Saturday, December 31, 2016

2016 In Review

It seems like 2016 just sped by in a flash. My thanks to all of you who have stopped by to read, comment, encourage, or support me this year. It means a lot to me! I love "artists supporting artists." I enjoy doing this blog and appreciate that some of you visit so often. Visiting other blogs is a favorite pastime of mine too. So thank you all for sharing your time and work with me. I will be over to visit again soon!

Now that the end of the year is  here, I'd like to do a little review of 2016.

In January I participated in Leslie Saeta's "30 Paintings in 30 Days." I did my paintings in a square format this year and all of them were florals done from my own photos.

Lady Slipper © Joan Tavolott

Purple Water Lily © Joan Tavolott


I did some sketching on my iPad, but haven't had much time to do that lately.

Starbuck's Counter © Joan Tavolott

In February a friend invited a group of us to sketch some of her teacups and teapots. I can't wait until Pat Sweeney invites us back again.

Pat's Teaset © Joan Tavolott

We had lots of snow in January, so I put on my boots and winter gear to head outside to sketch. These are two of my 3 minute sketches done with an Elegant Writer pen and my water brush.
Wintry Walk © Joan Tavolott

Snowy Forest © Joan Tavolott

In March my sister and I headed down to the Springmaid Watermedia Workshops in Myrtle Beach, SC. We took a portrait/figure class with the master, Ted Nuttall. This is one of the portraits I completed and I was really happy with it.

Lucy Sketching © Joan Tavolott

After the workshop was over we stayed an extra day down there and traveled to Georgetown, SC to sketch, have lunch, and enjoy the shops.

River Restaurant © Joan Tavolott

Easter came early this year, and I found the Easter Bunny in Bellport.

Smile for the Bunny © Joan Tavolott

April of course meant participating in "Fake Journal Month." This year I pretended I was working at a aquarium. I had a lot of fun with the pages for this journal.

Otter Page © Joan Tavolott

Koi Pond Page © Joan Tavolott

Shark Tank Page © Joan Tavolott

I also sketched at the Sideshow Sketch Night in Patchogue which is a totally different kind of sketching. In this case there were models in various stages of dress/undress with timed poses. It was fun!

Sideshow Sketch © Joan Tavolott

Sideshow Sketch © Joan Tavolott

In May I again took part in "Every Day in May" a challenge with prompts for each day of the month. Here are just a few.




I met up with an internet friend from Australia who I had never met in person before. Wendy Barrett (http://wendybarrettpainting.blogspot.com) and I sketched together and shared our stories. Here we are in Central Park near Bethesda Fountain. It was so much fun to meet her and get to show here a little of my city.

Central Park with Wendy (left) and me.

We sketched in the middle of Times Square which is always crazy.

Times Square © Joan Tavolott

Grand Central gave us good views to sketch.

Grand Central Clock © Joan Tavolott

And Bethesda Fountain was just charming.

Bethesda Fountain © Joan Tavolott

My niece, Caity graduated in May from Smith College in May. I went up to Massachusettes for the weekend and even sketched the ceremony.

Smith College Graduation © Joan Tavolott

June gave me some sketch time at the beach...which I always love. The models are great and the water views are wonderful.

Beach Dunes © Joan Tavolott

Beach Babes © Joan Tavolott

Friends © Joan Tavolott

I took a sketching trip with two friends to Coney Island in Brooklyn. It was fun to capture the life and energy of the place. I hadn't been there since I was a kid.

Nathan's Hot Dog Stand © Joan Tavolott

Coney Island Wonder Wheel © Joan Tavolott

I had a commission to paint a house as a gift for a bride. It was done from photographs. The wedding took place at this property in Warwick, NY.

Warwick House © Joan Tavolott

A few other sketchers and I went to the NY Botanic Gardens to sketch. While we were visiting there was an invitational plein air paintout with a group of artists. We did get to meet James Gurney and Shari Blaukopf who I follow. They were so gracious and informative and it was really interesting to watch them paint.

James Gurney, myself, Suzala, Arthur, Shari Blaukopf (photo by Susan Toplitz)

The Fire Island Lighthouse show always takes place in June. It is a great show and the location (in the lighthouse) is perfect.

At the FLIPS Show

My plein air group participated in the Sayville and the Bellport Garden Tours. We sketched in the gardens while people were touring them. I was lucky enough to paint in several of the beautiful gardens and sold two of the paintings to the homeowners.

Sayville Garden © Joan Tavolott

Bellport Garden © Joan Tavolott

 July was fun and included a trip to Maine when my niece and her boyfriend from Australia were visiting. I got to sketch down by the beach as well as in town.

Popham Beach © Joan Tavolott

Pine Tree Yarns © Joan Tavolott

I met some fellow sketchers along the Nautical Mile in Freeport for a day of sketching.

Lunch on the Nautical Mile © Joan Tavolott

At Patchougue's "Alive After 5" one week, a model and her pet cobra posed for us. Zoe and Fantasia (the snake) were so much fun.

