New York? Schmoo York...

Sorry everyone, but I really was a bit disappointed in New York. I know, it is amazing and enormous and blah blah blah, but I think everyone, me included, talked it up just a teensy little bit. So when I finally arrived in this city of great promise, it fell a little short for me. It didn't help that I was sick for three of the six days I was there...

Lest you think this is just a blog of complaints, I did do some fun things in New York. One of them was to attend a short course in extraordinary embroidery at 3rd Ward, a very cool warehouse space in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, that offers space for artists to rent, a range of short courses, a gallery and numerous events and other activities.

The course was run by Iviva Olenick, a wonderfully inspiring visual artist who creates clever and insightful commentaries on human relationships through her embroidery pieces.

And, in fact, I found that my art blossomed in the face of adversity. I created two pieces (one above, one below) that reflected my musings on the contrasts of New York, between the aspirational signs, billboards and big screen tvs I saw around me, and the realities of a tough and sometimes exhausting life in a big city.