Manzo Dakota 
“Hello World” is a long-standing sample phrase that people learning computer programming languages will output in their first exercises with writing code. It’s also a default initial blog post that comes with any WordPress installation … and while 99.9% of the time it just gets deleted, I thought this picture of the raccoon looking directly … Read more
I have a habit of seeing things out in the world and imagining them as art in a different context. Today I was walking through a neighborhood in Belleville NJ, and saw these dirty, old and torn sofa cushions placed on the curbside for garbage pick-up. I can’t say I’m out looking at living room … Read more
It’s summertime, how about finding some creativity with a watermelon? I sliced open this watermelon, and it seemed like I had a face smiling at me. I have to admit, I gave a little tweak to the suggested “eyes” above, and you can see my original photo, below left. But in addition to a face … Read more
I don’t remember the exact year, maybe it was 1979 or 1980, and I was still in grade school. There was a kid in my class who was a year older (we were in an “Open Program” class, with multiple grades), and one day he asked me if I would be interested in collecting beer … Read more
I was in Hastings-on-Hudson NY back in June, for the “2023 RiverArts Music Tour,” and in-between a few performances, I made my way around town into various shops and an art gallery. In one antique store, I found this clown painting by Homer Costello, and found it interesting that the tag referenced him as a … Read more
I was visiting the Albany Institute of History and Art recently when I happened upon this piece in the section of ancient Egyptian art. At first it didn’t seem like anything special, a stone fragment with some hieroglyphics carved into it, but then I read the descriptive label, and was intrigued. It’s a “Cippus of … Read more
As I was exploring Hastings-on-Hudson over the weekend, I saw this colorful desk in the store window at “Suburban Renewal,” an antiques store on Main Street. It’s clearly sized for little kids, and the Mondrian design and color scheme seems perfect to inspire young artists, don’t you think? My kids are grown now, so I … Read more
I always find it interesting to see what people like to showcase as their background while doing Zoom interviews for news programs. There’s often a strategy involved to include some sort of art that makes a statement about the person being interviewed. I’ve seen all kinds of different things, but recently was the first time … Read more
When I first noticed this covered hand saw at my aunt’s cabin in Santa Fe, the image of the shark perfectly lined up as an extension of the handle struck me as fantastic graphic design. Wouldn’t it be fun to have a fierce shark ready to bite that you could carry around? Below is the … Read more
I was hiking recently in Harriman State Park when I noticed this flattened can of Bud Light. Of course the logical response is that it’s unfortunate that someone littered in the park, but I also made one of my art history associations when I saw it. I used to work at an art gallery where … Read more