The Fashioning Felt exhibit shows both ancient and new techniques for making textiles into art, sculpture, furniture, jewelry, and of course clothing. I have long had a love of this fabric, using it for my line of children’s handbags. It’s tactile sense is both comforting and sensual to me. This exhibit fully explores all felt has offer.

This is artist Janice Arnold’s palace yurt, created as a place for contemplation and celebration. At the end of the exhibit is a remarkable video that shows the artist and her team hand making all the ceiling panels.The panels are made of wool, mohair, silk and line.

I love these modern colorful “spot rugs” by Majken Mann and Nynne Fearch for Mossimo. And these sculptural “stones” by Pernelle Fagerlund are fun “textile furniture” by a very talented lady. Look how fun they look in front of this chair (also made of felt).

This fairytale piece is called “The Slice” uncut roll and slice and looks like a woodland dream, by Lene Frantzen.

One of the largest pieces is the amazing wooly wall called “Inner Moods” by Cloudy  Jongstra. This wool is from the artist’s own flock, an endangered species, and is dyed with healing plants and herbs. This piece is supposed to be a healing , tactile piece of sculpture. It reminds me of a character from “Where the Wild Things Are” and also a den from the 70’s – healing indeed !

I would have shared more pictures but they are not allowed in the gallery. A kind security guard told me this after I had taken these – sorry Cooper Hewitt. Let this be a tease…get to the show. At the end of the exhibit are films about the process and pieces of felt that you can touch . I have to admit to being the most interested in touching the work…I”m like a curious child I guess.

Take a couple of hours to see this beautiful mansion and have a relaxing seat outside in the lovely park setting. There’s also an exhibit that has some amazing designers (Ted Muehling, Isaac Mizrahi, and Kate Spade to name a few) that are using sustainable materials. My favorite is the bamboo “Living Forest”  by artist Ezri Tarazi- truly inspirational.

So this is what I call Bride #1 – she’s who I first see in a wedding dress. She looked so beautiful and HAPPY ; many friends and attendants followed her every move. I love that the ladies got to pick out their own dresses, as long as they were black and sexy .

This is Bride #2 – she made a very brief appearance in the main hall before she disappeared with her family. I love the fall bouquet that the groom is carrying.

Bride and groom #3 were by far my favorite. She wore an amazingly beautiful dress…classic yet modern. I love the lace and it looked really great on her. She and her new hubby were the most relaxed and informal, spending much of the photo shoot kissing, giggling, and dancing. I bet the reception was a fun party.

Bride #4 and party were a large fun group. They were hootin and hollerin and appeared to really be having a great time. They posed for pictures for the longest time, and rightly so, the large party was a handsome group. Then the happy couple posed alone on the steps and above balcony.

It’s strange to be a voyeur into a couple’s special day, but Grand Central is not the most private place. One of the joys of living in such a big city is participating in its daily life. This was one of those days…they will surely forget the throngs of women cooing and flashbulbs igniting. But I will forever have my camera in tow, scanning the large commuting crowd, for a glimpse of a blushing bride in a blinding white dress.

Congratulations to all the newlyweds…if you happen to know any of these couples,please comment and give us their names.

Luckily for me , being born May 10th instead (Mother’s Day 1970), I still entered this splendid Earth as April (Jennifer was a close 2nd).

Now my mother is no hippie, but she understood the importance of sustaining our planet so that we can be healthy. Back then the only people getting across the message of recycling and litter control were the crying Indian and Smokey the Bear.

My , how times have changed…for the better. The environment and protecting it is ….dare I say…sexy and accepted. Just ask Al Gore, Leo, and hundreds of hybrid owners.

This Earth Day , I stood with a white wine spritzer at the Domino party at ABC Carpet & Home. On Tuesday April 22nd, this party thrown by one of my favorite mags, introduced “the brave and beautiful sustainable design” of the featured products in this wonderland of a store.

As you entered the party Pangea Organics was offering mini facials and hand massages. These beautiful flower arrangements surrounded their delicious smelling organic products.

Past the beauty products lay the gorgeous jewelry. This gold jewelry features raw diamonds that are now conflict free from Sierra Leone.

See Kim Brown’s article on diamonds and the Kimberly Process. The just as beautiful Alicia is showing these gems to another guest (Alicia will help you with all your jewelry needs at ABC).

Beautiful paintings adorn the walls of this 2nd floor gallery (take the stairs up to save electricity) . I believe that all the paintings are made with pigments from plants.

ABC sells many forms of recovered, recycled, salvaged wood furniture and architectural details. I love any large wooden slabs as furniture. These painted tables/ stools are from found , cut logs. The branch sculpture would make a really cool headboard or room divider. And what party wouldn’t center around this giant table….adorned with soy candles.

