Go West Project - Richard

After Wading Through Traffic a Cool Evening Emerged

Kim West

Four months ago, Mad Whip and I stumbled upon Kim West

with her paint roller

completing her mural There Were No Survivors on the exterior wall

of the soon to be opened Hauser Wirth Schimmel Gallery.

Go West Project was ignited

and has been sparking magic ever since.

Today we went to the gallery to hear Kim give the inaugural talk in a series of lectures.

Her murals are bright, inviting, pretty, and yet they struck a deep cord within me. 

Today I understood why I had subliminally connected with her work.

Themes of migration, nature, the loss of loved ones and freedom deeply motivates her images.

She is as lovely, accessible and evocative as her paintings.

Mother and Daughter

Several of my friends have pre-teen daughters.

Seeing these little girls on the cusp of womanhood is quite amazng.

RIP Bill Cunningham

The original street photographer.

You've been an inspiration to many of us

as we schlep our cameras down city streets in search of the perfect subject.

Your authentic creative vision is in part due to your eccentricities and humility.

You will be missed.

Go West Project - Finn & Laura

Finn would rather be at home, swimming

than with his mother and sister Laura at the farmers market.

His head is hot under the hat, even though his mother told him it will keep him cool.

He sister is bothering  him, but if they don't fight

he can have ice cream after lunch.

Laura wishes her brother stayed home, and she could have her mother all to her self.

Cousins

Go West Project - Marcia

Marcia is a Brooklyn girl who went to James Madison High School

with Ruth Bader Ginsberg.

They occasionally still correspond.

Like many in the 1950s, she left the city with a husband and child in tow
for the suburbs of NJ .

They set down roots in the same development as my parents,

and a friendship that spanned a lifetime was established.

Her family grew, four boys in all, permeating her household with male energy.

She was outnumbered.

At holiday gatherings, and summer cook outs she sought refuge in her friends' daughters, 

longing for soulful conversation. 

Ultimately, her sons gave her daughters, and balance was restored.

Ava with Selfie Stick

A Connection Deeper Than Friendship

<3 <3 <3

And So It Begins

He has drawn back, only in order to have enough room for his leap.

Friedrich Nietzsche

Celebrations

I'm a big proponent of celebrating milestones.

My mother was slow to commit to an 85th birthday party,

but once she did the list kept growing, and her excitement shifted into high gear.

Throwing a party for her was the perfect gift

since the love of entertaining is a present she gave me.

Growing up, occasions were marked by dinner parties and backyard BBQs 

with family and friends devouring my mother's food.

Four days prior to my mother's birthday, I arrived in NJ to prep for the celebration.

Side by side, we shopped, chopped, cooked, and rearranged furniture.

The neighbors got involved lending folding chairs, a kitchen aid mixer, and refrigerator space.

Their calls were steady asking if we needed anything else.

We laughed, sang to Sinatra and Dinah Shore and kept crossing off items on my to-do list.

After long days in the kitchen I was much more exhausted than she was.
How is that possible?

The day arrived, sunny and warm.

The guests were prompt flooding into the house with birthday wishes and hugs.  

Many of my mother's friends are from my childhood, 

and it was a highlight for me to spend an afternoon in their company.

Not surprisingly, we had too much food, and could have fed another 40 mouths.

Doggie bags are the new gift bags.

Happy 85th Birthday Mom!
I love you!

Looking forward to your 100th extravaganza.