Across the Pond

If you've been reading my blog for the past couple of weeks, I've been posting stuff that I did over the summer. It's a list mostly based on a Pinterest board I made. On that same list are the following items:

• Pack a suitcase and go on a trip
• Ride an airplane to an exotic location
• Ride a boat
• Explore. Dream. Discover.

Holy cow. Can I tell you that I crossed these out as well? You see, this part of the list were "wishes". There were no plans, no intentions to pull out the suitcase from storage, nor a travel budget squirreled away. But the universe presented a most awesome adventure. I feel truly blessed.

So here's the packed suitcase and the seat in the airplane.

Where to?

 TADA! London, baby!

 The atmosphere remains celebratory from the 

Queen's Diamond Jubilee...

...and the Summer Olympics and Paralympics.

This wasn't my first time in London but I love coming back. The city is always vibrant and exciting. This time, I decided to see the city from the River Thames.

I rode this boat which is like a water taxi.

Here's the view from the river on a drizzly day. 

 I disembarked at this pier to visit this art gallery:

 The Tate Britain

The Tate Britain carries the largest collection of British art in the world, dating from the 1500's to the present day.  There are masterpieces, as well as modern and contemporary art. 

Here are a few highlights of my visit:

A display on "Victorian Sentimentality" featuring sentimental images of people in both painting and sculpture. This one is of siblings.

 And here, a mother and child by Hamo Thornycroft 

called "The Kiss".

This one's my favorite called "Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose" by John Singer Sargent. I want to find a garden just like this and remain innocent and carefree.

A section exclusively for Frank Bowling's Poured Paintings.

The exhibit is called "Drop, Roll, Shake, Drip", the techniques he uses to play with paint. {I think I'll try these out for a future blah to TADA! project.}

The Tate Britain also hosts the largest collection of works by JMW Turner (Joseph Mallord William Turner). I never heard of him before. He is described as "an English Romantic landscape painter whose expressionistic studies of light, color, and atmosphere were unmatched in their range and sublimity." He is also known for his watercolors and printmaking.

He carried sketchbooks when he traveled, often drawing with pencil and adding color later on.

As he traveled across Europe, his watercolor palette changed depending on the light in that city, and his experiments with newly-developed paints. 

JMW Turner was also known for his sea scenes.

"Copying was a vital part of an artist's education in the 18th and 19th centuries", thus paper and pencils were readily available for an interactive element. Above is my interpretation of JMW Turner's seascape.

There are areas where one could display what they made.

My art {I even signed it!} on display at the Tate Britain. My two minutes of fame {or until it gets covered by another person's sketch}. I relished it, fully accepting that the art I make isn't museum-worthy.

But at the museum shop, I opened a book that led me to this line.

And while my art is a humble blah to TADA!, that's alright by me.

Discovering Columbus

I'm on art appreciation mode and today, instead of a museum, let's take a look at an art installation. 

via pksb.com

There's a place in New York City called Columbus Circle, a rotunda flanked by Eighth Avenue, Broadway and 59th Street/Central Park West.

via gonetonewyork

At the center is a statue of Christopher Columbus standing on a tall column. It was made by Gaetano Russo to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Columbus’s first voyage to the Americas.

These days, however, the statue is wrapped in scaffolding. No, not for restoration, but for art.

The project is called "Discovering Columbus", a brainchild of Japanese artist Tatzu Nishi.  

The mission: to appreciate the statue in a different light.

 

Tickets are needed to get in. Don't worry, they're free. 

You can get them here.

But you'll have to climb up many, many steps to see it.  I did have to catch my breath at the top.

 The view from above: Central Park

The view below: guests waiting their turn 

Then, you'll be ushered into a living room with Columbus' back greeting you. Quite rude? I think it adds to the drama! 

The space is the artist's interpretation of a modern 

New York City apartment.

But instead of a vase of flowers or a stack of coffee table books, Christopher Columbus is the centerpiece; the art that anchors the room; the sculpture that is larger than life. How many living rooms in New York City can have this for bragging rights? 

The original white marble statue is now 50 shades of gray. Well, it's over a hundred years old {unveiled in 1892} -- time and pollution casually crept up on him. The details, however, have stayed in tact.

The fictional room is convincing with a credenza and television.

There is a shelf with an intelligent collection of books and minimalist ephemera. There are also paintings, as well as black and white photos on display.

The wall paper was also designed by the artist, reflecting his impressions of America as a child: the Empire State Building, Elvis Presley, Mickey Mouse, Coca-Cola, McDonald's and Marilyn Monroe.

