Be Kind, Thrift and Rewind

This is a small collection of the street art in Jersey City, NJ. I have barely scratched the surface with these photos. The city is home to many artists and also the home of the first museum that focuses on street art and graffiti. The Mana Museum of Cultural Arts is located at 581 Monmouth Street. I haven’t been to this museum yet, but it shows you that there is no shortage of appreciation of street art in Jersey City. To read more about the museum you can go to: http://www.rsvlts.com/2014/08/19/jersey-city-street-art/

Currently the colorful additions to the character of the neighborhoods assist in selling real estate, rather than hinder it. Many artists move to the area since the prices of living in New York City are so high. Artists come from all over the world to do the murals in the area. Loew’s Jersey Theatre and Art House Productions are among numerous places to see visual and performing arts in Jersey City.

These photos were taken in the Grove Street area. Several of the murals are part of the Savage Habbit program, which features various street artists, both local and internationally known (http://savagehabbit.com/). The program was started by co-founder Inez Gradzki, who “has organized many walls in and around an arts community that has been growing in fits and starts.” (1). The Savage Habbit blog posts regularly about street art in various areas. Some of the murals in these photos may have been part of the Trenton, NJ based Sage coalition. That organization was founded by William Kasso. Their website states, “The S.A.G.E. Coalition is a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in Trenton NJ dedicated to initiating, planning, and establishing inner-city beautification projects.” (2) Mr. Kasso and designer Graham Apgar created a garden in Trenton, NJ called the “Ghandi Garden.” For more information on that, visit: http://www.nj.com/mercer/index.ssf/2014/10/sage_coalition_seeks_funding_to_take_trenton_street_art_on_the_road.html

The Grove Street area is home to lots of restaurants, bars, and cafes, as well as a street fair on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It features a farmer’s market, food vendors, vintage vendors and other local artists who make jewelry or other crafts. There is often a band playing music as well. I travel to Jersey City to see Brian Corrigan, my chiropractor, who has an office there. He is more affordable than most chiropractors in NY, plus I think he is a great chiropractor. I have been going to chiropractors for over 30 years so I ought to know by now which ones are really good.

I hope you enjoyed this post about the street art in Jersey City. I will continue to take photos and perhaps do another post of the surrounding area’s street art later on.

Artist above:Li-Hill

Artist above:Pixel Pancho

Artist above:NoseGo

Artist above:LNY

(1). http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jaime-rojo-steven-harrington/savage-habbit-street-art_b_5653230.html

(2) http://sagecoalitionnj.com/about-us/

Upcycled Raspberry Linen and Silk Dress

November 30, 2015

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I originally saw a dress similar to this one on Pinterest. It was made by clothestalking. Immediately I really wanted a dress like that one. Since I have been upcycling my clothing the last couple of years I knew I had a top or two similar to the boxy shape loose top of the clothestalking dress. Plus I had the skirt of an old silk Thai dress my uncle had sent me years ago. I needed a way to put those pieces to use. So when I finally got the time I upcycled this dress. I like that it is loose and comfy, but it is also a combination of rose-like colors, which are some of the colors that look best on me. I like the avant-garde look of the outfit. I have always liked avant-garde garments but usually can’t afford them on my budget. That is where even simple sewing really can come in handy; in being able to create what I yearn for but otherwise would have to do without.

I did have to sew my pieces together from the top, so that I could make sure I was keeping the line straight on the top of the silk. I pinned it from underneath when I had it reversed. I didn’t add pockets where the sides extend. I might later on but I doubt I would put anything in them so I decided to skip them for now. This dress is very comfortable and the fabric makes it such that I can wear it year round if I wear layers of warm t-shirts, undergarments or stockings underneath. Plus I like wearing it with my batik jacket from the early 1990’s, which has lovely fall colors in its pattern. The top piece of the dress was from Liberty of London when I worked there. It was part of my yearly allotment of clothing that we were given for wearing to work. The Thai dress from my uncle was kind of huge on me, so eventually I decided to cut it and keep the skirt from it. One thing I like about this type of upcycling is that when the top wears out (which it inevitably will before the bottom does, since it is thinner fabric, and lighter in color), I can replace it with another top. So upcycling can really extend the life of used garments, and create the chance to upcycle them again down the road. That really reduces reproduction energy and effort from the chain of production in mass manufacturing. When I was a really young single parent I used to think of this as the extend-a-life-program. I had lots of items in that program. Now with upcycling being so common we have a new word for it!!

Well I hope you enjoyed this post. I am working on sewing another dress. That one is from a pattern though. I hope you all had a nice Thanksgiving. I did, plus I tried out a new recipe for gluten-free stuffing that I might share soon in a reduced-packaging post. I always like to try to cook as many things as I can that don’t require buying prepackaged mixes, or boxes. I cooked at home then went out later in the day to a friend’s apartment and spent time with her family. That was great fun.

I will have some street art from the Grove Street stop in Jersey City coming up. Sorry I have fallen behind here on postings. It is quite frustrating how much time and effort it takes to find work so I have been juggling these things. I am grateful for what I do have and hopefully the work piece will fall into place soon!! Meanwhile my walking and my right foot are doing much better since I have been going to physical therapy. I have been able to walk around a lot and hope to get lots of Christmas window photos for you this year.

