Kayak pictures

more trip to the brother islands

2010-11-29T21:11:00.003-05:00

Trip to the Brother Islands

2010-11-29T20:16:00.005-05:00

Bannerman's Island Trip

2010-11-15T08:58:00.001-05:00

Shooter's Island Trip

2010-11-15T08:38:00.001-05:00

2010-11-14T20:59:00.002-05:00

Water draining into the East River on the Manhattan side opposite Roosevelt Island.

3 men in a baidarka

2010-09-20T10:46:00.004-04:00

In the year two triple naught Chris Howard, Scott Geyer and I ( HarrySpitz) Circumnavigated the isle of Manhattan in Richard Nonas' three man baidarka. We left the Downtown Boat House on Saturday Sept 16 at 7:15am.

O the Ere-I- EE was a risen and the Gin was a getten low.

We embarked on an adventure that will go into the annals of Hudson River history . Almost 800 pounds of man paddling into the unknown. After a week of practice and experimentation we determined that the ideal seating arrangement put Scott in the bow so that we could follow his steady inspiring cadence and to muffle his griping obscenities. Chris steadied the boat by acting as ballast in the center of the boat. While I controlled the rudder from the stern where I could scare Scott and Chris by steering the boat towards every obstacle I could find. The main advantage of this ingenious set up was that Chris and I could both fakeout Scott. We laid back and tanned while Scott paddled us around the island. Every once in a while we would splash the water just to sustain the illusion. After making it up the East River pushed by a steady current that sped us by the joggers on the running path we came to the Harlem River where the current ran against us. The motor boaters were few and far between and those that we came across slowed as they came near us. We slogged on against our foe (the current) looking for refuge behind every bridge and bend. At last we came to my accustomed rest spot The Suffering Duck, but alas Chris and Scott would have none of it. They were determined to reach the Hudson by 11 am. It was at this point that we all had a simultaneous epiphany. The cane seats and the lashed coamings in the baidarka were excruciatingly painful. Our asses hurt!

What a terrible storm we had one night on the Ere-I-EECanal

At last we came to our first refuge The Columbia Boat House. We hauled out onto the goose crap strewn docks and stumbled to the boat house for lunch and rest. Well the Captain came upon the deck with a spy glass in has hand.The fog it was so gosh darn thick that he couldn't spy the landOnward to the Hudson. The chop, waves and wind convinced us to paddle on the Jersey side to avoid the Westerly wind in the shadow of the Palisades. We headed South below the George Washington Bridge.The cook she was a grand old gal she wore a ragged dress. So we hoisted her upon the pole as a signal of distress.It happened opposite the Intrepid. The motor boat slowly passed beside us. The small bow-wave came towards our port beam. "Its nothing keep paddling", I thought, "no need to brace we've handled many bigger waves.No problem."We went right over, 90 degrees to the water. We all agreed that we all simultaneously hip snapped and that the boat slowly righted itself, but after careful reevaluation I have arrived at the only possible explanation. Telekinesis!

The captain he got married. The cook she went to jail. I'm the only son of a gun that’s left to tell the tale.

Back to our home turf. The North Annex of the Downtown Boathouse. Chelsea piers. I aimed the boat right for some pilings "Harry turn right we're heading for those pilings". Ah Scott and Chris what back seat drivers they are. Oh well I guess I was in the back seat.

The Ere-I-EE was a risen and the gin was a getten low. What a terrible storm we had one night on the Ere-I-EE Canal.

Winter Paddle

2009-12-30T10:45:00.002-05:00

Crossing at the Battery just North of Governors Island

Just South of the Brooklyn Fairway

Night paddling under the GW Bridge

2009-09-15T23:38:00.001-04:00

Dead Sturgeon

2009-08-15T07:52:00.002-04:00

Milton paddling by the sturgeon for scale. (Dead fish above bow)

The fish was so large that it seemed like an old mattress.

Swinburne Paddle

2009-02-08T11:17:00.005-05:00

Seals on Swinburne Island

Nancy

Dan and Tim demonstrate the arcane skill of air paddling.

Photo collages of paddlers

2009-01-24T17:42:00.001-05:00

Dan and Tim

Jeff

A nice day for a paddle

2009-01-20T10:35:00.002-05:00

I wonder if we can paddle out to the river?

