Naval and Military Park : 2026-08

I had heard about the Buffalo and Eire County Naval & Military Park so I thought I'd walk down there. It ended up being more for then exercise of walking there, than for the park itself. I didn't visit the ships because I didn't have the time, so my experience is limited to the static displays. They were in poor repair, but I took some shots anyway. Above left is an F-101 Voodoo or "One 'o Wonderful", tail number 80338. I took this picture because I don't see them that much. On the right is an FJ-4B Fury - even more rare to me - and I liked the bird on the side. It's a variant of the F-86 Sabre which is a classic in my mind. It might be worth a visit, and if you're into ships and subs, I'm sure the tours would add to the experience.

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MoMA : 2026-07

Finally made it to the MoMA in NYC thanks to some time between LaGuardia flights. It was great to see and a nice walk from the hotel. Similar to my other posts, I've included some images of things that caught my eye. There may or my not be specific comments. Above is a shot of the front of MoMA - a little different than many museums as it's another building in a row of buildings. Unlike a standalone museum, you could almost walk right buy. There was a line, but it moved pretty quickly. It was a security line. I don't think I waited at all to buy a ticket.

L: TOMMA ABTS, Uphe, 2011, acrylic and oil on canvas.

C: MARWAN, The Cross, 1966, oil on canvas.

R: ROBERT MOTHERWELL, Personage, with Yellow Ochre & White, 1947, oil on canvas.

Comments: I liked the simplicity and size of Uphe. it had its own wall in the MoMA which I thought was appropriate. I think the colors really spoke to me, too. The Cross was a face-rendering study for me (of sorts). The boldness and colors of Personage struck me and I'm always impressed when you find out a painting like this is almost 80 years old.

L: PHILIP GUSTON, Edge of Town, 1969, oil on canvas.

R: JOSEPH STELLA, First Light, c. 1928, oil on canvas.

Comments: I took a shot of Edge of Town mainly because I keep seeing Guston's work but also because it's starting to grow on me. First Light - to me - is simplistic elegance. He nailed it.

L: YOKO ONO, Sky Machine, 1961/66, stainless steel.

C: FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT, Broadacre City, 1934-35, painted wood, cardboard & paper.

R: MAX ERNST, Bird-Head, 1934-35, bronze.

Comments: I took the picture of Sky Machine because it's an Ono. When's the last time you've seen a work by Yoko Ono? Broadacre City - it's a Wright and he's impressive. The Ernst is similar to Guston. I keep seeing his work and it keeps growing on me.

L: EDWARD HOPPER, Gas, 1940, oil on canvas.

R: PIET MONDRIAN, Tableau no. 2 / Composition no. V, 1914, oil on canvas.

Comments: I took the Hopper shot because it's Hopper. Of course he did Nighthawks, but his use of contrast and light is always worth noting. This Mondrian was a must-take since I'd never seen this style or colors in his work.

L: CLYFFORD STILL, 1951-T No. 3, 1951, oil on canvas.

C: MARK ROTHKO, No. 37/No. 19 (Slate Blue and Brown on Plum), 1958, oil on canvas.

R: Robert Rauschenberg, Canyon, 1959.

Comments: I'd seen Still's work before and something about it always gets my attention. It would be cool to be the "first" with a certain look/style. The Rothko is captured because he would also be one I consider a "first". I think he captures feelings well and his color blends are always spot on. I do not particularly appreciate his titles, but I'm a title miser. The Rauschenberg is here just to remind us that art is in the eye of the beholder. He's famous for his "combines", which arguably are combines of junk. He knows that but was 'pushing the limits'. One of his most famous pieces was Erased de Kooning Drawing, which I saw in SFMOMA and isn't for sale but estimates are in the tens of millions.

L: PABLO PICASSO, The Kitchen, Paris, November 1948, oil on canvas.

R: JACKSON POLLOCK, Landscape with Steer, c. 1936–37 Lithograph

Comments: I snapped both of these because I thought them somewhat atypical for the artists. Maybe no so much with The Kitchen, but I'd certainly say so for the Pollock. That's caveated with atypical of what he's known for.

L: PABLO PICASSO, Woman Dressing Her Hair, June 1940, oil on canvas.

C: MARK ROTHKO, Slow Swirl at the Edge of the Sea, 1944, oil on canvas.

R: SLAVADOR DALI, The Little Theater, 1934, wood and glass, painted.

Comments: I liked this Picasso because it seems to be 'between' his realistic figures and his cubist figures - sort of rounded or softened cubes. The Rothko is what I would call atypical for his work so I wanted to capture it. The Dali? It's a Dali and might have been the only one they have.

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Okay...the next two are "finally saw them" paintings - and they were right next to each other! What a cool moment! I've made them a bit larger in format because of the impact they had on me...

EDWARD HOPPER, House by the Railroad, 1925, oil on canvas.

Comments: So, while Gas (shown earlier) is iconic in its own right, this painting takes the cake for me. It's such classic Hopper. It's simplicity is not simple. The details he uses and the contrasting light are perfectly applied. That said, art is in the eye of the beholder, right? This might not capture your interest at all.

ANDREW WYETH, Christina's World, 1948, tempura on panel

Comments: I can't add significant comments. I was just happy to see it in person.

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R: UMBERTO BOCCIONI, Dynamism of a Soccer Player, 1913, oil on canvas.

C: GUSTAV KLIMT, Hope, II, 1907-08, oil, gold and platinum on canvas.

L: PABLO PICASSO, Bather, 1908-09, oil on canvas.

Comments: I thought the colors and motion of Boccioni's piece were very well done - great title for this work, too. Pretty great painting for 1913. Boccioni only made it to 33 years of age. I could have added the Klimt to "finally saw" but it wasn't particularly on my agenda. Nonetheless, seeing a Klimt is great and it's cool to see a painting so similar to The Kiss without being aware of it. I think I took a picture of the Picasso because it seemed to show a little more emotion that some of his cubist work and it seemed like another transition piece.

L: GUSTAV KLIMT, The Park, 1910 or earlier, oil on canvas.

R: PABLO PICASSO, Three Musicians, summer 1921, oil on canvas.

Comments: Another Klimt and a great surprise. I thought this was an excellent painting - primarily how he minimized the space seen through the trees. Just a hint in the lower corner to allow the painting to take form. Great concept. The Three Musicians was a 'must take' for a couple of reasons. First, I'd say it's famous and I've been lucky enough to see it. Second, I saw the other in Philadelphia just eight months prior. Both were painted in the summer of 1921 and exemplify the Synthetic Cubist style.

VINCENT VAN GOGH, The Olive Trees Saint Rémy, June-July 1889 Oil on canvas.

Comments: Just to the right of this painting was The Starry Night and was surrounded by people. I had seen it - it was great to see again - but I thought this painting was just as impressive but surprisingly unappreciated by the crowds. Van Gogh painted at least 15 versions of olive trees. he was fascinated by their movement and ever change color and shape. He was, by the way, living in an asylum at the time of this painting...but at his own request.

The ticket - of course. If you're in the area, the MoMA is a must see!

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Friends - Family - Flying : 2026-07

I had some days off which were aligned with a planned get-together of some friends in Oshkosh. Fortunately, another friend let me use his A36 so I could fly direct. Yeah, it's a lot of flying for a short visit but that's not a good reason to miss seeing people I hadn't seen in years. People that are important to me. It ended up being a fantastic trip! Saw the friends, saw Oshkosh (only my second time) during America's 250th year, met my brother on the return flight and played my first pickleball. Even the temperatures were great in Wisconsin.

The group of us in front of a well-painted F-15. I repeated the picture (above right)

because it was the only picture I took the entire weekend. That's pretty lame.

A guy in the picture filmed the 250 fireworks in DC and it's on YouTube.

On the flight out, I stopped at Arthur N. Neu Airport in Carroll, Iowa. I didn't take any pictures, but there was an A-7 on display (above left), the weather was really great - overcast and in high 60s. There were even some Air Tractors flying around. I landed in KFLD in Fond du Lac for the stay which was much simpler than landing KOSH. On the way back, I dropped into Eppley Field (KOMA) in Omaha. I had a great lunch with my brother even though the heat was quite miserable. I'm so glad I went instead of taking the lazy road of not travelling to visit.

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Buffalo AKG Art Museum : 2026-05

I had enough time on a layover to visit the Buffalo AKG Art Museum. It is named for John J. Albright, Seymour H. Knox, Jr., and Jeffrey E. Gundlach. Great building and campus and great collection with rotating exhibits in nice open rooms. It also has an easy flow where you don't have to do backtracking and/or wondering if you missed something. I appreciate that. Here are some things that I wanted to capture.

(L) YAYOI KUSAMA, Pumpkin, 2016, fiberglass with acrylic enamel coating

(C) YAYOI KUSAMA, Infinity Mirrored Room, 2018

(R) EAMON ORE-GIRON, Talking Shit with Illapa (variation 1), 2023, mineral paint on canvas

I took pics of the Kusama work because it was the special exhibit and the pumpkin is arguably famous. The photo of Ore-Giron's piece was more for reference for something I was working on at the time.

(L) JOSE DELGADO ZUNIGA, Phoenix, 2023, oil on linen

(C) ALBERTO RAY, Aesthetics of Death Series: VIII, 2007-08, oil, resin, glue on wood

(R) GARY SIMMONS, D.C. Pavilion, 2007, paint and wax on canvas

Good colors/birds, good fish, good motion.

(L) ED CLARK, Untitled (New York Series), 1991, acrylic on canvas

(C) PER KIRKEBY, Jul 1 - Vinterbillede - Læsø, 1984-1985, oil on canvas

(R) PHILIP GUSTON, Multiplied, 1972, oil on canvas

I took the picture of Clark's painting mainly for reference for a project. The abstract style of Kirkeby's picture was interesting. The Guston was taken because I'd seen his work in San Francisco.

