“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.” – Mark Twain

Had a very nice week spent in New York to restore and rejuvenate. Main reason to go to the big apple was to attend a wedding. It’s so special to see two lovely people share their love with family and friends. The after party was a hoot too. Good food. Good drinks. Good folk to talk with.

After the wedding we did a bit of touring. Pretty much used all forms of transportation on this trip. Planes, trains, cars and best of all, my two legs. Lots of walking everyday in the city made it very easy to meet and surpass my daily goal of 10,000 steps.

Visited the American Natural History Museum to explore. Lots to like but my favorite was watching the film Dark Universe at the Hayden Planetarium. Entering into the immersive environment we were entertained with state of the art technology to communicate cutting edge science. It was beautifully narrated Neil deGrasse Tyson. Highly recommended.

We also visited the Whitney Museum of American Art. The exhibition An Incomplete History of Protest, 1940-2017. definitely made the biggest impact on me.

Through the lens of the Whitney’s collection, An Incomplete History of Protest looks at how artists from the 1940s to the present have confronted the political and social issues of their day. Whether making art as a form of activism, criticism, instruction, or inspiration, the featured artists see their work as essential to challenging established thought and creating a more equitable culture. Many have sought immediate change, such as ending the war in Vietnam or combating the AIDS crisis. Others have engaged with protest more indirectly, with the long term in mind, hoping to create new ways of imagining society and citizenship.

Definitely remains relevant today. I recommend it to both the NFL players who take a knee in protest against injustice and the team owners who today lack moral courage when confronted by a paper mâché bully. This is America its good to see that over the long time of history we can change for the better. I keep the faith.

Ithaca

We also took a long drive past the Catskill mountains to the Finger Lakes region. Spent a couple of days in Ithaca, walked the banks along the Cayuga Lake and visited the Cornel Institute of Ornithology.

Discovered the great American illustrator Charley Harper and fell in love with his bird illustrations. Got a Charley Harper Sketchbook: How to Draw 28 Birds to practice making illustrations in his style. Made a cardinal in Sketch and look forward to drawing orioles, owls and a brown pelican.

I'll finish up this post now with my version of a Charley Harper's cardinal. Hope you enjoy.

[cms:asset 13 title="Cardinal"]