An Excursion to the Mysterious East Side

I  rarely venture much above 23rd Street,

so this part of New York seems almost a different country

full of very important people doing business type things.

The architecture is mid last-century and reminds me, oddly, of Ayn Rand.

In the forties 

they take skyscrapers very seriously indeed.

Even the Chrysler building looks odd.

ps. I just gobbled up my copy of Tess Kincaid's Patina, a collection of her vivid and touching poems which arrived from Amazon on Monday.I'm proud to say have been blog friends (and out of blog) friends with Willow for five years now. This is a super collection. My favorite is Blue Plate Special. Highly recommended

Desert View Watchtower-Grand Canyon

"Desert View" - Grand Canyon, AZ

For this "SkyWatch", I was perched on the edge of the Grand Canyon, watching and waiting (and hoping) for the sky to develop as it does many summer days around these parts. I won't say a clear blue sky can NEVER work for you, because it can if handled properly, but everything is so much more interesting and dramatic when there is some activity in the sky. It got even better than this in a few minutes, but I'll cover that in a future post:)

This view from the south rim includes the Desert View Watchtower, designed by Mary Colter, architect for the Fred Harvey Company that developed many famous and still popular hotels and buildings around the southwest early last century. Colter's body of work is quite impressive and influential, especially considering that she was a successful female architect in a time when that was almost unheard of. A really interesting (but not too long) article about her history and work can be read here. Or, the super-short version on Wikipedia. As usual, check out all the great SkyWatch images of the week here.

On a side note, I know my posts and visits have been few and far between recently... I have been involved in relocating my entire office/studio, which as you might guess is a lot of work, but at last we're pretty much resettled and I hopefully won't have to devote quite so much of my time to that process anymore, allowing me to get back to some fun stuff.

Henry's Kitchen

If you've been following "The Tudors" on Showtime cable, you may be familiar with Hampton Court, Henry VIII's country estate, just southwest of London. It originally belonged to Cardinal Wolsey, The Archbishop of York, but he later gave it to Henry, who developed it further and it has been added to and renovated over the ages. It's truly spooky to walk through the rooms here on a dark November afternoon thinking back on all the historical figures that occupied the exact same space hundreds of years ago. You can walk the halls and look out the windows to the same courtyards as Henry VIII, Ann Boleyn and Jane Seymour.
In most of the interior spaces photography is not allowed, but the kitchen areas are an exception. This huge fireplace is still working and served as one of the cooking areas for hundreds of people on a daily basis. One lucky gentleman(at least in the winter)gets to tend this baby as tourists wander through the otherwise cold rooms of the traditional kitchens. The old utensils, ovens, walls and doors make a fantastic photographic subject. I love the color, texture and atmosphere of this kind of place.

"Henry's Kitchen"-U.K., 2008

Paris Street Scenes-2

After a long, chilly walk from the river up to the Champs-Elysées, we arrived at the Arc de Triomphe just as the wind and rain were really kicking in. Nearly impossible to keep water droplets off the lens and setting up on a tripod was pretty much out of the question so I had to grab what I could hand held using lamp and sign posts for stability; this one was taken from the shelter of a store canopy just down the avenue. All the trees along the street are uniformly decorated with beautiful lights as far as the eye can see and now I can appreciate the gleaming wet street scenes. 

Thanksgiving in Paris

While riding the train from the Musée d'Orsay to the Eiffel Tower we noticed a young American couple, probably early 20's, riding in the same car. They were going to the Eiffel also; unfortunately, they were wearing only light clothing like you might wear around Southern California at this time of year and it's certainly not like California here in late November.. We came up from the Metro station to pouring rain and wind and probably 40°F at best. They didn't seem too concerned, but I doubt they ever made it into and up the Tower. We had parkas, umbrellas and hats and were still cold. Only one of the lifts was open and we had to queue up for at least half an hour in the rain and wind to get in. Many of the people in line, all tourists of course, were unprepared with no umbrellas and were like drowned rats by the time they got into the lifts. It was worth it though; the city was beautiful in the wet twilight and it actually stopped raining by the time we got to the top area, which is out in the open. Still cold though.

The mid level is partially covered so you can spend time looking out from there even if it is raining.

I'm sure the lighting on the tower is extra special for the holiday season.

Shadow Shot Sunday/Apple Store

Shadow Shot Sunday again.
Go here for more participants.



Friday lunch time at the Apple Store on 14th Street.
R. was looking at techie stuff.
I was transfixed, as ever, by the staircase.



