Pencil Shavings

The Big City (Part 3)

We got up early again and grabbed a quick breakfast in the hotel so we could sit and plot our course for the day with a notebook, map and guidebook. 

I have to say that the one day unlimited fare Metrocard was the best deal $7 and we used it all day long.

 

The first stop was City Hall and then we walked the Brooklyn Bridge.  One thing about New York was that it was everything I expected it to be.  I've seen it in movies and on TV and read about it in books and it was all those things.  It was kind of like having deja vu the whole time that we were there.

The view from the bridge was glorious and just being there, walking on the planks, was amazing. 

Coming back we could see the sun on all the building tops.  It was a beautiful day and we wound up spending a lot of it just walking around in our shirtsleeves.

We went down to Wall Street.  After spending so much time working in trading it was a draw to me, to see the places that I had spent a lot of time on the phone to.  I resisted going to the WTC site.  I could have, but I didn't.  The day was so nice, and I didn't want that cloud hanging over it. 

The next stop was Washington Square.  I love that arch and I've seen so many pictures of it. I wanted to see it for myself.

Then we walked up 5th Ave to Madison Square and stopped for lunch at the Shake Shack and just hung out with the locals.  It was neat to see the people that live there just enjoying the sun like we were.

(conclusion in the next post)

The Big City (part 2)

We took a cab to Long Island City, where the gallery is.  I actually had to get out my map and give the cabbie directions to where we were going.  That made me chuckle.  The gallery looks like a warehouse from the outside and looked like an insane asylum from the inside.  I'm sure that several fire codes were being broken that night.

The crush of the crowd was amazing. 

I found my paintings and got some pictures, got to mingle with the crowd, and got a little freaked out by the masses at a couple of points.

In the end I was delighted, but not overwhelmingly so.  Really after seeing some of the amazing art that was hanging with mine I was more determined to get home and start working on my new pieces and make them even better than I had dreamed.

We grabbed a cab and headed back into the city to the Odeon(for which I had to take out my map again!) for burgers.  (there is another blog coming up regarding dinner – but, as they say, that's another story)).  It was a nice way to end the evening.  My husband and I stood very close to each other and talked about us while we waited for our table, instead of talking about the kids and the bills or the house.  I think that was probably the best part of the night.

We ate a wonderful meal and shared a really great dessert before heading out into the mild night at about 11 and walking to the subway.  We transferred at Times Square and we lured by the sound of a Beatles cover band called The Meatles.  The lead singer was a ringer for John, and they even had a pseudo Yoko playing bass.  It was great.  I love how the subway acoustics work, and when the band is great, well all the better.  Unfortunately the same site was abused the next day by a guy playing Celine Dion covers on the Pan Pipes.  As the big guy next to me said, “Seriously? DUDE!”

I did more sketching on the subway back to the hotel and happily fell into bed for a very short night's sleep.

( more in Part 3)

The Big City (pt 1)

New York is a big place, it has a big reputation, a big population, a lot of big noises!  Although I have heard that as far a square miles covered goes, New York is the same as my city, Calgary.  We just have a lot of urban sprawl here – and not so much neck strain from standing on the corner gawking at all the impressive buildings and sights, and certainly not so many crowds.  I have to be honest that more than once the crush of humanity overwhelmed me and I had to seek refuge in a coffee shop or even just against a a building and out of the way.

The first day we got up early, grabbed some breakfast, and got on the subway.  We stopped in Chinatown to poke around a bit before heading up to the Met  at 8am the streets were wet, but empty.  (when we returned a few hours later the streets were crushing with lots of Chinese women approaching me to demand that I needed a Coach handbag)  After a quick wander we got back on the subway and headed toward Central Park.

Central Park, even now before spring gets hold, is a beautiful thing.  I can see why so many people value it.  In amongst the high rises and honking horns and constant chatter, you can stop and sit and listen to birds singing in the heart of the city.

 

The Metropolitan Museum was breath taking.  Honestly you could spend a week there and not see everything.  We looked through the guide and picked our highlights. Then proceeded to wander half our day away.  While my husband was pouring over the minutiae of Egyptian Hieroglyphs, I propped myself up in a corner and made gesture sketches of the passers by.  I really enjoyed being able to sketch to my hearts content and not even draw a second glance.

Then we were starving and went to Katz's Deli.  (you know... that scene from “When Harry Met Sally”?) and  scarfed down some extra large sandwiches before heading to the Art Supply store back in Chinatown.  I did enjoy wandering the four floors of Peal Paints, but didn't find that they had all that much more to offer than my local art supply Kensington Art Supplies.  And surprisingly there were lots of bare shelves!  I was looking for some specific things that I can't get at home, but the shelves that should have had them were shockingly empty.  I did end up getting some nice high end woodless graphite pencils, but that was all... I expected to strain the credit card there, but came away with a small bag and some change from a $20.

