A gift from my thoughtful husband this year was a pair of tickets to see Georgia O'Keeffe at the NY Botanical Gardens in the Bronx. We spent a magical time together in one of the best weather days of the summer. And I got much needed inspiration for my own life as an artist.
We began with a stop on Arthur Avenue for an Italian dinner. That made me nervous since we are talking about traditional Italians here, kind of like Sonny's of Hopewell Junction. Gluten Free or other crazy American nonsense served here? Not likely. But a lovely dinner for me was possible, and it was discovered at Gerbasi, a lucky choice for us on the traditional avenue. We dined in an outdoor patio with Godfather music filling the cool night air and it felt like we were transported not to the Bronx, but to Italy. My dinner was amazing, my date with Norman, lovely, and the waiter absolutely happy to put together a V/GF meal of my choice. Smart man. A happy customer means a returning customer bringing more friends to try out his Italian delights.
The O'Keeffe exhibition in the Gardens was just as perfect. It was a small collection of her flowers and landscapes to fill my soul with art, especially after warming up during the day painting at my own easel.
The Gardens surprised me at first since we did not see a single flower. We walked along a path looking at pretty green lawns, cool origami street lamps, rocky formations, and well groomed trees. This part of the Garden looked more like a public park than a place to pay to enter. After walking around the exhibit in the library, we stopped to listen to Hawaiian music and I even joined in a hula dance lesson on a great lawn. Imagine me dancing? Not in my wildest dreams, but I did swirl my hips!
The Hawaiian theme continued in a conservatory with brilliant flowers typical of a tropical island. They really did a great job of transporting everyone into the world that inspired Georgia. And it will inspire me to face my easel again with renewed spirit and gusto. Andrea might just question the Hawaiian flowers I am inclined to add to her sweet Maggie's portrait!
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