The Prowl for New Inspiration

 I am in New York right now. I am on the prowl for new inspiration.

It's been a whirlwind. We flew into JFK on Saturday night and were picked up at the curb by our dear friend, Doug, and his daughter, Hannah. They helped us check into our AirBNB in Harlem and then took us out for Thai food.

New York! It's been much too long! Sunday morning we wound our way through Central Park, photographing stone arches for future paintings, and gradually making our way to the Met. It felt so luxurious to have all the time I wanted to get completely lost among so much great art but also be able to find my old favories--Portrait of Madam X by Sargent and this painting by Illia Repin. This started the recurring theme of the art that has grabbed me this week: portraits with intense direct gazes, portraits that transcend time and place.

We started Monday at Cafe Sebarsky and then headed upstairs to see the paintings by Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele among others at the Neue Galerie. Then on to MoMA, where I sketched notes for future paintings. More wanderings through Central Park for more bridges and arches. Tuesday was our day to hit the galleries in Chelsea, including a show at David Zwirner where Gerard Richter is showing his final paintings. (How does an artist know it's time to put down his brush? What will my final paintings be?) Wednesday we hit the International Center of Photography for a stunning portrait show--more of those direct gazes.

This has felt very much like a work trip, just what I need to do to keep my work fresh and strong. Exhausting but important. Tomorrow we will take the train to Washington DC and continue the prowl for new inspiration.