Sketching Pompeii on the Upper East Side

Sketching Pompeii on the Upper East Side

For sketchers and art lovers who enjoy Ancient Rome, there is a delightful gem of an exhibit on the Upper East Side, not far from the Metropolitan Museum.  The NYU Institute for the Study of the Ancient World is showing 35 frescoes from Pompeii rarely seen outside...
Bela de Tirefort – A Forgotten New York Artist

Bela de Tirefort – A Forgotten New York Artist

Years ago while browsing a second-hand store I became entranced by a moody oil painting of a tugboat with a silhouette of lower Manhattan in the background. The painting was covered in grime and might have decorated a smoky bar that served longshoremen who worked the...
Eisenberg’s To Reopen!

Eisenberg’s To Reopen!

Once the busiest lunch counter in Manhattan’s Flatiron District, Eisenberg’s Sandwich Shop closed earlier this year as a casualty of the Pandemic.  But I just got the happy news that it will be reopening under new owners.  This was a great place to sketch...
Sketching the Benin Bronzes at the Met

Sketching the Benin Bronzes at the Met

On a recent Friday as the pandemic lockdown was lifting, I spent the day sketching at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  On my list was the Benin Bronzes, spectacular sculptures which bear the stigma of colonial plunder, and have a dark and bloody history that belies...
Sketchbooks I Have Known and Loved

Sketchbooks I Have Known and Loved

When I first started sketching I was overwhelmed with sketchbook choices. I remember going into New York Central Art Supply and getting totally confused with the variety of books with different size, thickness, color of paper, binding, textures, recommended usage, and...