One thing I like about Apple is that all the young people who work there are so keen on everything.
They wear orange and turquoise T-shirts but do not treat a technophobe like me as the idiot I am.



A vendor has set up a stall selling jewelry outside the door. What are we now? Soho light?

Shadow Shot Sunday/Chelsea

For other Shadow Shot pictures go to Hey Harriet

.

A warm afternoon after lots of rain. Here an old building on 18th Street and 7th Avenue is reflected in a new one.



Lovely colors on shopfronts on 9th Avenue.



The sort of doorway that lures one in - also 9th Avenue.



The flowers hop that had the two interesting cats in the entrance to Chelsea Market is no more. It is being turned into something else, so the windows are blocked out with posters of other parts of the market.
As greedy people, we come here often.
The Italian shop has excellent lime blossom honey.

A Cheerful Day/Shadow Shot Sunday -early

This first somewhat seasonal picture is for Hey Harriet's Shadow Shot Sunday.
See here for other cool shadow shots.



A sunny Halloween morning walk took us past the psychic's shop. I'm always a little dubious about these since they often look a little down-at-heels.
This one looked more prosperous.



The dancing skeleton banner was a new one on me. It decorates a rather lovely brownstone on 22nd Street.



At Union Square a whole troup of charmingly costumed pre-schoolers passed by.

An Almost Retro Friday

For some reason, when I got home yesterday and looked at my photos I discovered a sort of melancholy yellowish-gray tinge to them.
Here a building on 18th Street and 7th Avenue that was probably built in the 30's of the last century.



A nice bulky truck - the very apotheosis of truckness.



It is always nice to have lunch here.
The Union Square Cafe gets it exactly right.
It's very understated.



When I next go there, I will wear this dress from Anthropologie in these very weird colors.



For some reason Tudor-revival small paned windows make me feel slightly sad. They are redolent of teashops in the 1950's.
A musty odor of violets.

Angels in the Architecture: Gargoyles, Graveyard Statuary and Other Hidden Gems

“He looked around, round/ He saw angels in the architecture, spinning in infinity”
--Paul Simon, “You Can Call Me Al”

-------
I apologize, folks, because I’d inadvertently fibbed to you last week. I’d anticipated today’s post would be about the outdoor decorating swap I’m participating in. But there have been... ahem... technical difficulties... which have pushed things back a bit.

Oh, it’s all resolved now and will be sending the package off today. But this means I’ll have to share the results of it all with you next week. I mean, I COULD tell you now, but I don’t want to ruin the surprise for the dear lady who’s receiving the package. ‘Nuff said.

So instead, I thought I’d share with you one of my weird little hobbies-- taking pictures of the art that surrounds us all the time, whether we discern it or not-- the sculpture found in local architecture and cemeteries.

I guess I started to become interested in architectural statuary about ten years ago during a five-day business trip to New Orleans. Most of the trip involved standing hours on end, manning a tradeshow booth. But in the time I was there, I had one glorious, booth-free day-- so my colleague and I decided to take a bus tour of the city. One of the stops was at one of New Orleans’ famous cemeteries. And there, I was surrounded by the most amazing sculptures of angels, gargoyles and other fantastic faces. There was not enough time to take all the photos I’d wished.

Once back in western PA, I couldn’t quite get the angels out of my system. There seemed to be all this remarkable artwork lurking where so few people saw it, and I became determined to capture a bit of it on film.

I suppose it might seem morbid, to actively wander through old cemeteries and narrow city streets searching for the expressions of history, myth and spirituality carved in rock or honed in metal. But it’s actually a very relaxing quest. It forces you to slow down, and really stop and see what’s around you every day-- to truly notice the eaves of a turn-of-the-century bank... The detail on a steeple.... The nuances in an old heavy door.

It’s why I particularly like that line from Paul Simon’s “You Can Call Me Al” I’d posted above. No matter what your belief system, it’s those little normally-overlooked details and surprises, like angels out of rock, that help keep life full of continued wonder.

Many of the photos here come from two cemeteries in the Squirrel Hill/Homewood area in Pittsburgh, though some are also from the rolling hills near Smicksburg, PA.

This is the statue a friend and I refer to as “The Black Angel.” She’s very hard to photograph due to the years of weathered patina.
This poor statue below has seen better days, yet still manages to strike a triumphant pose, even missing part of a limb...
I find it interesting how, depending on the time of day and the amount of sunlight, the statues seem to reflect a different mood. The sunshine of the day reflected an unexpected green and pinkish cast onto the face of this figure...

