Shoot...I need to take a step back from our arrival in the city!

I missed one last set of Woodstock pictures which bear posting. My mum had a few friends over to visit with the Q before we left, and one of those friends was a fellow Woodstock artist and one of my mother's teachers, Zhang HongNian.HongNian is a Chinese American artist, born in Nanjing, China (the city, as it happens, where we met and adopted Q).
I am just going to post his entire bio here, because it's fascinating, and because he is one of the artists I most respect in today's art world:

HongNian Zhang is an internationally known Chinese American artist who works in the Western academic tradition. His paintings are in private, corporate and museum collections in America, Europe and Asia. His work was included in Sotheby's first American auction of Chinese contemporary art, held in New York City in March 2006.

Born in Nanjing, China, Zhang's artistic training began at age nine. At fourteen he was the top student accepted to the Central Art Academy Affiliated High School in Beijing, China. After graduation, the Cultural Revolution shut down the schools and Zhang was sent with his class to the remote countryside for four years of forced labor. Upon returning to Beijing in 1973, he became the youngest artist employed by the Beijing Art Academy, and in 1979 the youngest member ever elected to the All China Artists Association. As leader of the "Scar" art period, an important artistic movement in China exposing the painful memories of the Cultural Revolution, three of Zhang's paintings were acquired for the Chinese National Art Gallery's permanent collection. In 1984, he was accepted to the highly selective MFA program at the Central Art Academy.

In 1985, Zhang came to the United States to continue his study in art. Represented by New York'sGrand Central Gallery, Zhang was in their acclaimed 1986 show, Realism from China, the first exhibit to introduce Chinese oil painting to the Western world.

After moving to Woodstock, New York in 1991, Zhang continued working in the realism tradition, yet expanding his subjects from Tibetan to a wide range that include Chinese and American historical paintings, and contemporary American subjects. He taught for several years in the graduate program of the New York Academy, and at the Woodstock School of Art. His works have appeared in many publications, including National Geographic, Fine Art Connoisseur, and Artist magazines. National Geographic Society acquired four of his Chinese historical paintings for their permanent collection. Zhang and his wife, Lois Woolley, co-wrote The Yin Yang of Painting, which presents his unique artistic approach and style for oil painting.
HongNian's paintings are breathtaking, intricately historical, lyrical, and he paints with a technique in which (I simplify greatly) he uses only two complimentary colors, mixed in varying proportions, in order to evoke a full range of eloquent and lifelike color combinations.
Can you imagine painting any of these works using only two colors?
Bio and images from the website of Zhang HongNian.

I find it fascinating also because, while studying architectural and interior rendering at the NYSID, I was trained in a similar technique although with a significantly different sort of application. I remember drills where we had to mix two complimentary colors time and time again in minutely different proportions in order to come up with a broad spectrum of shades and effects. I actually came to really love the exercise, even though our teacher was relentless and unforgiving, and the work rigorous.

So...that's HongNian, and I am so very glad that Q has had the opportunity to get to know such a superb artist and lovely human being, from her very own region of China, no less.
On the same evening, Q made friends with the son of a friend of my mother's who also works at the Woodstock School of Art.
Though they were a bit shy at first, it turned out that he and Q had something in common: a love of snakes. Those of you who have been with the blog for a while may remember that on our previous visit to NY, Q was allowed to pick one thing from the massive FAO Schwarz toystore in Manhattan, and she chose....a bag of plastic snakes. We left that bag at my mum's house in Woodstock so that she could rediscover it on our next visit. As it turned out, that was an excellent decision, because the snakes turned out to be the perfect icebreaker between Q and her new friend.

He was thrilled with Q's snake collection, and went on to recite all their names to us as she revealed them.
In return, Q gifted him with one of her precious (VERY precious) balloons.
It was a lovely evening all around, rife with new friends and fresh camaraderie.
I hope we'll all be able to visit again next time we're on the East Coast!

I just thought of another interpretation for today's "repurposed" Corner View, and couldn't resist: Q's necklace made from Cheerios.

Corner View: RepurposedWe have several repurposed things in our home...the most recent of which are these two antique type drawers which my husband's parents gave us when they moved. As we have both been in the journalism trade on and off throughout our careers, typeface drawers have a special place in our hearts. The vintage wooden letterpress print blocks, btw, were an earlier find, which spell out my name, my husband's, and our daughter's.
I got this vintage schoolroom desk at a yard sale for $10 when we first bought our house. We were out on a cruiser ride around the neighborhood at the time, and I was so excited at the find that we had to race home, get the car and some cash, and race back so as not to lose it. It has proved to be a perfect arts and crafts desk for the Q.
I was looking for wooden crates, to hold Q's toys and books, at the antique mart when I came across this Hong Kong-labeled shipping crate. Couldn't resist.

For more "repurposed" finds from around the world, visit Jane at Spain Daily.

“You have enemies? Good. That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.”

