Scrawls of Love - The Writing on the Wall

Trolling the streets of Lower Manhattan with my trusty camera, sometimes I find themes start to emerge. Often they are political or general human emotion. Here, the wall scrawls, scratchings, writings, and doodles all point to a similar place; the heart.💗

Love Stamps

As part of my new marketing idea to create background vignettes for my own greeting cards, I started buying lots of props, photography backgrounds, and postage stamps that might relate to the featured image of those all-occasion cards. Some of my favorites are the colorful "love" stamp bundles. As an artist, I appreciate their graphic genius- anything from ribbon-like words, floral text, those colorful heart-shaped candies that we all know, or the iconic Robert Indiana sculpture from Philadelphia. 

They make great backdrops, and the message isn't so bad either! Happy Valentine's Day! 🖤

Street Heart Textures

Little Italy/Chinatown, New York - April 2015

Lower East Side, New York - April 2015

Valentine Candy

Happy Valentine's Day, Sweeties!

Message In A Sculpture - Valentine Love Notes

 

If you've ever spent any time in the New York subway system, you've probably seen these little sculptures by Tom Otterness at the 8th Avenue/14th Street Station where the L train connects to the A, C, E line. These little works of art are not concentrated to one particular area, but spread throughout the station. It's one of my favorite places to wait for a train because I like to look at all of these little guys. On my way home from this part of town one night, I was feeling a little blue. Absently studying the sculptures for the umpteenth time in my commuter haze, my first thought was that someone strategically shoved a wad of garbage into the figure. When I saw the bright red shape, I realized it was a little scroll tucked into this special spot; a clever disguise hidden in plain view. I looked around to see if anyone was watching, and pulled out the scroll. 

It was a little secret - like finding a message in a bottle from across the sea, or experiencing that moment of anticipation when you crack open a fortune cookie. The mini scroll was attached to a brilliant red heart made from a simple paperclip. The message felt like it was put there just for me. The arbitrary words were lilting, some lyrics from a song I knew. "I want to hold your hand - the Beatles". The memory of the song and its intent immediately brought a little smile to my face. I walked around the platform, and noticed another bronze figure bearing another note as if it were some clue to a treasure hunt. Another heart, more lyrics. And another smile. In the distance, I heard a train coming. I circled the platform quickly hoping there might be more mysteries to unravel. I found a total of five little "love notes" before my gritty steel chariot arrived. Somewhere in a recessed chamber of my brain, I wondered if the undercover emissary behind the simple goodwill gesture was watching. I hope they saw the big grin on my face for the long ride home.

My favorite one- in some small way, this little reminder is so hard to remember but so true.

Happy Valentine's Day

Another small painting from the Chemical Romance series, now available as a print too.
More art like this piece is available here.

(Anti) Valentine's Day - He Loves Me....Not

He Loves Me...Not (from the "It's Not You" Series), acrylic and mixed media on canvas

And so, another year has passed, and it's not all roses and chocolates. This painting from a few years ago reflects my sentiments on this holiday that only fills singles like me with anxiety and resentment. It was created as an anti-Valentine made from vintage childrens' Valentine cards with decorative floral hankies. By the title alone, the saccharine sweetness of the materials were obliterated with  a sarcastic tongue-in-cheek statement on how I really felt about romance at the time....and sometimes still do.

I guess there's always hope for next year?

Painted Hearts - Collecting

Last year, I created a post about my collection of milagro hearts. Above are some new additions to that collection - part Day of the Dead, part street art, part mask - they appeal to me with their whimsy and handpainted charm. I purchased these new hearts made from cardboard as pieces of artwork in a local Brooklyn shop. They were created by a local artisan/tv director named Jimbo Matison. Growing up, his family didn't have a lot of money so he would make his own toys from cardboard - action figures, robots, and hot rod cars. He later realized, "this is more than just making goofy stuff with cardboard, it has life and meaning. It's art."

Chemical Romance

I've been working on some new paintings in line with the upcoming Valentine's Day holiday. These were both done on the pages of old chemistry books. Through the candy colored haze you can see the underlying scientific terms - match made in heaven (or the lab)! Now available in my online shop.

Valentine's Day - Collecting

This day doesn't hold much significance for me personally in the romantic sense, although I hope to work on resolving that this year. My mom never forgets to send me a card and a little something to mark the day. Thanks, mom! I love you too. ♥

I thought this might be a good day to share my collection of "sacred hearts" or "bleeding hearts". They are religious tokens of thanks left at altars as reciprocation for an answered prayer, or as wish a for a speedy and miraculous healing. These votives are typically made from tin, copper, silver, or sometimes gold and are known by different names to different cultures: milagro in Spanish, ex voto in Latin, and tamata in Greek. They can also made in the forms of various body parts: arms, legs, kidneys, ears, eyes, feet, hands, breasts, etc.

I happen to collect hearts or hearts with hands, and it all started by accident. Several years ago, I bought two or three milagros at a Mexican store in the SoHo section of NYC as decorations for my room. Soon enough, I started seeing them everywhere. I bought some in New Orleans, in Italy, and at a flea market in Athens, Greece. Friends have even brought them back from their trips to Mexico or Peru. Thanks to online auctions, my collection has expanded even further. I now have over 100 of them on the wall of my apartment; all different shapes, sizes, and colors. Each one is different and holds its own charm. Every time I see a new one, it just means that my collection will keep growing.

♥  Happy Valentine's Day! ♥