Love Note #1

Call me corny.  Seasonal shifts make me poetic.  It seems the more I look around the more grateful I am.  I'm mighty lucky to have two ample windows that face the back courtyard.  At these windows is where I scratch my noggin and do real thinkin.  

On that note I've begun a series of "Love Notes" to the number one gal in my life, 'Ma Nature.  So for those searchin for a sonnet, here's a little piece dedicated to my feathered friends...because they make getting up each morning a real pleasure.

Thank you treasured friends.

Thank you for your song. Your voice.  
Your delicate grace.

Your charm.  Strong and reassuring.  Like angels in the treetops.  Out of indigo heavens.

In a reckless world, your joyful melody stalls and stills these

brittle nerves.  Host to a cacophony of concerns.  They are caressed and quieted.  And for a moment, put to sleep. 
Like droplets falling on a still pond.

Bliss returns.

Spill The Beans: Kitchenette

Cafe's and coffee houses don't come more homespun than this. The name says it all.  Kitchenette has a good old fashioned charm that instantly takes the edge off of any harried city slicker. And to make both uptown and downtown folks feel right at home, there are two locations:  Tibeca and Morningside Heights.   When I think of "comfort food" Kitchenette comes to mind.  I've taken a fancy to the the homemade maple syrup!  Tastes like it was just uncorked from a tree.  And a mug of joe from here will get you through the day.

The Urban Art Farm is Born Again!

It's Autumn! That means it's Harvest Time! The Urban Art Farm is Born Again after a long, hot summer of seedin and weedin. New pieces to share, new ideas to discuss and of course...the coffee's brewin!!


First on the horizon, I'd like to share with you my latest crafty creation: The Bottle Project.





But lets go back, good reader.

It was just last summer, yet it seems so long ago. The space that is the filling between the "then" and the "now" can be mighty perplexing.

It was a scorcher that late summer afternoon. A real sizzler. The sun crawled from the rooftops on the east to the rooftops on the west and the symphonic drone of the cicadas intensified. All was still. Seemed every conceivable critter was just plum tuckered out. Except for those singin cicadas. What a lovely chorus!

I sat on my little art farm ledge to survey the park across the street. The mercury continued it's unforgiving ascent. The beading on my brow suggested it was time to find Salvation so I bowed to Santo Corona like a good christian farmer. I was so filled with the Spirit, bowed I remained. And there, good reader, a divine idea was born!
It occurred to me it seemed a waste to throw such a fine bottle into the recycle bin. It has such potential! So I decided to paint it and give it new life! And holy hops a handsome vessel was born!


Each brew bottle is sterilized, hand sanded, spray primed several times,
hand painted in custom art farm colors, dried, resanded and sprayed again with a protective matte varnish.
The final result is a super smooth muted finish. Whew! That’s a lotta work! I think it’s time to bow once again! You support the arts. The artist supports Salvation. Everyone supports the economy and it’s a win-win for all!

The Big Guy stands 11” tall by 3” in diameter. The Mighty Ms. measures 9 ½” tall by 2 3/8” in diameter and The Kid comes in at 8” tall by 2” in diameter. The natural palette includes subtle variations of olive greens, ochres, umbers, pale blues and grays. They make a handsome family all together, but if your short on space you can order just one or two of your liking.

NOT DISHWASHER SAFE! To clean, I would suggest simply dusting with a dry cloth. I would not use household cleaning sprays like Pledge. Due to the one-of-a-kind hand crafted nature of the work, pieces will vary slightly from the examples in the photo.