Then we went back to the hotel to change before heading the gallery opening....

(stay tuned for part 2)

Home!

I love being home.

 

I loved being in New York.  I found it to be so full of life and energy.  Of course that's because it's full of people, and OMG the people.  There were a couple of times on this trip where I just felt overwhelmed with the masses of humanity and had to duck into a corner and breathe a little.  We had the most beautiful weather too... nice a warm on Saturday and we walked the streets in our shirtsleeves and took roughly a million pictures

There is lots to tell about the trip.  But the main part was that I never felt unsafe, no one was rude, and many people went out of their way to help us and and give the bewildered Canadians a point in the right direction.

Oh and being Canadian in New York is like being someone's favourite eccentric aunt.  They love you and want to help you, but they don't really understand how you could be so crazy as to live in the permanent ice and snow.  We tried to explain that we do live in houses and not igloos, but some people thought that the crazy aunt was just chatting away and not making sense.

The first night was a great indicator (as I wrote in a previous post) we were hosted, dined, and desserted.  We had people taking our picture and e-mailing us.... (seems everyone has a blackberry, iPhone of google phone there!)

I did discover that our Canadian habit of saying sorry when we nudge into someone by accident causes some distress there... One young woman held my arm and assured me that she was fine in a very concerned voice.  And saying thank you for people opening doors for you does make them smile.  In fact we said thank you a lot, we smiled and chatted a lot, and although we got some strange looks at times, we also got lots of pleasant encounters through our short visit.

More later... right now I need to make breakfast for my sleepyheads.

Hello Big Apple

We were up early, grabbed some breakfast, and got on the subway. The one day "fun pass" has been a great deal.

Today we went to Chinatown the Met museum (will have to devote an entire post to that), explored Pearl Paints, and ate lunch where Harry met Sally ;)

I filled many sketch book pages, and saw too many things to process.

Now a short rest before the gallery opening tonight .

Talk to you soon

Counting Down

6 days and I'll be in New York City.  One day after that and I'll be at the Grand Opening of the exhibit that my paintings are in.  Am I a little excited?  Oh Yes, very!

One of the benefits of having a website is that you can do what ever you like with it just to make yourself happy.  I put a counter on my website counting down the days, hours, minutes... etc. until the big day. 

There is more than that though.  I'm really excited to see New York.  I've never been there and there is so much to see.   I'm really excited to spend some time with my husband away from the kids.  We have never done that either (except for a few dates). 

Meanwhile I'm taking a short coffee break (latte break actually... I'm so glad I set up the espresso machine again) and just enjoying thinking about all the things I want to do, and making notes in my notebook. 

I wonder if we will get any sleep at all?

Management...

I should be on top of the world right now. I should be bouncing off the walls in excitement.

Instead I'm working on a business plan and making time calculations. I'm trying to figure the logistics of the kids and the cat. Getting everything cleaned and organized before my husband and I leave for New York.

I know that my paintings have arrived safely at the gallery. Now I just have to make sure that the rest of my life can accommodate the trip. Maybe when the plane takes off I'll be ready to start bouncing , of course that's when the fasten seat belts sign will he on.

Chocolate for Breakfast

Well, as often happens in this area of the world, it's a cold snowy Valentine's Day.  My daughter has a cold, my husband can't find his gloves, and one of the kids (the non-mucusy one) is going swimming.

I am doing my usual weekend routine, baking bread, doing laundry, puttering around.  With the added bonus of getting chocolate for breakfast!

I woke up out of a deep sleep last night realizing that I had volunteered many months ago to do a Member to Member class on Abstract painting on the Wet Canvas artists forum.  It starts tomorrow, and although I am not completely unprepared, I am a little unprepared.  Although staying up late to get something that you love ready to go isn't such a bad thing, and I'll have more than enough to keep my peers occupied while I get the rest of the examples ready to show.

It's also only three weeks until I head to New York for the World of Imagination exhibit.  I'm really excited about that.  Not only having my paintings in New York, but being there myself to see them, and as much as I can squeeze into two and a half days.

There is a lot of stuff that I'm really excited about this week, but first, a  little more chocolate.

Heading Home

Wow. What a great trip we have had. It was so much fun, the weather was great, and aside from a little sunburn, I wouldn't change a thing.

I am tapping this out on my pocket pc, in the dark, while the girls are falling asleep in the hotel bed next to me. I have 127 e-mails waiting,but they can wait two or three more days, until I can read them full sized at home.

Instead I will go to sleep early,and try to recapture the dream I had of painting I had last night.

Feeling the Urge

Day one of the great family road trip. The kids are getting along better than a four and six year old should be expected to, so my stress levels are dropping.

The other great thing is that I did my first watercolour sketches of the trip, and I'm feeling pretty happy about that.

I hope the rest of my days are as good as this one, or better.