The Shocking Secret includes more than just one!

Pulp fiction paperback titled The Shocking Secret

I was browsing an antiques store near the Jersey Shore when this book cover caught my attention: “The Shocking Secret (The Content Assignment),” by Holly Roth. Looking at the cover, the drama is hyped up: this woman is tied to a chair, her head thrown back … is she in pain? Struggling to break lose … Read more

Painted artistic posts in Taos, New Mexico

Moxie Fair Trade store in Taos, New Mexico

U.S. Route 64 is a highway that runs through Taos, New Mexico, providing access to the Taos historic center (and connecting to the High Road to Taos). On my trip to Taos, I stopped and started walking along this route – even though it’s technically a highway, once you’re in town, it has local speed … Read more

Railyard Artisan Market in Santa Fe

Buffalo and horse paintings in Santa Fe

As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, I’ll be heading out to Santa Fe next week, and hope to visit some favorite places that I’ve visited in the past. One such location is the Railyard Artisan Market (located in the Santa Fe Farmer’s Market Building, as pictured below left), which has a wide variety of paintings, … Read more

George Condo sculpture at the Metropolitan Opera

George Condo sculpture at the Metropolitan Opera in NYC

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

Art at the Salvation Army store

art at the Salvation Army Family Store Donation Center

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

Scaling up sticker art into large paintings

Hello My Name Is tag with graffiti

I often see small sticker art pieces that have beautiful tags and wonder what it would look like if one made them into a large scale painting? Quite a few of the “slaps” that I see, such as the one here, as seen in the DUMBO neighborhood of Brooklyn, have some nice abstract expressionist qualities, … Read more