Nancy on ice.

A cold day on the Hudson

2009-01-05T14:50:00.002-05:00

Nancy Covered in Ice after the Paddle

A Columbus Day float stored at the Morris Canal

Tim and Taino at the Dock

Taino and Nancy getting ready to paddle

Our snow covered ramp

Cold water paddle to the Morris Canal

Paddle to Port Liberte'

2008-11-10T18:45:00.001-05:00

Nancy and Me in Port Liberte'

Yim passing mid-town on the way back

Metal Waves / Ezair Gallery Show

2008-08-31T11:17:00.001-04:00

I will be showing my work at the Ezair Gallery, 905 Madison Ave. between 72nd and 73rd Streets, in NYC starting September 1st till September 30th of 2008.

There will be an openning September 10th from 6pm till 8pm.

I'll show the textured and tarnished metal on tortured plywood works and some related water colors.

Metallic Waves at the Ezair Gallery by Harry SpitzExhibition: September 4 to September 30, 2008*Reception: Wednesday, July 16th, 7 to 9 pm
Harry Spitz received a BFA from the Philadelphia College of Art. He received a National Endowment for the Arts award in 1978. He most recently performed at the Governors Island Figment Arts Event by making 100 ft by 50 ft field marker chalk parking lot drawings. http://gravenimages.blogspot.com/ The Metallic reliefs in the Ezair show comes from direct experience with waves from years of kayaking, the assemblages of Kurt Schwitters and a love of the work of the great Greenlandic Artist Aron fra Kangeq http://www.arktiskebilleder.dk/siulleq/album/sted_5001538_1.html
The evolution of my recent relief worksIn 2006 I started working on a series of painted plywood reliefs. To jazz things up a bit I started adding metal leaf. The metal leaf seemed a little too bright and shiny to me so I brushed on chemicals to tarnish the metal. The resulting effects were breathtaking but flaky and unstable. Attempts to preserve these effects with lacquer ruined some of the pieces. The other problem with the metal leaf was that the tarnishing chemicals often ate right through the metal leaf. It became apparent that the ephemeral metal leaves were just a little too delicate for my purpose so I realized that I was going to have to make the switch to sheet metal.With the first few pieces I continued the idea of tarnishing the metal but then I decided to texture the metal in order to give the tarnish a better grip on the surface. I then realized that the texture was a fine effect on its own so I decided to put the toxic chemicals aside.These pieces will tarnish slowly over time on their own and I embrace this idea of change.When I first started with the reliefs I decided to keep my decisions simple and use older works as references for forms and visual vocabulary so that I could concentrate on the idea of developing the tortured plywood relief. I then decided to use my stored kayaking experiences as the foundation for these works. At first the subject matter was about kayakers bouncing through the waves, the feeling of paddling in a group with various paddlers in different boats rising and falling, the waves light and lively, fierce and threatening, rolling and crashing. Soon it became clear that all that I needed as subject matter was the waves themselves.The push and pull of the relief shapes is one of the most important aspects of these works. I like to use the relief to play with perspective. I want the forward waves to recede and the background waves to push forward.There is an intimacy with the waves that kayakers experience. Waves sneak up behind us or slam us from the side. When I paddle in lively water I watch the waves in front of me, I watch the waves coming at me from the side. The waves march in rows and by watching them I can anticipate what they will do when the reach me. I can get ready to brace or shift my weight. I don’t like paddling in calm flat water. I like the bouncy feeling of flying on the waves. These are the waves of my metal clad tortured plywood reliefs.

Tim's new boat

2008-08-28T09:09:00.003-04:00

Tim Paddles his new high tec boat.

Gaia's Avenging Angel

2008-06-23T01:03:00.004-04:00

Governors Island Art event

2008-06-14T08:27:00.000-04:00

Digital proposed sketches added to photos of the golf course where I will perform the dry line marker works.

X marks the golf course where I will perform the dry line marker works.

Governors Island

Now I’ve done it I’m going over to the dark side! I’m becoming one of them Earth artists.

