Collages: NY Animals

The last time I visited the Museum of Natural History

 with out-of-town guests,

 we ventured briefly beyond the dinosaurs into the areas with the dioramas. 

When we did, I realized how beautiful many of them were. 

And of course it would be much easier photographing them

 – if I had enough patience to wait for the crowds to pass

– than to go to the Bronx Zoo. 

So, I returned on my own and got some beautiful photos. 

 I decide to combine them with some classic shots of NYC spaces and buildings. 

When I did, I was delighted with the results. 

The only thing was that there didn’t seem to be any place to add embroidery. 

So, I decided to keep them just the way they are.

Enjoy!

PJ

© 2013 PJ Lehrer

Fleet Week 6/02

Due to sequestration (also known as federal budget cuts) 

Fleet Week was canceled this year.  

So, I thought I’d pull out some photos from the archives

of a previous celebration. 

These photos are from 2002. 

The event included a climbing wall.  

I’m not sure if it makes a yearly appearance or if it was just for that year. 

But it did help keep people amused

while they waited

on what I remember as never ending lines.

Ciao

PJ

© 2013 PJ Lehrer

Azaleas

Azaleas add such a beautiful pop of color to gardens in the early spring

 that they are rather hard to resist. 

I planted a couple of small specimens on the roof last year

and they have rewarded us by blooming with far more flowers than they should have based on their small size. 

They are the classic hot pink color. 

 To find more exotic varieties,

you can go to the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens

where they have beautiful versions in exotic colors like yellow and green. 

But go quickly. 

They don’t last long!

Ciao

PJ

© 2013 PJ Lehrer

Guggenheim

I was thinking about the Guggenheim this week

because I have plans to visit the James Turrell exhibit with a friend next week.

http://www.guggenheim.org/new-york/exhibitions

It’s an amazing building of course. 

I remember visiting with my parents the 60’s. 

I loved it

and thoroughly enjoyed running up and down the interior ramp, as children still do. 

These days I enjoy the artwork too.

My favorite exhibit so far was the James Rosenquist retrospective.

I almost skipped it because I wasn’t a fan of his early work. 

But luckily I went because I loved his “Flora and Florida” crosshatched paintings from the 80’s.

My enthusiasm was such that I decided to attend his recent exhibit in 2012, and was lucky enough to meet him.  Talk about a thrill.

Ciao

PJ

© 2013 PJ Lehrer