WAITING

May 29, 2010. On the streets near Grand Central was a vendor setting up his wares, waiting for sales. The colors sparkled as the sun broke intermittently through the cloud cover. He had arranged these ties in an array pleasing to his eye - he could have changed the direction of the stripes - but he didn't. I think his eyes saw something that drew him to make a choice, when the box was more empty. Something made him decide to place to similar ties close to, but not next to, each other, but it all looks totally random.

PUFF

May 27, 2010. Some art is ephemeral, especially grafitti. A previous post, 4 Men 4 Cigars is no more, but this sketch is now on the same wall. Simple, elegant lines create a figure in motion, as sinuous as the smoke rising from the cigarette. The figure is urban, relaxed and current - all suggested in a few simple lines.

EAT ON THE STREET

May 23, 2010. I love street fairs. They're noisy, crowded, no traffic control, crying children, dogs all over, and adults eating with abandon. Here are some of my favorite things at the fair.

SISTERS IN MOTION

May 22, 2010. I went to the 3rd annual Dance Parade. I thought I had stumbled upon the Mermaid Parade, only easier to get to. One of my favorites was this group. Their uniforms were snappy, and they had great choreography for navigating the cobblestone roadway here on the east side of the Union Square. Grounded, moving one foot in front of the other, they shifted the earth through their hips as they strode over the uneven surface. They are a must see in any venue.

CIRCLES AND STRIPES

May 16, 2010. Leaning against a cement barricade are these rugged rubber pads, worn from use. I liked the blue line and the orange lines intersecting, and the white line that continues under the barricade. In a wider view it was all about the stripes.

TWO SHOES WITH CIRCLE ON A SQUARE

May 15, 2010. Left for someone who needs them more, this pair of shoes started an early morning in waiting. The sun was just rising, casting shadows to the west. Not meant to be abandoned, longing to be repurposed, they are at a level where they cannot be mistaken as garbage to be discarded. Later in the day, I saw a young man drop off four pair of sneakers on the corner - someone could still use them, and probably did.

FOUNTAIN

May 9, 2010. Tire fountain at a show in Chelsea. How much fun is this? Don't you always wonder what can be done with tires that have served their original, useful purpose? If I had a yard, and a few extra tires, which would give me a direct, emotional connection to this work, I'd certainly want one.

STICKER GRAFITTI

May 8, 2010. Chelsea. Monet, the late works. Wonderful. And then I found this - a store front that welcomed the sticker grafitti adorning its outside wall. When I scan the stickers, I find many images that I've seen around the City in different venues. I was so happy to see the portrait in the center again. There is so much energy in this one small area, so wide a view, but yet so much more to add to it.

4 CIGARS

May 5, 2010. 4 cigars and 4 men on 12 tiles. I walked into the subway tunnel and there they were. Who could pass them by? Four faces and cigars in unity and opposition, defined as much by the light as by the shadow, unable to exist one without the other. The images immediately bring to mind the fat cat financier, the architect of our doom by back-room dealing. The boss-like demeanor is accentuated by the cigar, almost now an emblem of dirty dealing.

BLEEDING HEARTS

May 1, 2010. What turn of nature or man thought to create this? Delicate pink and white flowers hanging along a sliver of a stem - to what end? Beauty? Speciation? Success in spreading? I don't know, but I love bleeding hearts. My mother wasn't much good with growing things, other than children, but she loved the old English flowers - these, iris, peonies, moss roses and those yellow bush roses that managed to survive on the trails from East to West. They had to be good at growing on their own.