Checked out a book of poems for National Poetry Month from the NY public Library. It is called The Years of Blood by Adriano Agarau. One of the first poems is “Ìbàdàn”

@mta.info good morning. Me again. Would you PLEASE seal up the Metronorth underpass at 108th and 109th streets? Toxins, including diesel are dropping on our heads from the water leaking long after it rains or snows. East Harlemites families suffer. School children pass through it. Thank you.

These are my two gray tabby cats, Malcolm and Betty. They are from the same litter and were born 18yrs ago. Malcolm recently had so much pain from arthritis, he couldn’t walk. Back in the day we’d euthanize him. Today, a monthly shot called Selencia has him moving again. It’s expensive but I’m 🙏🏾.

This is what manhattanites call “silence” #noisepollution

Here’s just a taste of what thousands of East Harlemites experience all day every day. #noisepollution

It’s a gorgeous day here in NYC so i wanted to take the opportuty of getting some fresh air but i can’t even crack my windows this far because of the trains. Imagine rush hour when there’s 4 trains coming and going. 5 days a week. Twice a day. #noisepollution @thepulse.whyy.org

Painted and marked up a painting i did months earlier. Now it’s complete. #oilpainting

Mood

Just finished THE PROPHET SONG by Paul Lynch and I’m left absolutely destroyed. I didn’t know what it was about but since it won the Booker Prize I figured I didn’t need to. Had no idea it would touch on my own personal anxiety that is quickly becoming more acute with each passing day.

Never painted before September. Never thought about painting until August. Now I have 2 HUGE paintings on my studio apt wall. No idea what’s going on with me but I’m glad they’re done.

So long ago I started this Bluesky account to talk about art. The idea to paint came to me in August. Seems like I haven’t thought about art in forever but today I was so mad I had to create in order to release some of energy. Decided to finally finish my 2nd painting.

@mariekebrandt.bsky.social Photos I took from when Tawakkol Karman came to NY after her Nobel Prize.

I had @aljazeera.com on in the background while I worked on painting #2. It’s slowly coming along. Will finish it in a couple weeks.

Ok. This is the last of my pics on this doc on Brazilian balloons. I love @aljazeera.com docs.

These are all Brasilero balloons. I can see why they’re illegal. These are candles!

I love how @aljazeera.com has you watching a doc without even realizing it and they’re SO fascinating! I was watching a doc in Brazil about crews of men who illegally fly air balloons. They’ve been locked up but keep doing it. I love these docs!!!

I never posted this Michael Heizer piece when I visited Dia Beacon a couple months ago. It has stuck with me, however. I love how it makes me feel: like I’m a part of something bigger than myself.

Aaron Douglas. These photos were taken in the summer at the Harlem Met Museum exhibit before the idea to paint came to me. Should’ve paid close attention. The paintings by Douglas, however, stood out to me.

Excited to report I’m working on my 2nd painting ever. The first one (on the left) is called “I see you little girl”. The unfinished one on the right will be called “I see you shadow”. Letting the paint dry before I continue. Getting that warm fuzzy feeling again.

My next question is why do cats love parachute days, too, when changing your bed sheets.

Patrick Wilson yet again. I love his color and layering of color. Then there’s the blending of color that adds to the existing depth. Absolutely love his work.

Patrick Wilson again - his bio says these pieces are completely improvised over long periods of time.

Some more of Patrick Wilson’s art pieces…

Patrick Wilson at the Miles McEnery Gallery until Saturday. I happened to encounter someone who knows him. They said he’d scrap the whole painting if it wasn’t perfect during any part of the process. These paintings are 100% perfect and beautiful.

Just admiring my painting from another angle. It was safe to turn right side up. It’s been a couple weeks though the oil paint is still in a process of drying.

New mock up for future painting.

This is the image. Breathtaking. "Moonlight" by Ivan Marchuk, oil on canvas,2017

Lee Shinja reminds me that exquisite art can be found and created from anything and from any task.

Tina Kim Gallery on the Lee Shinja exhibit: “Weaving the Dawn” seeks to reinvigorate this conversation around historically marginalized artistic practices that have been overlooked due to their associations with women’s domestic labor.

Lee Shinja at the Tina Kim Gallery. Here’s yet another incredible artist I saw on the last day of an exhibit. I’m still thinking about her work and want to learn more about her life so I’ll just post the pics I took of it in the meantime.