McKinney Arts 
I’ve long had an interest in clown paintings, and have seen plenty at thrift shops and antique stores, and actually bought the one (above left) at an antiques store in New Paltz, New York. I’m also attracted to saxophone-related art, since I used to play the saxophone myself – I bought the painting (above right) … Read more
I was in Lambertville, NJ over the weekend, exploring some of the antique stores, art galleries and book stores. When I was in one of the antique stores (it was either “A Touch of the Past” or “The People’s Store,” I don’t recall which one), I saw this unusual piece tucked away on a shelf … Read more
One of the first things I noticed as I arrived in Madrid and started exploring the city was the abundance of beautiful, old wooden doors. Not just regular wood doors, but elaborately designed doors, such as the one on the Filmoteca Española as you can see above. The Filmoteca Española is Spain’s national film archive, … Read more
I attended a performance of Aida at The Metropolitan Opera in NYC last week, and as I entered the courtyard at Lincoln Center, I saw this big, bold, gold sculpture on the terrace of the Metropolitan Opera building. I’ve long been a fan of George Condo’s painting, and didn’t realize that this was a Condo … Read more
I’ve seen plenty of art museum exhibitions over the years that have given me artistic inspiration, but one in particular has been lodged in my brain and has provided motivation for ten years now. A Jim Shaw exhibition at the New Museum in 2015 included, among other things, his collection of Thrift Store Paintings. Shaw … Read more
Back in the summer of 2023, I had an idea for a new website, and I was looking for a pseudonym in order to have some anonymity with the venture. I wanted to blog with it, have a platform for sharing travel pictures and stories, and had thoughts about a lifestyle brand of sorts, with … Read more
I had an interview with Bold Journey published online today – you can read it here. Bold Journey shares stories of people and how they’ve overcome challenges, with the belief that every problem or dilemma that people face has been faced by countless others in the past and so they have created a place to … Read more
I have a property tax payment coming up on May 1st, and it always seems to trigger an escape mentality, as Essex County taxes are notoriously high – in fact, 2024 data shows that Essex County had the highest property tax rate in the state of New Jersey, higher than Bergen County, Morris County, and … Read more
I was running an errand in Upper Montclair when I passed by this house. I’ve been seeing little library structures outside of homes for years, but this one impressed me as it’s a very accurate copy of the actual home, down to the side porch and blue front door. As long as I’ve seen these … Read more
I have been experiencing some problems with mail delivery via the USPS over the past few months. What happens is that someone mails me something, and it gets returned to the sender with a yellow sticker that says “not deliverable as addressed,” even though it’s my correct address. Then the person sends it a second … Read more