I’ve always liked how this figure’s placid face appears to look upward for answers. There’s a really nice sense of strength about the pose. He's a handsome fellow..


And the range of expressions among the figures is so broad. We can go from the sweet face of one statue...
To the frightening gaze of another...


And a visage that has been almost entirely worn away by time...


In the old historic banking district-- Second Avenue, in downtown Pittsburgh-- we see other faces peering down upon us. Not unexpectedly we discover the faces of the lion...



But we find some other beautiful and terrible friends silently begging for our attention...


What fierce face is this? A greenman? A satyr? A lion?


It’s a case of beauty and the beast, because see what has been carved on the building’s opposite wall?...

And even here on the Birmingham Bridge, we are being watched unaware, by steelworkers and miners in gargoyle form...


It really gets you thinking, doesn’t it? Looks like this lady certainly is taking a moment for reflection...

I hope you enjoyed this little journey today. See you next week!

Angels in the Architecture: Gargoyles, Graveyard Statuary and Other Hidden Gems

“He looked around, round/ He saw angels in the architecture, spinning in infinity”
--Paul Simon, “You Can Call Me Al”

-------
I apologize, folks, because I’d inadvertently fibbed to you last week. I’d anticipated today’s post would be about the outdoor decorating swap I’m participating in. But there have been... ahem... technical difficulties... which have pushed things back a bit.

Oh, it’s all resolved now and will be sending the package off today. But this means I’ll have to share the results of it all with you next week. I mean, I COULD tell you now, but I don’t want to ruin the surprise for the dear lady who’s receiving the package. ‘Nuff said.

So instead, I thought I’d share with you one of my weird little hobbies-- taking pictures of the art that surrounds us all the time, whether we discern it or not-- the sculpture found in local architecture and cemeteries.

I guess I started to become interested in architectural statuary about ten years ago during a five-day business trip to New Orleans. Most of the trip involved standing hours on end, manning a tradeshow booth. But in the time I was there, I had one glorious, booth-free day-- so my colleague and I decided to take a bus tour of the city. One of the stops was at one of New Orleans’ famous cemeteries. And there, I was surrounded by the most amazing sculptures of angels, gargoyles and other fantastic faces. There was not enough time to take all the photos I’d wished.

Once back in western PA, I couldn’t quite get the angels out of my system. There seemed to be all this remarkable artwork lurking where so few people saw it, and I became determined to capture a bit of it on film.

I suppose it might seem morbid, to actively wander through old cemeteries and narrow city streets searching for the expressions of history, myth and spirituality carved in rock or honed in metal. But it’s actually a very relaxing quest. It forces you to slow down, and really stop and see what’s around you every day-- to truly notice the eaves of a turn-of-the-century bank... The detail on a steeple.... The nuances in an old heavy door.

It’s why I particularly like that line from Paul Simon’s “You Can Call Me Al” I’d posted above. No matter what your belief system, it’s those little normally-overlooked details and surprises, like angels out of rock, that help keep life full of continued wonder.

Many of the photos here come from two cemeteries in the Squirrel Hill/Homewood area in Pittsburgh, though some are also from the rolling hills near Smicksburg, PA.

This is the statue a friend and I refer to as “The Black Angel.” She’s very hard to photograph due to the years of weathered patina.
This poor statue below has seen better days, yet still manages to strike a triumphant pose, even missing part of a limb...
I find it interesting how, depending on the time of day and the amount of sunlight, the statues seem to reflect a different mood. The sunshine of the day reflected an unexpected green and pinkish cast onto the face of this figure...

I’ve always liked how this figure’s placid face appears to look upward for answers. There’s a really nice sense of strength about the pose. He's a handsome fellow..


And the range of expressions among the figures is so broad. We can go from the sweet face of one statue...
To the frightening gaze of another...


And a visage that has been almost entirely worn away by time...


In the old historic banking district-- Second Avenue, in downtown Pittsburgh-- we see other faces peering down upon us. Not unexpectedly we discover the faces of the lion...



But we find some other beautiful and terrible friends silently begging for our attention...


What fierce face is this? A greenman? A satyr? A lion?


It’s a case of beauty and the beast, because see what has been carved on the building’s opposite wall?...

And even here on the Birmingham Bridge, we are being watched unaware, by steelworkers and miners in gargoyle form...


It really gets you thinking, doesn’t it? Looks like this lady certainly is taking a moment for reflection...

I hope you enjoyed this little journey today. See you next week!