Embroidery: Orchid

Another selection from the Flower Power series,

this piece incorporates a photograph of some lovely orchids from the National Botanical Gardens in Washington D.C.  – which has a terrific selection to choose from. 

And, a drawing of some orchids from the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, which has an equally lovely collection.

Enjoy!

PJ

© 2012 PJ Lehrer

Holiday Windows

 

The holidays are a magical time in New York City.

For those of you who are not among the 4.5 million people who will travel to the city this year to enjoy the decorations,

 

I thought I’d bring a little bit of the magic to you!

This is a collection of photos I have taken of some of the lesser known store windows and displays in midtown Manhattan

dressed in their holiday finest.  

While the famous windows at Lord & Taylor’s and Saks get most of the press,

 

there are clever displays all over town. 

That’s why it’s so much fun to walk around Manhattan during the holidays

 

and check out the windows. 

Of course the tough part is not buying all the lovely things you see!

Enjoy!

PJ

© 2012 PJ Lehrer

South Street Seaport: Part 2

There’s more news about the South Street Seaport,

but sadly, none of it is good. 

In preparation for the upcoming renovations, arrangements were made to move The Peking

– which only has limited ties to NYC, to a naval museum in Hamburg, where it was made in 1911. 

Unfortunately the deal fell through and the ship’s future is uncertain. 

Now, the same can be said of the entire seaport area which suffered from debilitating flooding during Superstorm Sandy. 

According to reports, the destruction at the seaport is so severe that Pier 17 may be permanently damaged. 

While the developers insist the project will proceed,

there is a fear that by the time it is complete in two years, drawing people back to the area will be a major challenge. 

Of course, my first thought was – well at least I got some nice photos while there was still time.

And here's the link for the first set in case you missed them.

http://pj-studio.blogspot.com/2012/08/south-street-seaport.html



Ciao

PJ

© 2012 PJ Lehrer

Peonies

Peonies are the flashiest flowers. 

That must be why I like them so much. 

These are from a display at The Brooklyn Botanical Gardens in 2009. 

It’s funny how some years the weather conditions favor one species

and then another year a new pattern leads to a different favorite. 

This was clearly the year of the peonies. 

Because they are so large and grow close to the ground

it was easy to get in tight for these lovely extreme close-ups

that highlight the lushness of the petals

and the thickness of the bloom.

Enjoy!

PJ

 

© 2012 PJ Lehrer

Amsterdam

Amsterdam is a wonderful place to visit. 

With all the canals, houseboats and pretty little houses, it is very picturesque. 

It has great museums including the Rijksmuseum, which houses one of my favorite Rembrandt’s – The Night Watch. 

The Van Gogh Museum is also terrific. 

Since he never sold a piece while he lived, it is a very robust collection. 

And, it’s arranged chronologically, so you can literally see when he flipped out in Arles and began to paint in his unique voice.  

As for the city itself, maps are useless since the streets change names every time they cross a canal and the names are so long they can’t fit on a decent size map. 

So the trick is to navigate using the four main churches which are tall enough to spot as you travel around town. 

Not everyone gets the hang of it. 

On one visit, we watched some people who were helplessly lost hail a cab so they could find their way back to their hotel!

Ciao

PJ
 

© 2012 PJ Lehrer

Brooklyn Bridge Park

As NYC continues its long recovery from the ravages of Superstorm Sandy,

it has been correctly noted that much of the development taking place in the past few years in the city has been on various waterfronts.  

One of our favorites is the new Brooklyn Bridge Park, which is still a work in progress. 

Ultimately it will encompass the entire stretch from Brooklyn Heights to Dumbo. 

But even now it already has some of the finest views of the Manhattan skyline that you’ll ever see. 

Meanwhile it actually weathered the storm fairly well thanks to a design focused on sustainability

which included a wise use of Mother Nature’s tricks to avoid flooding -- pilings,

recycled granite arranged with a slow decline to allow easy access for kayaks, canoes, and ducks

bulkheads, and even plant life that can absorb extreme amounts of salt water.   

As the powers to be consider options to defend NYC against the next storm it is providing some important clues to how we might avoid so much damage in the future.

BTW, the day these photos were taken we had an earthquake.  We were actually walking on the Brooklyn Heights Promenade when it happened.  I felt the shaking and thought “Gee I can’t believe that I feel the traffic from the BQE up here!”

Ciao

PJ

© 2012 PJ Lehrer