I was visiting my Mom in Minnesota, sitting out on a deck overlooking a pond behind her apartment complex, when we noticed this bird off in the distance. Neither one of us knew right off the top of our head what it was, but a quick image search told us it was an egret, which … Read more
On my trip to Spain in October, 2024, my first two days were in Madrid, but then on day 3, I took a day trip to Toledo for a change of scenery. The distance from Madrid to Toledo is approximately 45 miles, but the high-speed train got me there in 35 minutes, so it left … Read more
The current exhibition in the McKinney Arts gallery space, titled “Imagine Wilde Things,” takes its inspiration from a passage from an Oscar Wilde play. The play, Salomé, has an exchange between King Herod and Salomé where he says: “In a coffer of nacre I have three wondrous turquoises. He who wears them on his forehead … Read more
In addition to the Indian Peepal leaf paintings that I mentioned seeing at the yard sale in Kingston, I also saw this framed Indian art, which caught my eye. I took a close look, and to be honest, I couldn’t tell whether it was an original painting or some type of print. It had the … Read more
I was in Kingston, New York on Sunday for the Spring Market edition of Field + Supply, and enjoyed the afternoon. As I was leaving town, driving west on Broadway to get to the New York State Thruway, I noticed this house, above, with a “yard sale” sign out front. While it seems to be … Read more
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