(L) SUSAN ROTHENBERG, Two-Tone, 1976, acrylic and tempera on canvas

(C) PABLO PICASSO, Baigneuse jouante (Female Bather Playing), 1958, bronze

(R) MARK ROTHKO, Orange and Yellow, 1956, oil on canvas

I thought the simplicity of Two-Tone was great, I haven't seen many Picasso sculptures, and a Rothko is always interesting to see.

(L) ROY LICHTENSTEIN, Head-Red and Yellow, 1962, oil on canvas.

(C) ANDY WARHOL, 100 Cans, 1962, casein, spray paint, and pencil on cotton

(R) JACKSON POLLOCK, Convergence, 1952, oil on canvas

I like Lichtenstein's work and like it even more after I learned they're painted by hand...not screened. I'd seen other soup cans by Warhol, but hadn't seen this one. I took the Pollock as a reminder that I saw it.

(L) FRANZ KLINE, New York, N.Y., 1953, oil on canvas

(R) ELLSWORTH KELLY,  New York, NY, 1957, oil on canvas

I like some of Kline and Kelly's work, but I thought a comparison of two New York works was cool.

(L) PIET MONDRIAN, Composition No 11, 1953, oil on canvas

(C) FRANCIS BACON, Man with Dog, 1953, oil on canvas 

(R) WILLEM DE KOONING, Gotham News, 1955, oil, enamel, charcoal, newspaper on canvas

I took a pic of the Mondrian because they are what they are. The full title is "Composition No. 11, 1940-42--LONDON, with Blue, Red and Yellow, 1940-1942". I like the rawness of Bacon's work and this painting was a great example. His unsettling images might have been reinforced by his environment - here's a picture of his studio. It's good to see a de Kooning painting. He supposedly had a significant impact on Kline's later work.

(L) ARSHILE GORKY, The Liver is the Cock's Comb, 1944, oil on canvas

(C) ELAINE DE KOONING, Scrimmage, 1953, oil on canvas

(R) CLYFFORD STILL, PH-110 (1949-C), 1949, oil on canvas

I thought the Gorky was unique in its own way. Scrimmage shows good energy with low-level detail and I don't think I'd seen something from Mrs de Kooning. There were several Still works but I thought this one was more unique because of it's lack of other colors.

(L) MILTON AVERY, Bucolic Landscape, 1945, oil on canvas

(C) EDGAR DEGAS, Self Portrait, ca. 1854-55, oil on canvas

(R) HONORE DAUMIER, Ratapoil, original plaster cast

I'd seen Avery's work in Portland and like his disregard for some details - I thought this painting was great. I don't think I'd seen a self portrait of Degas - ever. There was also a bronze study in the nude for the Dressed Ballet Dancer (aka Little Dancer of Fourteen Years). The details (particularly of the face) of Ratapoil were terrific. A bronze one from this case is in the Musée d'Orsay.

(L) AUGUSTE RODIN, L'Age d'Airain (Age of Bronze), 1875-76, bronze

(C) WINSLOW HOMER, Croquet Players, 1865, oil on canvas

(R) PABLO PICASSO, La Toilette, 1906, oil on canvas

There are a lot of Rodin's Age of Bronze and I think I saw one in either Musée d'Orsay or Musée Rodin in Paris. The Homer is here because I love his work and this one did not disappoint. The Picasso was a good example that he worked in quite a large spectrum. There was a Monet, Chemin de halage à Argenteuil (Towpath at Argenteuil, Winter), but I didn't take a picture.

(L) JOHN SINGER SARGENT, Venetian Bean Stringers, 1880 or 82, oil on canvas

(C) VINCENT VAN GOGH, La Maison de La Crau (the Old Mill), 1888, oil on canvas

(R) GEORGES SEURAT, La nourrice (Nurse), 1884-85, conté crayon on paper

It's a Sargent, and I'm a fan. Even this painting shows a great use of limited light. The van Gogh is here because it's his but also because I'd argue less well-known. The Seurat was fantastic. So simple and in his style. Standing there and looking at it you can feel the emotion and the texture of the crayon on paper was perfect.

(L) MAX ERNST, Époque des forêts (Age of Forests), 1926, oil on canvas

(C) CHAÏM SOUTINE, Carcass of Beef, ca 1925, oil on canvas

(L) SALVADOR DALI, The Transparent Simulacrum of the Feigned Image, 1938, oil on canvas 

I've seen Ernst in Hartford, Philly, San Fran, Boston, Charlotte and now Buffalo. Kind of weird, but I like his work more each time. I liked this one quite a bit. I thought the boldness of Carcass of Beef was perfect for the subject. It's a Dali. I don't think I'll ever be disappointed seeing a Dali in person. Below left is La voix des airs (The Voice of Space), 1928, oil on canvas, by RENÉ MAGRITTE. There are four versions of this in oil. The most famous is in Venice and this is the other publicly displayed one. Magritte painted the man and apple which you might recognize, The Son of Man. I think it's great. Below right is Nude Figure, late spring 1910, by Picasso. Classic Picasso.

If you get a chance to visit this museum, it's a go-see!

There are several paintings I didn't capture mainly because of time.

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