Embroidery: Chrysler Building Butterfly

 

This month’s collage began with a photo of the Chrysler Building with some pretty clouds in the background.

Here’s the full-size shot.  That’s “One Vanderbilt” on the left.  It’s like a younger sibling that just won’t go away.

These lilacs can be found at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden which has a beautiful collection of all kinds of different lilacs.

And here is the butterfly drawing.

Here are links to the other embroideries from the set that are posted…

https://pj-studio.blogspot.com/2024/06/embroidery-grand-central-butterfly.html

https://pj-studio.blogspot.com/2024/05/embroidery-st-patricks-cathedral.html

https://pj-studio.blogspot.com/2024/04/embroidery-oculus-butterfly.html

https://pj-studio.blogspot.com/2024/03/embroidery-empire-state-building.html

https://pj-studio.blogspot.com/2024/02/embroidery-chinatown-butterfly.html

https://pj-studio.blogspot.com/2024/01/embroidery-guggenheim-butterfly.html

Enjoy!

PJ

 

© 2024 PJ Lehrer

Ken & Jeanne went to Europe!

 

I don’t do as much traveling these days as I used to. 

But I have thoroughly embraced my new role as an armchair traveler,

so I was delighted when my brother and his wife went to Europe for me in May.

Their trip included Budapest, Prague and Vienna. 

 I did visit Budapest once, but that was in 1977 so it’s been a while.

Ken reports that the highlight from his time there was a visit to the baths.  With hot and cold plunging baths they felt like Romans.

In Prague they visited the clock of course. 

And enjoyed the bridge and castles.  It’s such a picturesque city.

In Vienna they took in the lovely architecture including the Opera House and the Old Stock Exchange, and were treated to some concerts. 

And they picked up some Pez.

Fun fact: Pez was invented in Vienna in 1927 by Eduard Haas III as an alternative to smoking.   Who knew?

 They didn’t take in a performance of the dancing horses, but they did see one in a walk-by.

The trip also included Bratislava, Slovakia

and Handlova, Slovakia – a pretty walled town; recently the site of a failed assassination attempt of their Prime Minister – Robert Fico.

And they saw both a beautiful old synagogue

and the Holocaust Memorial in Bratislava - sad reminders of the fact that not all our relatives survived.

Clearly, they had a great trip, since they are already planning the next one. 

 I can’t wait to see where we go next. 😊

 

Here’s a blog with pics from their trip to Middle-Earth…

https://pj-studio.blogspot.com/2019/06/middle-earth.html

 

Cheers!

PJ

 

© 2024 PJ Lehrer

Fighting Fish AI

 

Edward created this animation from one of my original digital collages using Runway AI.  How cool is that?

I think the fact that the piece had so many different elements gave AI more to work with. 

I started with embroidery from a tropical fish-themed tablecloth that I made for my sister-in-law Stephanie. 

I included two pieces – one of this fighting fish…

And this one of rocks and coral…

Then I added a pen and ink drawing of an orchid. 

And I completed the piece with some special effects and coloring.

Cheers!

PJ

 

© 2024 PJ Lehrer

A bus crashed in front of our window.

 

I was hanging out Friday night about 7:30 pm when I heard the sirens out the window peter out in front of our apartment.  Oh. Oh.

I went over to take look figuring it was another fire.  But no.  It was this.

In this close-up you can see that the bus jumped onto the sidewalk, knocked down a tree, and pushed it into the next tree on the sidewalk.  Yikes.  It’s so lucky that it’s quiet in the city this week and no one was walking on the sidewalk at the time. 

The FDNY immediately set to work sawing and removing the tree. 

 Who knew they were so versatile?

Then they spent a few hours removing the windshield so they could free the driver safely.

Did I mention that while this was all happening it was sleeting off and on?  I wondered if that contributed to the accident. 

 Clearly the cab was involved.  Luckily its air bags deployed. The story in the Daily News quoted witnesses saying the bus was “zooming” and “careened into the cab and then the tree.”  Hmm.

Meanwhile the traffic was backing up on First Avenue. 

Eventually someone noticed and the traffic was rerouted to York Avenue.

The driver and two passengers ended up going to the hospital, but I don’t think anyone was seriously injured.

I wondered how they would remove the bus.  First, they had to trim more tree branches.

Then, they pulled a tow truck up to the back of the bus and pulled it off the curb and back into the street.  There was a lot of metal crumbling noises then a big thump.

But the tow truck was facing south and First Avenue runs north.  Oops.  What to do now?  A major discussion ensued.

Watching the action, I flashed back to the time that NYC had a snow storm during the week between Christmas and New Year.  The “A” team was off celebrating their holidays so chaos reigned. 

I wonder how low on the totem pole you are if you have to work the July 4th 4-day holiday weekend.  I saw the guy in the orange vest take photos then get on the phone. I suspect he was reporting in and ruining someone else’s holiday. ☹

A strategy was agreed upon and the tow truck made its way to the front of the bus.  Problem solved.

And off they went.  Hopefully their route to the garage didn’t involve any turns.  I’m still not sure how they would manage those.

The next morning the actual tree trimming guys showed up at 6 am !!! with their buzzsaws to finish the job and by the time the staff and I checked it out at 7 am all was quiet.

Maybe the city will replace the tree and the dead one next to it too. 😊

Here’s a link to the last adventure on the block – just last month…

https://pj-studio.blogspot.com/2024/05/eleven-fire-trucks.html

Cheers!

PJ

 

© 2024 PJ Lehrer