There is a sectional and several chairs around the statue that welcome guests to sit awhile. With people milling around, it's like a cocktail party hosted by a Manhattan millionaire, showing off his latest digs and art piece.

Here's my point of view while seated on one of the comfy chairs.

I thoroughly enjoyed this experience -- an intimate meeting with Mr. Columbus, who I would otherwise ignore on a regular day when this installation isn't around {just like many other historical statues that dot the city}. Kudos to Mr. Tatzu Nishi for this fresh perspective! What you do is truly blah to TADA!

All About Lunch

When I have a little extra time on my hands, I like to visit museums. This week, I'd like to share with you the museums/exhibits I've been to recently. Maybe like me, you'll discover something new or find a sliver of inspiration.

Have you ever been to the New York Public Library? It's an architectural beauty on 5th Avenue and 42nd Street. Now, if you've filed away libraries into your list of "extinct objects" {like rotary phones and cassette tapes}, don't let this discourage a visit. In its website, it exclaims:

"Libraries are the memory of humankind, irreplaceable repositories 

of documents of human thought and action."

Please tell me I'm not the only one who's fallen in love this line! 

Two lions proudly guard its doors. One is named "Patience". 

The other, Fortitude.

via NYPL

It's a functioning library with reading rooms, complete with high ceilings and frescoes, chandeliers, arched windows, wood furniture, and shelves upon shelves of books.

The're a lovely gift shop on the first floor, and rooms that hold talks, classes and special events.

 There's also a space where exhibitions are staged.

There's an on-going exhibit called "Lunch Hour NYC". How TADA! that something as blah and ordinary as lunch becomes the main theme for a collection of displays. In a nutshell, "The exhibition explores the ways in which New York City -- work-obsessed, time-obsessed, and in love with ingenious ways to make money -- reinvented lunch in its own image." 

New York City has always been a trend-setter {food included}. It's fun to find out the history of everyday things, don't you agree?

The Cafeteria: the concept began at the Childs' Lunch Room, a self-service restaurant where the diner takes a tray, moves it on a counter, chooses food from a selection, pays a very affordable amount, and is able sit anywhere. 

The Automat: addresses the need for speed. Just drop money in a slot and food magically appears!

The Deli: opened by German immigrants who sold cured meats and salads of their homelands. Now, "deli" refers to any store selling cured meats and sandwiches, as well as bread, bagels, smoked fish, and cream cheese.

Props also go to the immigrants who introduced pastrami sandwiches, Jamaican beef patties, sushi, and Chinese take-out, that are as common now as hamburgers and fries.

Street carts and schoolyard vendors: provide quick meals on the go like hot dogs and pretzels.

The Pizza: Genaro Lombardi {Lombardi's} gets the title "Founding Father of New York Pizza" but Patsy Lancieri {Patsy's} gets the credit for selling pizza not just by the pie, but by the slice, turning it from a sit-down meal to lunch on the run.

Take note of the "Pizza Principle" and tell me if you agree.

This wall of metal lunch boxes was pure nostalgia! It's all about school lunches and sandwiches made from Wonder Bread and peanut butter. 

Soda Fountains: they started just by serving soda, but evolved to adding light meals and ice cream concoctions to their menu. It's tiny, but on the top of this photo are a few "luncheonette slang/jargon" {ex. "axle grease" = butter; "put a stretch on it" = sandwich to go}. Fascinating stuff! 

Since all of us have lunch at some point in our day, this exhibit is very relatable and friendly for both young and old. You might even catch yourself saying, "So that's how it all began!"

Lunch Hour NYC

June 22, 2012 to February 17, 2013

New York Public Library

Stephen A. Schwarzman Building/Gottesman Exhibition Hall

A Roadtrip

Hooray and Happy Friday! Do you like road trips? I do!

Today, it's off to Connecticut.

A day trip on a whim...but when traffic
hits, a detour to the local roads.

Local roads that lead to new discoveries like
this cafe I heard about from Martha Stewart.

A baguette to go and a strawberry cream puff
for a mid-morning snack {it was divine!}

Gotta check-out the local market

Tomatoes at their prime

They offer fruit picking & corn mazes...
how fun!

Lunch stop in Madison, Connecticut

The extensive menu at the Clam Castle

The lobster roll was a popular choice

Spending the afternoon at the beach

The sun was out...

...and the water was calm.

And that's how a blah day turned into a TADA! day. 

Must. do. this. more. often.

Have a joyful weekend!