We managed to hit two museums during our visit, the Museum of Modern Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Here's a page of sketches based on paintings I saw at the Met. (See if you can guess which paintings.)
I've always thought this American folk art portrait was wonderfully quirky, by Ammi Phillips, painted between 1834-36.
Mary's always telling me off for making too many pictures of 'nice, smiling' children. She wants me to show a few nasty or creepy children. So I'm obliging her with this reinterpretation of Phillips' painting. I quite like it, I think I might work it up into a lino cut or something.
Here's our gang on the steps of the Met, finishing up the giant pretzels we bought from one of the Vietnam Vet food stands out front.
I think pretzels are a good excuse for Mary to eat mustard. She loves mustard and I drew this portrait of her. She's kind of hard to draw, but I keep trying.
While we were at MoMA, we saw their exhibition, Century of the Child: Growing by Design, 1900 - 2000.
They had some amazing toys and posters and I wish I'd had more time to sketch some of it. We weren't allowed to take photos, but here's a photo from the New York Times, a motorcycle toy designed by Vit Grus in 1951. Isn't it cute?
I went online and looked up this Czech video from the exhibition that had me transfixed. At MoMA, they were playing it with no sound, but the English-language commentary on the YouTube version is kind of funny, too. If you are a Nazi and you are bad to toys, WATCH OUT! It's like a 1946 version of Home Alone, but I much prefer this one.
Direct YouTube link
A lovely Alexander Calder mobile hanging in a MoMA stairwell:
Mary, Mike, Stuart and I did a lot of walking around, and so much of New York City outside the museum looks like art, too. Here's my sister ogling shiny things in a shop on Bowery Street. I love how it looks a little bit like a Gustav Klimt painting.
Ah, there was some more drawing going on, as I discovered when I opened the fridge.
While Mary and I were getting our art fix, Stuart was popping out to find places he'd seen on old music album covers. We managed to track down Jones Street, where one of Bob Dylan's covers was shot. Stuart was very happy about this; he's going to feature it on HIS next album.
I took a load of photos, so I'll post a few more soon! Here's a last one for now of Mary and me:
