new jersey

When You Are With The Right Person, Every Day Is Valentine’s Day!

February 14, 2017 — 24 Comments

Happy Valentine’s Day!

mallard-love

F/9.0, 1/320, ISO 100.

Mallard

Girl: “I can’t be your valentine for medical reasons.”

Boy: “Really?”

Girl: “Yeah, you make me sick!”

Interesting Fact: Numerous early Christian martyrs were named Valentine.[11] The Valentines honored on February 14 are Valentine of Rome (Valentinus presb. m. Romae) and Valentine of Terni (Valentinus ep. Interamnensis m. Romae).[12] Valentine of Rome was a priest in Rome who was martyred in 269 and was added to the calendar of saints by Pope Galesius in 496 and was buried on the Via Flaminia. The relics of Saint Valentine were kept in the Church and Catacombs of San Valentino in Rome, which “remained an important pilgrim site throughout the Middle Ages until the relics of St. Valentine were transferred to the church of Santa Prassede during the pontificate of Nicholas IV“.[13][14] The flower-crowned skull of Saint Valentine is exhibited in the Basilica of Santa Maria in Cosmedin, Rome. Other relics are found at Whitefriar Street Carmelite Church in Dublin, Ireland. ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valentine%27s_Day#History )

Well I Hope The Neighbors Like This Song

February 13, 2017 — 14 Comments

black-capped-chickadee-branch

F/9.0, 1/320, ISO 320, Photoshop CS6.

Black-capped Chickadee

What kind of music are balloons afraid of?

Pop Music.

Interesting Fact: Winter flocks with chickadees serving as the nucleus contain mated chickadee pairs and nonbreeders, but generally not the offspring of the adult pairs within that flock. Other species that associate with chickadee flocks include nuthatches, woodpeckers, kinglets, creepers, warblers and vireos. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Black-capped_Chickadee/lifehistory )

 

I Shall Give You Light!

May 21, 2016 — 2 Comments

Sandy Hook Light

F/9.0, 1/320, ISO 100.

Sandy Hook Light

What’s the difference between a lighthouse keeper and a jeweler?

One watches seas, and the other sees watches.

Interesting Fact: The light was built to aid mariners entering the southern end of the New York Harbor. It was originally called New York Lighthouse because it was funded through a New York Assembly lottery and a tax on all ships entering the Port of New York. The lighthouse has endured an attempt to destroy it as an aid to British navigation by Benjamin Tupper,[5] and a subsequent occupancy of British soldiers during the Revolutionary War.  ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandy_Hook_Light )

And I Ran I Ran So Far Away

August 12, 2015 — 10 Comments

street art

F/4.2, 1/30, ISO 1100.

Day 224 / 365

What did the artist say to the rival?

I Challenge you a doodle!

Interesting Fact:  Artists have challenged art by situating it in non-art contexts. Street artists do not aspire to change the definition of an artwork, but rather to question the existing environment with its own language.[3] The motivations and objectives that drive street artists are as varied as the artists themselves. ‘Street’ artists attempt to have their work communicate with everyday people about socially relevant themes in ways that are informed by esthetic values without being imprisoned by them. There is a strong current of activism and subversion in urban art. Street art can be a powerful platform for reaching the public and a potent form of political expression for the oppressed, or people with little resources to create change.[5] Common variants include adbusting, subvertising and other culture jamming, the abolishment of private property and reclaiming the streets. ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Street_art )

Happy Birthday America!

July 4, 2015 — 10 Comments

statue of liberty 4th july

F/6.3, 1/640, ISO 200, Photoshop CS6.

Day 185 / 365

Why does the Statue of Liberty stand in New York and New Jersey Harbor?

Because she can’t sit down.

Interesting Fact: Congress declared July 4th as an official holiday in 1870 as part of a bill to officially recognize other holidays, Christmas being one of them. ( http://list25.com/25-fun-facts-about-4th-of-july-that-will-make-you-want-to-celebrate/2/ )

Let’s Make Life More Colorful!

July 2, 2015 — 6 Comments

Graffiti 1

F/4.2, 1/60, ISO 800.

Day 183 / 365

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, yet the guy at the gallery wouldn’t trade me that painting for my newspaper.

DEMOLITION EXHIBITION : 100 Artists, 30,000 Square Ft of Graffiti, 12:00pm to 8:00pm Till July 4.

410 Marin Blvd, Jersey City, NJ 07302

Interesting Fact: The Longest Graffiti Scroll was created in Pakistan on the 3rd March 2012 and it measured 1,924 metres in length, and took 274 people to complete. This is an official record and can be found in the Guinness World Record .

Keep The Art Alive!

July 1, 2015 — 16 Comments

Demolition Exhibition

F/3.5, 1/250, ISO 100.

Day 182 / 365

The best way to tell if a modern painting is finished is to touch it. If the paint is dry, it is.

DEMOLITION EXHIBITION : 100 Artists, 30,000 Square Ft of Graffiti, 12:00pm to 8:00pm Till July 4.

410 Marin Blvd, Jersey City, NJ 07302

Interesting Fact: Green Villain is a small group of social entrepreneurs and creatives that in the past few years have developed a diverse portfolio of projects and partnerships. Our regional mural program encompasses 22 sites across Jersey City, New York City, Brooklyn and Paterson and is accessible to the world through Google’s Cultural Institute. Monthly party and vinyl imprint, Green Village, is the by product of 5 years of producing DIY parties around the greater North East.  In addition to our creative ventures, we offer expertise in event production, creative consulting and project management. Our primary focus is build brand recognition by balancing between an artistic vision and serviceable platform. ( http://www.g.reenvillain.com/about/ )

Hidden Artwork!

February 27, 2015 — 9 Comments

graffiti

F/4.0, 1/60, ISO 800.

Day 58 /365

I came across one of the PAWN Art Work.  Pawn is a muralist residing in Jersey City that specializes in freehand aerosol graffiti and street art themed work. For nearly 15 years, Pawn has been mastering his craft. Pursuing his passion to leave behind a body of work that the public can freely view, enjoy, and gain inspiration from.  ( http://www.pawnmd.com )

Interesting Fact: The word graffiti comes from the Greek word ‘graphein’ which means ‘to write’. Graffiti was first found on ancient Roman architecture, although back in them days there was no such thing as spray paint, they calved images out on walls. ( http://www.thefactsite.com/2009/10/facts-about-graffiti.html )

 

Red-bellied Woodpecker

March 7, 2014 — 2 Comments

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Came across this little guy in Paterson, NJ.

Interesting Fact: The red-bellied woodpecker often creates “caches” of  food by drumming rows upon rows of small holes and wedging a single nut or seed  into each one.

300mm lens, F/8.0, 1/1000, with ISO 800