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NYC! The Bowery Savings Bank, and the way home….

June 15th, 2014
Across from (or near?) Grand Central is the Bowery Savings Bank, and the stonework and carving was another source of incredible inspiration.

Across from (or near?) Grand Central is the Bowery Savings Bank, and the stonework and carving was another source of incredible inspiration.

Here is a close-up of one of the stone pillars just to the left of the doorway  pictured above:

How lucky we are that the titans of industry 150 years ago poured money into buildings that are art!

How lucky we are that the titans of industry 150 years ago poured money into buildings that are art!

Marie Z. J., I had to take this photo just for you:

An angel for Marie

An angel for Marie

Looking up the facade of the buidling

Looking up the facade of the buidling

and a closer view of the carvings

What a fabulous quilting design or applique this could become

What a fabulous quilting design or applique this could become

The lanterns/lights are just as fabulous.

The lanterns/lights are just as fabulous.

There simply isn’t enough time to make all the art that is inside of me!

And perfect lettering...sigh....

And perfect lettering…sigh….And it looks like this place is now an ultra chi-chi restaurant.   Hmmm.

On the way home, I stopped off in Fall River, Mass.  My father was born there and I recently discovered (in a well DUH SARAH, of course they are) my grandparents are buried here, as is my Aunt Mary M., whom I remember, along with two brothers who died young.  So I sought out the Catholic cemetary and after a lot of wandering around trying to decipher the mystery of how the plots are numbered (I had called written a couple months ago to find out the plot numbers, etc), I found the family monument:

 

Apparently plots were sold with 6 spots--there are many such "family" monuments with names on the back in this cemetery.  Frankie died as a baby and was apparently buried in a different part of the cemetery where there is no marker to show him...so sad, but at least they added him to this stone.  It appears from family records that when Johnnie died in 1924 they purchased this spot (which was paid up in full in 1926).  The stone was erected in 1961--not sure if Aunt Mary did that, or perhaps my Dad.  He did stuff like that for his family, but there are no records now and anyone who knew is long since gone.

Apparently plots were sold with 6 spots–there are many such “family” monuments with names on the back in this cemetery. Frankie died as a baby and was apparently buried in a different part of the cemetery where there is no marker to show him…so sad, but at least they added him to this stone. It appears from family records that when Johnnie died in 1924 they purchased this spot (which was paid up in full in 1926). The stone was erected in 1961–not sure if Aunt Mary did that, or perhaps my Dad. He did stuff like that for his family, but there are no records now and anyone who knew is long since gone.

The back is weird:  it shows ONLY the death dates!  I asked but it isn't possible to change and add the birth dates, or I'd take teaching income from a gig or two and add the birth dates.  My grandparents, born in the 1880s, are at the top, followed by Aunt Mary, Aunt Nan, Frankie and Johnnie.  All but Mary were gone before I was born.

The back is weird: it shows ONLY the death dates! I asked but it isn’t possible to change and add the birth dates, or I’d take teaching income from a gig or two and add the birth dates. My grandparents, born in the 1880s, are at the top, followed by siblings in the order of birth: Aunt Mary, Aunt Nan, Frankie and Johnnie. All but Mary were gone before I was born.

On the way home, the GPS always wants me to go 95 and 93 through downtown Boston.  Which has some of the worst drivers in America.  And a couple interchanges near the Big Dig tunnel and the bridge that are white knuckle experiences for me.  Usually I take I-495 around Boston which nominally takes a half hour longer.  This time I decided to try 95/route 128, the inner ring road around Boston.   Now I know why I will never do that again.  I started to go around Boston at 2 pm.  It was 4:30 before I cleared it…bumper to bumper.  UGH.  It would have been at least an hour faster to take the “long” way on 495–and it wasn’t even rush hour!  And no accidents.  One roadside info sign said next major highway interchange was 12 miles ahead.  Time to get there (mid afternoon!!!!) was FIFTY , 50, MINUTES!!!! SHRIEK.  Was really glad to get home to rural, not-busy-roads Maine!

On route 128, the ring road around Boston.  Horrid.

On route 128, the ring road around Boston. Horrid.

So that’s the trip!  Fun, except for the driving in Massachusetts!

 

Feedback Mysteries

June 12th, 2014

So I recently sent a couple quilts out to be in national juried shows.   Let me begin by saying that I truly do respect the judges and the difficulty of the judging process.  But I thought that some folks new to entering shows or who might consider entering shows would like to know what comments are like.   I’ve waited a while since receiving these two quilts back so folks couldn’t really guess (or do a lot of work) to figure out which shows and which judges because I DO respect them and their job.

The comments on this quilt are the one that most mystify me.

Conversations 1 (c) www.SarahAnnSmith.com

Conversations 1 (c) www.SarahAnnSmith.com

The comments received were:

  • Best Features:    
    • Raw edges work well done    
    • Piecing in background
  • Area(s) to Improve:    
    • Value Changes to emphasize depth and shadow

Best features:  OK:  Thank you for the compliment on raw edge work, which is usually disparaged.  Thank you for the compliment on piecing; however, there IS no piecing.  It is all fused.  I will take that as a compliment that the fusing was so well done that they thought it was pieced.

Areas to improve:  I am utterly perplexed.  HOW could I have further value changes?  The pale color of the stone and dark of the shadows is about as extreme as it gets this side of black and white.  The only thing I can figure out is that perhaps they want some shadow on the wall versus the surface of the patio.   I will note at this point that this is a composite image from several photos, but with the angle of the sun used from the first photo with two chairs and the table, a corner of the patio as in this scene would have been utterly flooded with light and  have no shadows, just perhaps a bit of grunge where ground met wall.   This scene is from the Getty Museum in LA, and the sun was screaming blue sunny sky–flooded with light.   ????