In the background you can see upholstered chairs and a rack of pillows. Organic furniture and textiles are readily available. Just remember that if organic fabric is used in articles made overseas, they are most likely sprayed with pesticides (to rid them of their not so precious cargo ship hitchhikers.) Shop locally made (or US) products to keep your items truly organic !

Shelves of very practical wooden bowls and terrariums are displayed everywhere. I feel like a wood nymph in the mood for a wine and cheese party…organic, of course!

One of the highlights of the party was seeing Marc Alt…an eco pioneer genius (and major hottie !) Definitely check out his website www.marcalt.com for more info and ways of living green.

Total party success ! I learned about better ways to live more concsiously , drank some wine with friends(below are Kim and Katie with Domino swag bags ) , and saw some beautiful products. Now , if we can only get Domino magazine to stop shipping their newest issues WITHOUT the plastic wrap.

But alas, I live in a concrete jungle. So to pacify my garden cravings , I hit the streets of my neighborhood , camera in hand. I am in search of Manhattan greenery.

Although yards are an impossibility here (without a Trump sized budget and apartment ), tree lined blocks are possible. These flowering trees are a welcome sight to any nature loving tree hugger. The blossoms of these branches seem to be dancing in the wind- very romantic looking.

Other trees are surrounded by an army of daffodils. These little patches of yellow are just enough to bring a smile to everyone that passes by.

And some green thumbed neighbor has spruced up the window box with some lovely pansies. My love of pansies was formed by helping my grandmother plant them around the birdbath in her back yard.

I saunter into the Metropolitan Museum of Art and am welcomed by enormous sprays of pink blossoms in elegant urns. The entire front lobby is filled with these branches, adding to the already impressive beauty of this space.

Outside the Egyptian Temple , in The Met, the bright yellow forsythia bushes provide cheerful camouflage for the parade of yellow taxis.

I head home with a bunch of tulips from the corner deli and feel like I’ve accomplished my goal. The serenity a garden provides is available , in small doses, in the Big Apple.

What does your neighborhood look like this spring?

As a guest of color maven Kim Brown, I was treated to an evening of complimentary wine, a pretty decent DJ, and the best people watching opportunity of the night. And I had an almost private audience with the works in the new Color Chart galleries: I really love these kinds of nights in NYC.

As you enter the space on the 6th floor, a mountain of painted steel beams greets you, adorned in vibrant primary colors. The collection is a belief of the artists involved, that in everyday life – beauty, art, and color are intertwined and accessible. The 1st painting I focused on was Jim Dine’s color blocks. His father and grandfather owned a hard ware store where Jim became interested in color at an early age.

On the opposite wall is Frank Stella’s square canvases painted with shades of Benjamin Moore paints (wisely a sponsor of the exhibit), straight out of the can; these were commissioned by an admirer, Andy Warhol.

On the left wall is Ellsworth Kelly’s ‘Colors For a Large Wall’. Across from the actual piece is the study for the painting. I always find these ultimately more interesting. The studies have a palpable creative energy of an artist trying to accomplish perfection.

Andy Warhol sits vibrantly in the corners with ‘Do It Yourself Flowers’ a grand paint –by- numbers. And then there’s Marilyn …all 6 of her. I think I love Warhol because I don’t really have to think about his hidden meanings – it’s Pop art and as Nina Simone would say I’m “feeling good” when I look at it.

I love the type of Jasper John’s 0-9 lithographs. Edward Ruscha has 6 screen prints with beautiful lettering. Titled ‘News, Mews, Pews, Brews, Stews, & Dues’ one handsome gentlemen pointed out that they rhyme: Quite right sir.

The scale of Gerhard Richter’s 10 Large Color Panels (7 seen in my pictures) is impressive (giant paint chip strips). I really like his ‘256 Colors’ – every corner has a grey circle that is sort of subliminally visible – very cool.

Walking through another room, you are greeted by Dan Flavin’s untitled neon tubes forming a forest –like gathering of bright T’s.

Katharina Fritsch ‘s sculpture like painting ‘8 Paintings 8 Colors’ is an invitation to an Alice in Wonderland world. I fully expected to see a Mad Hatter tea party taking place under these bright paintings. Paintings like hers just make me happy. Her grandfather was a salesman for Faber – Castell art supplies; she might have lived in an Alice world of her own.

Kim and Charlene, my gracious hosts, are seated in front of Sherrie Levine’s painting ‘Salubra’. This painting is inspired by architect Le Corbusier painted wallpapers for the Swiss firm Salubra in 1931. Simply Le Gorgeous.

