Chic Cheer

(Verner) Panton chair and flower pot lamps.

Wish for the road to be long. It’s the journey that’s sweet.  Here’s a blog post where I’m going to indulge the cliché, it’s the journey, because I recently returned from a trip that was so much about that. When I create a mural I usually travel to the installation location for supervising, touching up, and a good bit of nervously standing around hoping everything will go alright. More about the mural in another post, now let’s get to some of the journey.

New London to Orient Pt. to Shelter Island, between the forks. Sunset Beach circled in red.

Top: ferry landing, Shelter Island. Bottom: from the car on the ferry.

Mural installed, check, now back to NYC to catch a plane early a.m. the next day. This particular project is in Connecticut and before I left I discovered the cross sound ferry option which is just what I took from New London, CT to Orient Point, Long Island. I have long wanted to see the Parrish Museum and this was my chance. Max said, “You must stop at the Sunset Beach Hotel for breakfast. It’s so chic!” and that added two more ferry rides, more journey, yay.

Sunset Beach Hotel, Shelter Island

Deserted bars in the early morning.

Open-air breakfast on the beach.

  

Now serving breakfast with a view.

The Sunset Beach Hotel is an Andre Balaz property which includes the Standard Hotel(s). I did painting for the Standard Hotel (Hollywood). But here on this remote part of Shelter Island this sleepy little hotel is really dreamy and it is so chic. I immediately notice the flower pot lamps by Verner Panton and all the little details and service, so understated and smart. Had a yummy breakfast and then on to the Parrish Museum.

Detail of Chuck Close tapestry and front door of the Parrish Museum.

Fairfield Porter at the Parrish Museum. This is what it's all about.

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From Boho-Chic to sensuous minimalism the Herzog & de Meuron designed Parrish is an elegant shed in a field of tall grasses.  Even the parking lot there is beautifully landscaped, a forest that happens to have room for cars. The blackened front door is that gorgeous shou-sugi-ban wood with Parrish Art Museum carved in san-serif. Breakfast and the museum visit goes by too fast. It was all so wonderful but this being Friday the hordes of New Yorkers are descending upon the Hamptons and my instinct is to run the other way which happens to be toward the city. Still I’m left with the memory of the outer reaches of Long Island as a sedate, seductive reverie and that’s a good thing.

P.s. Do you know the Chic Cheer?