I take comments seriously (most of the time) because I want to learn and improve.  So my question to all of you is:

Can you figure out where they want me to improve value changes to emphasize depth and shadow?  I’d love suggestions.  Please, be kind to the judges.

Then I got this quilt back.

Clothed in Color (c) www.SarahAnnSmith.com

Clothed in Color (c) www.SarahAnnSmith.com

The area to improve was that (I’m paraphrasing as I don’t feel like rooting around to find the comment sheet) “the off-center composition is good, but there is too much negative space.”   This comment I am utterly ignoring.  The figure (me) is in a doorway.  That is how much negative space there IS in a doorway.  And the amount of space is intentional:  it conveys the feeling of isolation and tension I wanted to express about that time in my life.  So I’m chalking it up to “they just didn’t get it.”  I’m OK with that.

 

NYC! Building Inspiration

June 9th, 2014
Down at the end of this avenue is the Chrysler Building--now I've seen it for real (even if from a distance)

Down at the end of this avenue is the Chrysler Building–now I’ve seen it for real (even if from a distance)

There were so many inspirations in buildings and architecture it is hard to know where to begin….

Looking up is always a good thing.  Love the rhythm of the fire escape and windows.

Looking up is always a good thing. Love the rhythm of the fire escape and windows.

And what about this modern looking pair:

Wouldn't this make a stunning Modern quilt?  Just add color (or not).

Wouldn’t this make a stunning Modern quilt? Just add color (or not).

The building on the far corner caught my eye for the astounding stonework visible just above the busses

The building on the far corner caught my eye for the astounding stonework visible just above the busses

Poor Deirdre…she kept turning around and I was taking MORE pictures….

But LOOKIT this design?  Isn't that breathtakingly, gobsmackingly wonderful?  Think applique and crazy threadwork.....

But LOOKIT this design? Isn’t that breathtakingly, gobsmackingly wonderful? Think applique and crazy threadwork…..Sigh…. Inhale, breathe, GASP!

And these shards jutting up from between the larger buildings...

And these shards jutting up from between the larger buildings…

So one more NYC post after this one…the Bowery Savings Bank Building.   How lucky we are to inherit these buildings and the crafstmanship and artistry that went into them!

At long last, a place for Eli’s medals!

June 6th, 2014

Taking a brief break from the NYC fun, I thought I’d share some shelves I made for Eli to hang his MANY sports medals.  Eli clearly did not inherit his athletic prowess from me, but he s ure works hard to use all that he has to its best, and it shows.   He had so many medals from Tae Kwon Do, Soccer, Cross Country, Wrestling, and Track and Field, that his lamp started to fall over (He had them draped around the shade.) So we came up with a plan to make shelves similar to what I put in our kitchen here and in the boys’ bedrooms in Camden:  brackets from the big-box store plus pine planks.  To hang the medals, though, I added cup hooks and dowels cut to length:

The shelves installed

The shelves installed; they look rather like a shadow, but there are dowels underneath hanging from cup hoods.  Hubby opened up the “C” shape so the dowels can be more easily removed for adding more medals. 

Supervised by the master of the house:

Pigwidgeon supervising installation

Pigwidgeon supervising installation.  He approves.  He’d approve more if he could have some more kibble.

With medals hung, sorted by sport and year.  The wrestling pins need their own display--that's the next project.  And we think Eli is going to put his deceased running and wrestling shoes up on the shelf!

With medals hung, sorted by sport and year. The wrestling pins need their own display–that’s the next project. And we think Eli is going to put his deceased running and wrestling shoes up on the shelf!

As J.K.Rowling so aptly wrote, “Mischief managed!”

 

 

NYC! Grand Central and the subways

June 3rd, 2014

OH MY– I kept walking around saying what a BEAUTIFUL building…the shine of the stone, that CEILING (which numbskull that I am I forgot to take a picture) in the Great Hall, every detail, inside, outside.  We got to see the quilts celebrating Grand Central in the museum, and I got to wander through the market there with the most incredible (and expensive) meats and cheeses and wines and pastries and and and…… Mostly I just photographed the Building, so enjoy:

Quintessential View of the entrance to Grand Central.  Deirdre wanted to make sure I got to see the special stuff..wonderful!

Quintessential View of the entrance to Grand Central. Deirdre wanted to make sure I got to see the special stuff..wonderful!

And a close up of the clock...what detail!  What art!

And a close up of the clock…what detail! What art!

In the subway, a mural and music

In the subway, a mural and music

I loved the tile mosaics at each station.  Can you imagine any big city paying what it would cost to do this work today?   I can’t either.  Glad they did it long ago and far away:

Grand Central Station mosaics

Grand Central Station mosaics

42nd Street Station

42nd Street Station

Times Square Station

Times Square Station

Canal St Station, which is apparently near Chinatown

Canal St Station, which is apparently near Chinatown

A fancy tile at the Canal Street Station

A fancy tile at the Canal Street Station

Look at that color and design--what a fabulous quilt that would make!

Look at that color and design–what a fabulous quilt that would make!

The cacophony of the interchanges, this one at Times Square advertising the musical/show Kinky Boots

The cacophony of the interchanges, this one at Times Square advertising the musical/show Kinky Boots

And the quintessential NYC subway shot--obviously NOT at rush hour!

And the quintessential NYC subway shot–obviously NOT at rush hour!

Next on the NY tour:  BUILDINGS!