Lenten Roses

In late February, all it takes is one 50 degree day to get me thinking thoughts of spring.  

Of course I take advantage of those days to do some mid-winter pruning,

but I spend my time thinking about which bushes and trees will need to be replaced in the spring. 

And dreaming of the flowers to come. 

One of the first varieties to arrive on the scene are the Lenten Roses.  

In NYC, they start blooming in late February/early March 

which means that sometimes they make an appearance through the snow.  

They are shade loving evergreen perennials

and there are at least 20 different species. 

Apparently, the bees look forward to seeing them as much as I do.

Ciao

PJ

© 2013 PJ Lehrer

Museum of Natural History: Part 2

NYC’s Museum of Natural History has been in the news lately

because in October they opened a Theodore Roosevelt Memorial. 

 In addition renovating the existing murals and dioramas,

they have also opened a new exhibit.  

While I have not had a chance to visit yet,

 it did remind me that I still had plenty of lovely photos left from my last visit,

so I thought I would do another post and share those.

I actually think these are from some of the dioramas that have been renovated.

Eventually I will get over there to see the new stuff

 and take some more photos, so you can look forward to more pics.

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

http://pj-studio.blogspot.com/2012/03/museum-of-natural-history.html


Ciao

PJ

© 2013 PJ Lehrer

The Netherlands

One of the great things about visiting Amsterdam is the fact that you can take some easy day trips to surrounding places which have their own unique charms. 

The Hague (Den Haag) should be first on the list 

since it is home to the Mauritshuis museum which houses Vermeer’s famous “Girl with the Pearl Earring” among its many gems. 

You can also visit Madurodam, a miniature village featuring 1:25 scale recreations of some of The Netherlands most famous places. 

Alkmaar is known for its colorful cheese market. 

 But of course the canals are equally charming. 

Delft 

which was the subject of Vermeer’s only landscape

is very picturesque. 

 And on the day I visited a fair brought out the crowds

to watch the clog maker demonstrate his craft. 

Just make sure you don’t forget to visit some windmills!

Ciao

PJ

© 2013 PJ Lehrer

Embroidery: Zebra

This piece from the Figures series combines a photo of a very handsome man and a zebra. 

The photo of the latter was taken at a politically incorrect zoo outside of Salzburg, Austria.

Ciao

PJ

© 2013 PJ Lehrer