This coming June 27th, 28th, and 29th I will be making some real big chalk drawings on Governors Island with a dry line marker (the push cart used to make lines on sports fields).

Figment NYC

Big art works for airplanes and helicopters.

There is a free ferry to Governors Island .

It supposed to be a fun event. Fresh air, old forts, canons, pre civil war barracks, big old trees and a tram that takes visitors on tours of the little island.

I've attached a photo of a test of my new dry line marker, the golf course where I will make my big drawing and a aerial view of Governors Island.

2008-05-21T10:58:00.003-04:00

12" X 24" Copper Tharshing waves.

12" X 16" Copper, brass and zinc on tortured plywood with zinc coated screws.
Somehow the waves seem more dangerous in the vertical format.

Rack building at the Downtown Boathouse

2008-04-29T11:35:00.003-04:00

Nancy cleans up after the messy boys

Rob showing correct form with a screw-gun

Mike modelling his bicycle garb while Rob works methodically

2007-12-26T23:06:00.000-05:00

Swinburne Chapel

Staten Island from Swinburne cove

2 spy hopping seals off Swinburne

Tom Loback's drift wood on the Hudson

2007-08-12T09:27:00.000-04:00

NYC Triathlon '07

2007-07-29T18:41:00.000-04:00

NYC Triathlon '07

2007-07-29T12:39:00.000-04:00

Susan At the Battery

2007-07-08T18:42:00.000-04:00

Governors Island Landing 2

2007-07-08T09:58:00.000-04:00

Governors Island Landing

2007-06-24T23:41:00.000-04:00

Green Parrots of Edgewater

2007-06-11T00:05:00.001-04:00

Night paddler

2007-04-14T15:59:00.000-04:00

Acrflic on paper 24" X 18"

Break time

2007-04-06T13:14:00.000-04:00

2007-04-06T13:09:00.000-04:00

Nancy by the ruines

Stern rudder

2007-03-26T19:24:00.000-04:00

Acrylic on tortured plywood

rolling waves

2007-03-26T19:20:00.000-04:00

Acrylic on tortured plywood 52"X 16"

Wind Driven Waves

2007-03-26T19:17:00.000-04:00

acrylic on tortured plywood 52" X 16"

Night Paddler

2007-03-26T19:11:00.000-04:00

acrylic on tortured plywood.

Accidental Paddling video clip

2006-10-22T12:59:00.000-04:00

I accidentally videoed myself while paddling.

2006-08-22T22:09:00.000-04:00

Jerry at Plumb Beach

2006-08-22T22:00:00.000-04:00

Tired paddlers land at Breezy point after a wild ride

2006-08-22T21:58:00.000-04:00

Breezy point

2006-08-22T21:57:00.000-04:00

PWC and kayaks????

2006-08-22T21:56:00.000-04:00

Surf skier and kayaker (strange times)

2006-08-22T21:55:00.000-04:00

Ted

2006-08-22T21:54:00.001-04:00

Scmule

2006-08-22T21:54:00.000-04:00

Harvey

2006-08-22T21:53:00.000-04:00

Nancy on a wave

2006-08-22T21:51:00.000-04:00

Plumb Beach

2006-08-22T21:50:00.000-04:00

Tim packs to go home

2006-07-24T19:58:00.000-04:00

Plumb beach launch

2006-07-24T19:57:00.000-04:00

Tim on the radio

2006-07-24T19:56:00.000-04:00

Victor

2006-07-24T19:55:00.000-04:00

waiting for the swimmers

2006-07-24T19:53:00.000-04:00

Here they come!

2006-07-24T19:52:00.000-04:00

THe lead swimmers

2006-07-16T19:30:00.000-04:00

Sun sparkles

2006-07-16T19:29:00.000-04:00

The crawl

2006-07-16T19:28:00.000-04:00

The finish line for the first part of the triathlon.