- Winston Churchill

On our last day upstate, we decided to take the train that runs down the Hudson to New York City. It's a ride full of gorgeous river views, and if you take the express from Rhinecliff instead of the commuter from Poughkeepsie, it's a quiet, peaceful way to travel.
The Rhinecliff station holds many memories for me from my days in the city, when I would often come up of a weekend to visit my mother and get some country air.
This would be Q's first experience with train travel, and we were looking forward to introducing her.
I love trains...everything about them. I actually wish I could ride around on trains all the time.
There's something very meditative about the time spent on a train.
It's a good time to reflect, get a fresh perspective on life, take a look at the bigger picture, work things out in your head.
Q seemed to enjoy it too...until she fell asleep, which didn't take very long.


Readying for arrival.
We stayed this time at the Bentley Hotel, in the mid 60s on York, right by the Roosevelt Island tram. This was a new hotel for us, and I have to say it was pretty fabulous. They advertise a spectacular view from nearly every room in the hotel, and they're not kidding. But that doesn't even begin to describe the fabulousness of the rooftop bar...holy cow! But that's for another post.

We were upgraded to a suite, which is nice when you have a toddler. The pillows and duvets were divine - I don't think I've slept so well in months. And the location was perfect.


As you can see, Q settled right in. If she had a thought bubble, it would read: "Yup....yup....I could get used to this!"

My wild, wild child.

I'm overdue for introducing one of my very favorite clothing lines, Loup Charmant, out of Brooklyn:
How do I love Loup Charmant? Let me count the ways.

As you may have noticed, I love white. Loup Charmant works with a monochromatic color palette consisting almost entirely of white...up until this spring, that is, when they release a few pieces in translucent black, which I love very nearly as much.

Loup Charmant is an exclusive and narrow line, offering only a few very lovely and rare pieces, beautifully-designed and exquisitely-crafted. The simplicity of the pieces relies on the perfection of each individual design, all executed in fine organic cotton.

Each piece is limited, so get your favorite quickly before it's sold out.
A shot from Vogue Italia featuring Loup Charmant's superb bloomers, of which I am a huge fan. Photographed by Steven Meisel, styled by Karl Templar. Desirability factor: very high!
I recently became the proud owner of two LC pieces, an ethereal blouse, and a pair of the much-coveted bloomers. I have a feeling I will also be ordering a piece in black from the spring line this coming season. Here in Colorado, the snow is still falling...but I am dreaming of barefoot spring and its gentle breezes. Ah, sigh, lovely.

This is Poet's Walk, one of the gems of the Hudson River Valley, set along the banks of the river just outside of the town of Rhinebeck. Protected by the Scenic Hudson Land Trust, Poet's walk is one of the few large-scale areas of public access along the visually stunning banks of the Hudson. Once a part of Rokeby, one of the area's many private estates, Poet's walk is now open to the public, providing access to 120 acres of field and forest adjacent to the Rokeby estate. Spanning wide open meadows, deep thickets of forest, and stunningly expansive views once you reach the banks of the river, the "walk" was originally the product of landscape architect Hans Jacob Ehler's vision for the property in 1849 .

A few interesting details from the long and storied history of the property (Source: NY-NJ-CT Botany Online):

War of 1812 -- General John Armstrong, former ambassador to France and secretary of war, compelled to retire after the British burn the nation's Capitol.

1813 -- Build Rokeby. At first the estate was known as La Bergerie (the Sheepfold); later changed to Rokeby by Armstrong's daughter Margaret after she was inspired by a Sir Walter Scott poem. General Armstrong pastured Merino sheep here, a gift from Napoleon, hoping to improve American wool production.

1836 -- Rokeby became the country home of Margaret Rebecca Armstrong (daughter of John Armstrong) and her husband William Astor, then the richest man in America. 1843 -- General Armstrong dies.

Later, the Chanlors (mostly Astor descendants) took over Rokeby. (Randal 1995:165)

1844 -- General Armstrong's granddaughter, Laura Astor, was given the southern-most 100 acres of Rokeby upon her marriage to Frank H. Delano (whose grand nephew was Franklin Delano Roosevelt). The Delanos built a Tuscan Villa style home known as Steen Valetje (Dutch for Stony Creek). The estate was enlarged to 550 acres. It was the Delano family seat until 1967. The Delanos raised prized Norwegian ponies and Aberdeen Angus here.

1849 -- German born landscape gardener Hans Jacob Ehlers was employed by the Delanos and Astors to improve the grounds at Rokeby and Steen Valetje. Ehlers constructed a sylvan path called the Poet's Walk in honor of poets Washington Irving and Fitz-Green Halleck who are said to have strolled there.

It is now one of the great joys of living in the vicinity.
Rolling hills stepping slowly down to the wide, flat expanse of the river made perfect territory for pulling Q on her sled.
The views here are so breathtaking that it's difficult to resist stopping every hundred yards or so for a photo op.



The cold temperatures did nothing to dispel the beauty of the vistas, or our pleasure in the wandering. In fact, they only served to diminish the number of people heading out in search of a brisk walk...so we had the area largely to ourselves.
Can you just picture something out of Pride and Prejudice? That's the estate that originally owned this land, before recent owners donated it to the land trust.
Artfully-placed seating.

It's supposed to snow tomorrow......but it's too late. I've smelled spring. I've tasted the slight damp earthy scent in the air. I've seen the fur growing on the buds that will be the first of the flowering trees. Spring is on it's way, and I can wait.

I found this image via Odette et Fernande, and realized this is my perfect spring look, head to toe. That, and in my next life I'd like to be a redhead, please ;)