SUNDAY MORNING COFFEE: Bryant Park, Signs of Spring

I have the good fortune to live nearby Bryant Park, a lovely (mostly) tranquil haven tucked away in an otherwise non-descript midtown neighborhood, and a favorite destination for the dog and I, especially on warm, sunny weekends. This past Sunday was one of those sunny days and spring was in the air. The Park was arrayed in signs of the new season—the remains of winter decay had been swept away, the grass lawn newly laid (please do not step on, yet) and the many decorative planters freshly potted with purple Pansies and yellow Daffs. New shrubbery, at the ready for bedding, lined the walkway in front of the potting shed, and the quintessential green park chairs, out for the taking along the many garden paths, were readily claimed by the 'locals' and tourists massed in a variegated display of postures and attitudes.

For those of you who might not know Bryant Park, it is located directly behind the imposing Beaux Arts building of the New York Public Library designed by Carrère and Hastings, completed in 1911 and erected on the original site of the old Croton Reservoir, then called Reservoir Square. In 1870 Reservoir Park was laid out on the adjacent land and renamed Bryant Park in 1884 after William Cullen Bryant, editor of the New York Post. The Park was redesigned in its current classical scheme and opened to the Public in 1934. As you might imagine there is a lot of history between 1870 and 1935, let alone up to the present—see: Bryant Park, history for an interesting read on the Park's beginnings to the present, and all that it offers today.

Spring Greening, across from the potting shed, 45th Street east entrance. 

Conversation.

Contemplation.

Tuning in.

Tuning Out.

SUNDAY MORNING COFFEE: Steaming Hot Coffee, acrylic on canvas

I took off in a rush this past Sunday morning, a lovely 'spring tease' of a day—one of the few warmer, sunny days we've had all winter—and a perfect day to get out with my camera. I headed downtown to the Canada Gallery on the LES to catch an art exhibition before it closed. The show, Stupid, Crazy, Ridiculous, Funny Patterns, of  oversize paintings by Katherine Bernhardt, was written up by Roberta Smith in Friday's NYTimes, 'Art in Review,' section. You can check out the website and Bernhardt's paintings at CANADANEWYORK. 

What initially caught my attention in the Smith review, and fittingly a subject for this blog, were the titles, Steaming Hot Coffee... of two of the paintings in the show (favorites of course). I'd seen the artist's work before on FB postings but not up close, and I won't pretend to play at being an art critic, but in a word they are bold, colorful, clever and whimsical. They remind me of street art, taken to another level. I wish I had gotten there early enough to recommend the show, but if you can't make this one, keep a lookout. 

Ice Cream (Chocolate and Pistachio) and Steaming Hot Coffee, 2013, Acrylic and spray paint on canvas, 72x72in

Steaming Hot Coffee and Cigarettes and Pizza, 2013, Acrylic and spray paint on canvas, 120x96in.

And, on the way home, an advantageous quick shop at Whole Foods, and... a quick cup of coffee!

Whole Foods, Coffee Bar, Bowery @ Houston.