents: Art Elevated, NYC.

So this happened in Oct. 2018! Two of my artworks were chosen to be on display in the garment district. Such a great honor to be chosen to show my work on the streets of NYC. Special thanks to the sponsor, Orangenius. Giving artists an opportunity to show their work is such an important part of the process of art making.

Artists at the unveiling.

Brutalist Reality, 2016 - 2018

Brutalist Reality, 2016 - 2018

These works are inspired by the cold starkness of Brutalist architecture from the 50's - 70's. Intrigued by the human nature of wanting/needing to be seen and craving homes with large windows to peer into, I have created a series of empty, cold cement and glass buildings. These buildings represent an exposed emptiness, in an age of lies and information misrepresentations. The introduction of color serves as a reminder that we still have control over our future, and the hope we need to nurture.
2016 - 2018 Acrylic on black gesso, on canvas and wood. Sizes vary. All work for sale.

"Béton brut is a smooth architectural surface made out of concrete. Known for its ruggedness and lack of concern to look comfortable or easy. First used in the economically depressed (and World War II-ravaged) communities who sought inexpensive construction and design methods for low-cost housing, shopping centres, and government buildings"