Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Riverside South Park

On Saturday the NYC Urban sketchers met at Riverside South Park on W 71st along the Hudson River.  The weather was definitely iffy, so we all came prepared with umbrellas and raincoats. Luckily we spend most of the day sketching from an outdoor cafe that had huge umbrellas that overlapped each other, so we stayed dry. The park is a mixture of old and new, nature, concrete, and steel. It had some nice views to sketch. I liked seeing underneath the road above. While I was sketching this we saw dark smoke. One of the buildings on the other side of the roadway had a fire by one of the penthouse apartments. You could see the flames and a lot of smoke. The fire department arrived quickly and took care of things.


This sketch includes what is left of the 69th St Transfer Bridge which allowed the transfer of railroad cars from the rail lines to car floats which crossed the Hudson River to the Weehawken Yards in NJ. Nora is sketching on the right.


Jeff was busy with his big sketchbook.


Mark asked someone nearby to take a photo of the whole group before some of the sketchers left for the day.



After lunch we walked a ways south and came to sculptures and gardens. This part reminded me a lot of the Highline Park, except it isn't elevated.


Mark has gotten very creative and did a slideshow video of our day. 

Monday, June 29, 2015

Bayport Water View & Lighthouse Art Show

We had a fairly overcast day with showers threatening so I headed down by the water in Bayport.  There was a nice gazebo nearby just in case it started to rain....but I lucked out.


Last Thursday evening was the Fire Island Lighthouse Annual Art Show reception. I had 2 pieces accepted into the show. It is always a fun show to do and the reception is always lovely with snacks and wine. If you are lucky and have a nice sunset it only adds to make the night more special. Unfortunately rain was threatening but several of us went outside and like high school kids did some fun photos. Several of my friends also had work in the show and we always enjoy looking at the work we all did. Everything in the show has a marine theme.

Here are a few photos we took outside.
Me and my friend, Joan...yes, another Joan.

Me with my friend, Sue.

Sue, Joan, and Ruth.

Here I am with one of my paintings from the show. I was just informed today that this painting (the one on the top) sold. Yay!!!


Here is a better view of both of my paintings.




Sunday, June 28, 2015

Smith Point Dunes

I love painting at the beach. Each area of the dunes looks different. This time I got a view to the ocean too. This was done at Smith Point Park just west of the ranger station.


Saturday, June 27, 2015

Train Sketches

Of course to get into the city to sketch at FAO Schwarz and by Central Park I had to get into the city. My friend, Susan, and I took the subway from Kew Gardens. Subway sketching is always interesting.

Here are sketches done last Saturday.



This one was done when I went in to sketch the Intrepid. I was planning to sketch all the people across from me until we made a stop and someone stood right in front of me. I included her reading in the right section...sans head. lol



Friday, June 26, 2015

Last Saturday's gloomy skies didn't dampen (no pun intended) the enthusiasm of the NYC Urban Sketchers to sketch at and around FAO Schwarz. The store is slated for closure, but it was most certainly busy. Outside the store there was a greeter dressed like a toy soldier. He was constantly busy posing with people outside the entrance. It was hard to get a photo or a sketch done without someone besides him in the picture...so I included a visitor.


When it started to sprinkle some of us headed into the store. I think I could have spent days there sketching. There were so many things I wanted to sketch. This was my first trip to FAO Schwarz so I knew I had to find the "Big Piano" what the movie "Big" made so famous. I had to sketch that if nothing else. I had a hard time deciding where I could stand to sketch without being in the way...off to the side seemed to work best. The people on the piano changed quite quickly so sketching them was not so easy. I decided to focus on just one girl and included some of the people behind her. 


After lunch we headed over to the carriage horses by Central Park. They also may be leaving the city...the decision has not been made yet. They are a definite draw for tourists and were very busy today. We had two horses and their drivers in front of us for a short while so I concentrated on the sketch of this horse and driver before they moved away. I added another carriage that replaced them a while later. I needed to include a bit of the Plaza in the background for atmosphere.


Of course no street in NYC is complete without a food vendor or two...we might starve if we walk too far without being tempted. lol


Our day of sketching last Saturday was much too short. There was so much more I would have loved to sketch. Maybe we/I will just have to return.


Thursday, June 25, 2015

Lobster

Last week I bought a lobster for dinner...but it wasn't your usual size lobster. The lobsters were on sale and the large lobsters were less per pound than the smaller ones. How could I resist a bargain? The sketch doesn't show his size too well...


so here is a photo that does.


He weighed in at 7.11 pounds. I had to go out and buy a pot to cook him in. lol

Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Last Wednesday evening my sketch group went to a local community garden. Each person had their own raised bed to grow flowers or veggies. I liked the yellow and green peppers with the pink flamingo.


Tucked under some leaves was a zucchini and some zucchini flowers.



Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Beach Dune

Living here on Long Island we definitely don't lack views of the dunes and beaches. I painted this standing at my easel in the parking lot at Robert Moses State Park last week. I love the grasses and the odd trees there. This is 5 x 7.


Monday, June 22, 2015

Avalon Park

Last week my plein air group met at Avalon Park in Stony Brook. This is the view of the water along the back side of the grist mill. I had fun with the reflections i the water.


Sunday, June 21, 2015

Alex

Alex posed for us last week. Again I did one painting where I spent about 1 1/2 hrs on the piece.


And then one where I did the small sketch in about 20 minutes. Maybe I always like the second ones better because I'm already familiar with the person's face and I'm more relaxed. I may be doing these in the wrong order and should do the sketch as a warm up before the bigger piece. lol


Saturday, June 20, 2015

Peconic River Herb Farm

Last Sunday, my friend Susan and I met two other painters at the Peconic River Herb Farm in Peconic. They always have something sooooo sketch able, like this scene. 


