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...
Art, Medicine, and Inspiration

Art, Medicine, and Inspiration

When growing up our family doctor had a set of prints in his waiting room that illustrated scenes from a doctor’s life.  Painted by renowned medical illustrator Frank Netter, the scenes included a late night visit by a country doctor, a busy waiting room with anxious...
The Demise of Art Supply Stores in Manhattan

The Demise of Art Supply Stores in Manhattan

There was a time when an art supply store was a destination of peaceful refuge and an incubator of dreams.  In these once revered halls of colorful wonder, the sales people were quirky but knowledgeable and eager to help.  I remember long conversations about the pros...