2006-07-16T19:27:00.000-04:00

Swimming Souith in the Triathlon

2006-07-16T19:25:00.000-04:00

2006 Triathlon

2006-07-10T18:08:00.000-04:00

stern rudder

2006-07-05T23:49:00.000-04:00

Ricard Nonas starting his Greenlandic paddling class at the downtown boathouse

2006-07-05T23:47:00.000-04:00

Climbing ito a skinny boat

2006-07-05T23:46:00.000-04:00

Lancing the walrus

2006-07-05T23:44:00.000-04:00

The class

2006-07-05T23:41:00.000-04:00

The class stands up

2006-07-05T23:40:00.000-04:00

balancing the body in the boat

2006-07-05T23:38:00.000-04:00

connecting with the qajaq

2006-07-05T23:36:00.000-04:00

One handed paddling method

2006-07-05T23:35:00.000-04:00

correct slant on blade

2006-07-05T23:33:00.001-04:00

Knees in the boat

2006-07-05T23:33:00.000-04:00

The coaming

2006-07-05T23:30:00.000-04:00

Nonas with skinny paddle

2006-06-23T18:43:00.000-04:00

night paddler

2006-06-22T00:22:00.000-04:00

Hoboken Street Mural

2006-06-22T00:21:00.000-04:00

Sunday morning trip 2. Nancy under water blur.

2006-06-22T00:19:00.000-04:00

Sunday Morning trip 1

2006-06-07T10:32:00.000-04:00

urban paddler

2006-06-06T21:34:00.000-04:00

Aliye back from Africa

2006-06-06T21:33:00.000-04:00

Back from Africa 2

2006-06-06T21:32:00.000-04:00

Swimmer

2006-06-06T21:31:00.000-04:00

Harlem river deluge

2006-06-06T21:30:00.000-04:00

Volunteering is hard work!

2006-06-06T21:29:00.000-04:00

Rick in charge

2006-06-06T21:28:00.000-04:00

Nancy in a marina

2006-06-04T11:33:00.000-04:00

Paddled from West 56th St to 23rd St with a group of 4 paddlers. At 23 rd St we joined up with 5 more paddlers and continued on down to Red Hook in Brooklyn. 9 paddlers add up to a pack. It was a really nice day of exhilarating paddling. Even the rain was wonderful.

2006-05-31T22:18:00.000-04:00

going north

2006-05-31T22:14:00.000-04:00

Taino with a cool hat

2006-05-31T22:13:00.000-04:00

Geese at Mitsuwa

2006-05-31T22:11:00.000-04:00

Waiting to paddle at 72nd St.

2006-05-31T22:09:00.000-04:00

Geese

2006-05-27T10:29:00.000-04:00

Paddling between scyllia and charybdis

2006-05-03T23:50:00.000-04:00

the breaking wave

Waves

2006-04-22T13:35:00.000-04:00

Waves
I borrowed some energetic graffiti for this one as an algorithm for turbulent water.

2006-04-22T13:34:00.000-04:00

feeding the moray

2006-04-22T13:32:00.000-04:00

Waves2

Paddling for sushi

2006-04-22T13:13:00.000-04:00

paddling for sushi

I’ve started working on a new series of paddling collages. When the tide is favorable to paddle North on the Hudson we sometimes paddle to a big Japanese mall on the New Jersey side called Mitsuwa. We walk in, dripping wet, in our paddling gear. Some of us carry our paddles. We get a table by the window so we can watch our boats. Hot miso Soup and raw fish gets a cold paddler ready for the trip home.

2006-04-22T13:12:00.000-04:00

sunset at sea

Rolling in anger

2006-04-22T13:09:00.000-04:00

Rolling in anger
When we learn to roll a kayak in a swimming pool or other friendly conditions that's one thing but when really rough conditions knock us for a loop and we find ourselves upside down when we want to be right side up that is an entirely different matter. These are the conditions that cause us to roll in anger.

Surfing down a wave

2006-04-22T12:47:00.000-04:00

surfing down a wave

A concrete expression of a recent memory of surfing the waves at Breezy Point. I always wear a PFD (personal flotation device- Life jacket) but it was not part of my minds eye vision of the event and it would have broken up the composition. I use a Euro-paddle but Greenlandic paddles look better. Maybe the waves were not quite this steep but then again maybe some of them were and some of them certainly felt this steep. Lead, oxidized brass, painted concrete, painted steel ship hull.

2006-04-16T11:58:00.000-04:00

Paddlers 1

2006-04-16T11:55:00.000-04:00

Miro's 1st Qajaq