Zoe and Fantasia © Joan Tavolott

Bellport hosted their second annual "Dog's Night Out." The goal was to encourage people to adopt the dogs in the shelters and raise money to help the Brookhaven Animal Shelter. There was a dog parade with the animals up for adoption riding in cars.

Dog's Night Out © Joan Tavolott

In August I did a few iPad sketches that I was happy with using ArtRage.

Beach Warmth © Joan Tavolott

Lifeguard © Joan Tavolott

I attended another Sideshow Sketch Night. This one had a bit of glamour.

Sideshow Glamour © Joan Tavolott

In mid-August my husband and I headed off to Venice for a month. He worked on his music and I sketched from the moment we got to Kennedy Airport, and daily while we were in Venice. Here are a few samples.

Airport Bar © Joan Tavolott

Where Are We? © Joan Tavolott

Rooftop View © Joan Tavolott

We were in Venice for a few weeks in September too. While I was there I tried to do some painting as well as some quick sketches in ink, some of which were done with a brush pen.

Vaporetto Sketches 1 © Joan Tavolott

Vaporetto Sketches 2 © Joan Tavolott

San Marco Square © Joan Tavolott

When we returned home I joined the NYC Urban Sketchers in Park Slope, Brooklyn for a day of sketching. I love the brownstones there.

Park Slope Brownstone © Joan Tavolott

PALS visited the Hummingbird Sanctuary.

Hummingbird Lures © Joan Tavolott

The NYC Urban Sketchers went to Astoria Park where we sketched the Hell's Gate Bridge...

Hell's Gate Bridge © Joan Tavolott

and the Triborough Bridge, aka the RFK Bridge.

Triborough Bridge © Joan Tavolott

In October I participated in "Inktober" where we sketched something in ink every day. This was the perfect time to try new pens and even sketch with a twig.

Tombstones © Joan Tavolott

Beets in Ink © Joan Tavolott

PALS went out to Andrews Family Farm to paint. This painting was bought by the owner of the farm.

Fresh Picked © Joan Tavolott

My friend, Susan and I went out to Greenport to paint. I loved the shadows on this house.


We also took a trip into NYC to sketch in Central Park by the Boat Basin.


Halfway through the month my husband and I took a road trip to Texas to visit friends. I continued with my Inktober sketches including one of the longhorn cattle on the ranch we were visiting.


Our road trip included several days in San Antonio. While we were there my internet friend of many years, Jo Castillo (https://jocastilloartblog.blogspot.com)
came and met me near the Riverwalk area. We checked out the gallery, had a nice long relaxing lunch while we talked, and then sketched together. We had so much fun talking and sharing. I was so lucky to be able to meet her!

La Villita © Joan Tavolott

Our trip back home started at the beginning of November. We stopped in Nashville on the way back. I sketched the street in the popular downtown area.

Downtown Nashville © Joan Tavolott

It was fun to sketch in a few of the Nashville bars too...like Layla's

Layla's © Joan Tavolott

and the Stage.

Enjoying The Stage © Joan Tavolott

It was a long drive back and by the time we got back home autumn was in a blaze of glory. My plein air group was invited to paint near a pond on a private estate.

Autumn's Glow © Joan Tavolott

On Veteran's Day I found a tombstone for a Revolutionary War soldier in a local cemetery.

Veteran's Day © Joan Tavolott

I just had to record the electrical work that has been an ongoing project in our neighborhood. It did hold up traffic quite often.

Electric Work © Joan Tavolott

The NYC Urban Sketchers met in downtown Manhattan to sketch St. Paul's Chapel.

St Paul's Chapel © Joan Tavolott

I tried a new medium that I've been looking at for a long time...alcohol inks. These were done on glossy white tiles. I was able to do landscapes...

Alcohol Ink Landscape © Joan Tavolott

and flowers.

Alcohol Ink Flowers © Joan Tavolott

December arrived and I tried my best to capture some Christmas scenes.

Like this store in Sayville.

Therapy © Joan Tavolott

And this view at the Bayport Flower House.

Bayport Flower House Trees © Joan Tavolott

Or this festive display of wreaths in Middle Island.

Wreaths © Joan Tavolott

I painted a few more tiles with the alcohol inks.

Moonrise © Joan Tavolott

On this one I tried to be more realistic and this one sold.

Beach Dunes © Joan Tavolott

This year there were several new things I tried. I made a few handmade books for my travel sketching. I tried some new techniques, signed up for a few online classes, one of which I started but with traveling never completed. I will have to start that one over since it is on perspective with Stephanie Bower and I feel I need to learn all the steps. I also recently downloaded a workshop with James Richards that I hope to start in the beginning of the year. My artistic journey for 2017 is just starting and I am looking forward to what it brings.

I hope you have enjoyed a trip through my year. I hope you will continue on this journey with me in the coming year. Thanks for being here!!!
Happy New Year!