By clothestalking on Etsy

Pier Antique Show in NYC

November 20, 2015

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Last weekend I went to the Pier Antique Show in New York at Pier 94. A friend went with me and we walked all around and visited the booths. My friend David Owens, whom I met when I did a blog post about his shop, David Owens Vintage Clothing, gave me tickets. In terms of recycling and reusing the place was absolutely filled with antiques and vintage. There were Louis Icaret prints at many booths, other art prints, loads of estate jewelry and furnishings. If someone wanted to furnish their home with antiques this would be the place to bring a truck and stock up. Of course the items were pricey; plus most of the items were in really good condition. This is not so much a place for bargain hunting.

I saw some great kitchenware from the 1940’s and 1950’s. Toasters, spice racks and canisters. Unique, retro-looking and fun! My favorite kitchen I ever had had an antique turquoise stove in it. Vintage kitchenware is fun, colorful and I like that it stands out as something charmingly different in the modern world.

In the Fashion Alley section, where David’s booth was, there were numerous vintage fashion merchandisers. Several vendors had dead stock vintage fabrics. David does sell numerous fur coats, which I am not a big fan of. I can totally understand that as a small business in Manhattan it could be a big item that can help to cover the rent and expenses. Someone has to sell them so it is nice that all of his are vintage, which is further down the chain of production and it is also recycling its use. On occasion he has the nice fake-fur coats as well. Lots of vendors had fake-fur coats, many had some really beautiful dresses and several had Victorian blouses. I was awestruck several times at the lovely long dresses and I saw a gorgeous flaxen coat. David had a few really nice dresses that would be nice for the holidays. My favorite was black with a V neckline, knee length, with a full skirt and black bow at the waistline. It was a knock-out classy dress!

I didn’t take very many pictures. We were mostly just walking around observing everything. It was a very busy event with a lot of people visiting. It was fun to see how many people are interested in vintage and all the varieties of goods. When I was younger I went to a lot of shows like this but this time it had been a while.

I am still looking for work here and it is frustrating. It is not an easy time to be unemployed or under-employed in America. I have a couple more physical therapy sessions for my foot. In general I am walking around better. I hope you all are enjoying fall and getting ready for Thanksgiving.

Thrifted and Trashed Art – Another Man’s Treasure

November 11, 2015

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These framed pictures and household pieces are a few of the thrifted art items I have in my apartment. I am sure many folks have found wonderful art through scrounging around thrift shops or garage sales. I enjoy finding pieces that stir up some sort of memory I treasure. For me one of these pieces conjures up memories of going to the farmers market in Germany as a child. I always enjoyed going there, and waiting for my mother to buy vegetables and whatever else she needed for our household. At that time we lived in the center of town, not far from the opera house, the ice-skating rink and the cemetery where we took long walks. I also used to run off by myself sometimes (it was safe in Germany then for me to be alone) and go quietly spy on the sculpture artist who had a small cabin workshop at the cemetery. Don’t ask why I always hid from him. Perhaps I should have gone and talked to him, told him I liked watching him work. I was only about eight at the time. Anyway that whole area is a space I like to remember and this picture reminds me of it.

The smaller picture reminds me of the area up near the Met museum where there are street vendors selling art and books. This picture’s surroundings aren’t as full and hectic as NY but all the same that is what it reminds me of. I also think it looks very European, which I always like. There is something about the coloring in the picture that I find comforting. It isn’t raining, but the balance hangs between a possibly rainy day and the possibility of the sun coming out brighter. It evokes emotion, I like that. My mother was just talking to me about how grey Germany could be at times when we lived there. Perhaps that is what I am remembering when I see it.

I thrifted the small black hand-painted tray, as well as the small hand-painted plate that I have hanging on the wall. The plate has writing on it that says it is Royal Adams Titian Ware made in England. It also says The Wynbrook, established in 1857. Its cheerful colors have lightened up my room for years and I really enjoy seeing them. Both of these pieces have a lovely, European look and they are delicate little antiques that I treasure.

The Gauguin type painting I found in the street and immediately picked up and carted home years ago. It must have been some college student’s class project and they didn’t want it anymore. I think it is great and I really enjoy it hanging in my living room.

The sculpture I made from fallen wood and little tree cones and moss. These pieces of nature’s fallen parts all came from where my cats that I had years ago are buried. I wanted to take something from nature to remember them by. They are buried deep in the forest up in the mountains in Colorado. I will miss them forever, so this is my memory piece to have near me.

My daughter Emily has been creating a lot of photos of “Trashed Art.” She is making use of the natural environment and opening her vision to the possibilities. These three photos are from her latest collection of photos called “Trashed.”

http://www.hellogoodbyelofi.com/mnamombj0e8ktlpypwrhciii7qww5h

It all comes down to “one man’s junk is another man’s treasure.” The trash in the street is only trash as long as you intend to see it only that way. There is something wonderful to the concept of waba-sabi. In the book Waba-Sabi for Artists, Designers, Poets & Philosophers, the waba-sabi state of mind is described as “acceptance of the inevitable. Waba-sabi is an aesthetic appreciation of the evanescence of life. The luxuriant tree of summer is now only branches under a winter sky. All that remains of a splendid mansion is a crumbled foundation overgrown with weeds and moss. Waba-sabi images force us to contemplate our own mortality, and they evoke an existential loneliness and tender sadness. They also stir a mingled bittersweet comfort, since we know all existence shares the same fate.” (1) Emily has embraced waba-sabi in her photographs. That is a great thing since not everything is as it seems originally. Looking deeper is often a gift.