Their flowers are always so pretty too.


Friday, June 19, 2015

Flower Garden

On Sunday one of my stops was at Nettie's Farm and Bakery in Center Moriches. She let us wander around inside the garden and paint. What a great spot!


Thursday, June 18, 2015

Beach Sketches

I was at Smith Point Park the other day. I like sketching people at the beach...unless they are really restless. I did this one directly in ink.

There were two little toddlers near me. They weren't together but after I put them on the paper they were friends.


Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Peonies

My friend, Susan, has a wonderful garden and often lets me come over and paint her treasures. 
Her peonies were in bloom recently so I had to stop.


Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Fire Island Lighthouse

Last week I had to go out to the Fire Island Lighthouse to pick up my artwork. So while I was there I sat and painted another small piece. This is 5 x 7.


Monday, June 15, 2015

Marsh at Sunset

On Wednesday evening my sketch group met on the property of the Maritime Museum in Sayville. It is one of our favorite spots to sketch...the marsh seems to stretch forever in front of the dock. We saw several deer way off in the distance and an egret who didn't stay long enough to get into may painting.


Sunday, June 14, 2015

Setauket Tree

Up at Frank Melville Park in Setauket are two big trees with such interesting trunks...all carved with initials and hearts and scratches. This on has a big hole in it that I think gives it such character. I love the nearly white limbs and trunk.


Saturday, June 13, 2015

Walking in Sayville

Sayville has a nice park right on the water and there are always people walking or biking there.


Friday, June 12, 2015

Flea Market

On the way home from the Intrepid we passed a local flea market. We all found a spot to sit and sketch some of the activity.


Wednesday, June 10, 2015

The Intrepid

The NYC Urban Sketchers met at Pier 83 on Saturday to sketch the Intrepid Sea, Air, and Space Museum. We didn't board the ship....just sketched from the pier. To say it was an overwhelming subject is putting it mildly. There were so many parts and details and it was just impossible to get the whole thing in. So first I focused on one end...with all the planes on deck...

and then I focused on the other end. I missed the entire middle and all the pieces that stuck up with the radar and other technical things. lol 

When we were walking off to lunch and I looked back it would have been much easier to sketch it from a distance where some of it would have been a silhouette and the rest just large shapes. As I said to everyone...the next time I complain about how hard it is to sketch a sailboat, remind me of this day. lol

Several people asked about the pen I used in yesterday's post. It is an Elegant Writer. I had watched a youtube video by Karlyn Holman which if you are interested in the way the pen works is definitely worth watching. She also shows how you can "fix" the ink so that you can add watercolors at some point. Here is a link to it. I am hoping to use her process on a larger painting.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBe6bG6ouZo





Tuesday, June 9, 2015

Near the Beach

Last Wednesday my evening sketch group met at Flo's in Blue Point. It is a funky clam bar where we like to sketch. I did this one from across the street. It was a cold evening. I had on long pants, a turtleneck shirt, a sweatshirt, another heavy sweatshirt, a scarf, and my fingerless gloves...and I was cold. 


I recently watched a video by Karlyn Holman where she shows you how to use an Elegant Writer pen, which gives wonderful washy bleeds. It is fun to do, but working small I wasn't able to save areas of white which she recommends. The ink still gives a nice washy look.



Monday, June 8, 2015

Elfe

Last Tuesday we had rain so my plein air group didn't go out, so I went to the portrait group in Bellport. Elfe posed for us. I did a 8 x 10 portrait of her first...


and then a quickie sketch of her. The paper I used for this one takes a long time to dry and I didn't have a long time. lol So the features aren't as clear as they should be. This is about 3 1/2 x 5.




Sunday, June 7, 2015

Like Van Gogh...and Veggies

Over on "Paper, Paint, Pencils, & Pens" (link on the right) we are doing paintings in the style of an artist that we like or admire. Van Gogh is one of my favorite artists, so I tried to do this little painting with swirly dabs of color that didn't work all that well with watercolors because the colors kept blending. lol I am hoping to give this another try.


I did this small painting of veggies in my own style.


Saturday, June 6, 2015

Still Life

When was the last time you saw a still life from me? lol I started this months ago when our portrait group didn't have a model. It sat on the side until this week when we had several rainy days in a row and I finally finished it.


Friday, June 5, 2015

Sayville Beach

Back last Sunday, before we had our cold spell, I went to the tiny bay beach in Sayville. Right past the small dunes are a few benches that always get a fun cast of characters. I was sitting in my beach chair on the sand while I was sketching.



Thursday, June 4, 2015

Sketching Post Governors Island

Somehow yesterday I forgot to include the photo of me that Mark took during our "show and tell." We always share our sketches at the end of the day, since so many of us are sketching different subjects.


We left Governors Island as a group last Saturday, getting back to the mainland about 4. Everyone else scurried off to their lives but I figured I'm in the city so I might as well do one more sketch. I wanted to sketch the Battery Maritime Building which is where the ferry to Governors Island departs from. I like the design and details to the building. Of course the best view would be across the street...but that meant across 2 sections of roadway and a wall...I was sure that I wouldn't be able to see anything if I sat down. Instead I sat off to the right between the Staten Island Ferry Building and the Maritime Building as close to the street as possible. It was like sitting in a wind tunnel. lol I really had to hold onto everything. This view came with a bit of construction and a fun ice cream truck too.


I headed up to Penn Station only to find out I had just missed the train to Ronkonkoma. So I made use of my time sketching some of the commuters inside the station.


On the LIRR coming home I was able to sketch a few of the passengers. This lady I could see between the seat backs in front of me.


This man was on the opposite side of the train where there are seats facing each way. His little girl was fast asleep in his lap. I ran out of paper to fit her completely.