Last , but certainly not least, is Damien Hirst’s ‘John John’ painting. This piece reminds me of my favorite candy as a child; those yummy sweet dots you have to lick off strips of paper. I’m certainly not trying to simplify darling Damien’s work…I’m no art critic or historian. But I believe that every piece of art is open to individual interpretation, based on our own unique memories and experiences.

This exhibit was a pure trip of fantasy and joy for me. The Color Chart exhibit runs until May 12th and I highly suggest a visit. Gazing at these colorful, brilliant works of art will certainly add to your memories and become a cherished experience.

The Museum of Modern Art is 7 blocks from my apartment but I hadn’t been there since their grand re-opening 2 yrs. ago (except for an exciting catering job I did for the premier of the NY Film Festival opening film “The Interpreter”).

The center of the enormous space is flooded with natural light – it actually seemed sunnier inside than outside.

We decided to see the Georges Seurat drawings first , as the exhibit was closing soon. Most of the pieces were done with black ink but WOW were the shadows and figures he created, very powerful. We both agreed that our favorites were the circus and cafe series. There were some seascape oil paintings that were lovely blues and greens – very cheery.

Then , we headed to our faves- the paintings and drawings. The first painting I see is “The Ohio Gang” by R.B. Kitaj. He gained fame in London then came back to live in NY. The yellow and orange stripes of color almost take your eyes off the bare breasted woman above a baby stroller. Something almost sinister about this painting…can’t put my finger on it.

My eyes follow the frames until I get to Picasso’s ” Les Moiselles d’Avignon.” Naked women again, but this is a celebration of life. I want to be one of those women standing before Pablo- even if it’s the wolf faced lady. His other 2 paintings “Woman Dressing Herself” and “Girl Before A Mirror” are intimate but more lively. He has taken a solitary experience of a woman’s day and glorified it with his exuberant palettes. I believe it takes a Spanish gentleman to appreciate the true beauty of all women. (Or at least a Spanish cubist living in France).

Claes Oldenburg’s “Giant Soft Fan” bring us to our Swedish sensibilities. Who else could create a giant blow up plastic fan- the fog is finally lifting.

I don’t care how many times I see Van Gogh’s Starry Night – it thrills me. The lovely swirly clouds and stars seem to be dancing in the indigo sky. It’s shocking to me that he was in an asylum , in Saint Remy France, as he painted this – I hope he got as much pleasure from it as I do.

Through another gallery and I’m back in Paris. By way of Russia , Kandinsky enters my view. He’s my dad’s favorite artist- probably because his paintings look good in every room (every color in one painting). I know that Kandinsky has very heavy themes (The Apocalypse and political unrest) but his forms are pure and easy joy.

The gleam of Constantin Brancusi’s” Mademoiselle Pognania” proves that “All that glitters is gold” or bronze. I love the shininess of this beauty. She has a cute hairdo and looks both shy and coquettish at the same time. His travels from Romania to Paris seem to have been worth it.

Salvador Dali was in Paris when he painted the 11 layered glass piece “Petit Theatre”. My eyes are fixated on the red shoe. To me , Dali is simply another sort of being. I can”t understand how he does what he does with paint – all I know is that he is proof of the Divine to me. I’d love to talk about Dali all day long….but there’s more to see. We are done with paintings.

After a brief stop for refreshments- we decide to head to the Design Area. Patrick Nortguet designed “Rainbow Chair” – very cool and rainbowy. I want to put this chair next to a bright window and stare at the colored stripes . I feel like if the designer Paul Smith made furniture , it would look like this. Tailored , colorful, and engaging.

The only thing cooler than the chair is the Capsule Lights – they look like oversized pills- very “Valley of the Dolls”.

The perfect ending to my MOMA experience is to see a shiny Airstream trailer. As a very vintage girl….I have had many dreams of driving Route 66 in one of these very American vehicles. I agree that this should be in a museum – it’s very simplicity and functionality represent the America I love ; offering a promise of possibilities. On the road of life – take time to smell the roses and take in some art. I leave MOMA oblivious to the clouds

I’m looking forward to some shows coming to the museum. Color Chart: Reinventing Color , 1950 to Today will be exhibited March 2nd – May 12th. And my favorite, Salvador Dali, will have his paintings and films available June 29th – September 15th.

Related links:

• MOMA: Visit the museum online
• Color Chart: Reinventing Color , 1950 to Today will be exhibited March 2nd – May 12th
• Multiple Choice: From Sample to Product on Color Pro Blog
• Vintage style: 1960’s telephone colors on Color Pro Blog
  
• Salvador Dal will have his paintings and films on display June 29th – September 15th