Fifth Avenue Blooms

A few weekends ago the NYC Urban Sketchers met across from St Patrick's Cathedral to sketch "Fifth Avenue Blooms," an exhibit of colorful sculptures and live flowers stretching 12 blocks along Fifth Avenue. It was designed by French artist, Alexandre Benjamin Navet with Van Cleef & Arpels, and there are arches, benches, pergolas and other elements in bright colors. In addition there are activities and music for the public to enjoy.

We started out sitting in front of the statue of Atlas which is in front of one of the buildings that are part of Rockefeller Center. With the flower sculpture in the foreground I had a bit of St Patrick's Cathedral as my background.

Next I crossed Fifth Avenue and sat on the steps of St Patrick's Cathedral looking back at the statue of Atlas holding up the world. When I was in college I worked part-time for a company that was in that building, so I brings back some memories. I was able to include a few sketchers at work.

After lunch I left the group and ventured a little further up toward Central Park. There was a sculpture of arches that people could walk under straight ahead in my view.

The group gathered once again for our "show and tell" near the fountain across from the Plaza Hotel.

I almost forgot to include the sketch I did on the Long Island Railroad going into the city.

Rockefeller Center - Part 2

Lunch and the rest room were calling so we left our good spot outside at Rockefeller Center and headed indoors. The NYC Urban Sketchers were meeting for lunch inside 30 Rockefeller Plaza downstairs were there is an area with tables to sit. It did feel good to be inside and warm again.

After a yummy bowl of hot soup I sketched some of the people in the food court area. The baby was being held my her dad, but they got up and moved before I could sketch him. (Some people just don't cooperate. lol)

After lunch Suzala and I planned to go back outside to sketch, but we got sidetracked. We passed an area with tables that was up against glass doors overlooking the Rockefeller Center Skating Rink...and someone was just getting up from their table. We started sketching and the table even closer to the glass doors opened up and we were able to move even closer. It was our lucky day! Of course the skaters did not stay still and the seated people kept moving back onto the ice but I was able to sketch some of the poses. (If you look at this sketch and see the area on the right that is so crowded with people...we were sitting right above that in the morning.) At one point the ice was cleared of all the skaters for the Zamboni machine to clean the ice. That gave me time to add the color to the sketch.

The day ended with a "show and tell" in the same area where we had lunch. There was a couple sitting at a table nearby that enjoyed the show and tell as much as we did. They applauded for all the sketches too.

Of course a trip to the city isn't complete without a sketch of someone on the train.

Rockefeller Center

Last Sunday the NYC Urban Sketchers were meeting at Rockefeller Center to sketch the tree and the assorted decorations and activities there. I thought Mark, our organizer was crazy...Rockefeller Center on a Sunday in December??? I couldn't imagine sketching in the crowd that would be there.  I went in with my friend, Suzala on the Long Island Railroad. She has trouble walking any distance so we took a taxi from Penn Station (34th St) up to Rockefeller Center (50th St). When we got there we found a bench with a so-so view. I left her there and went to walk around the promenade and see if anyone else from the group was there. By the time I got back she had been chatting with the security guards. When they saw that we were sketching they told us that we could move to a special section where there wouldn't be crowds and we would have a pretty unobstructed view of the statue of Promethius and the tree. The area was fenced off from the general public so we wouldn't have to worry about people banging into us. It was perfect!

I had already started my sketch including one of the security guards but moved as soon as the offer was made. They were even nice enough to allow any of the other sketchers who came along to join us there. Here is my first sketch with one of the guards. He stayed nearby so I was able to finish him easily.

For my next sketch I simply turned around and faced the opposite way toward 5th Ave. This view is one of my favorites during the Christmas season. There are angels with lights tucked into all the greenery all the way up the promenade. It is pretty during the day and just wonderful at night!

Doing a white angel wasn't easy. I moved one of the trees so it was behind the angel and did some negative painting in her dress and wings. Then I used a white gel pen to add some texture. I'm really happy with the way it came out. 

Two more quick stories about the morning. Suzala had on a foot brace so she can't wear her regular shoes. She was wearing sandals with heavy socks, but it was a pretty cold day and her feet were cold. There was a security woman there with a bomb sniffing dog named Sammy. Suzala of course made friends with the woman and the dog. The dog came and sat on her feet for a while to keep them warm. Also while we were sitting there a young couple came in to take a photo and the guy got down on one knee and proposed. I wasn't fast enough to sketch them. lol

"THE TREE"

On Monday I went into NYC to meet two non-sketching good friends for a day of shopping, talking, and seeing "THE TREE." We were meeting at noon up by the Time Warner Center by Columbus Circle, but I went in early because I wanted to sketch the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree. I had sketched it with the scaffolding around it a few weeks ago and needed to do it finished. It was very cold out but I stood leaning against one of the buildings and sketched. I finished most of the sketch before I had to go hop on the train to meet them but added the lights with gel pen when I got home.

I did a few sketches on the train going into the city. I think everyone I sketch on the train is connected to their cell phone. lol

The Time Warner Center had these fabulous star decorations that changed colors every few minutes. Which color do you like? My favorite is the purple.

We shopped at the Holiday Market at Columbus Circle and then headed back to see the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree lit up at night. It looked great!

The statues of the soldiers were fun too.

Here I am (left) with Maureen (center) and Rhea (right).

On the way back to Penn Station we passed this display in front of one of the buildings.

The city is so great at this time of year!

Art Deco and Rockefeller Center

On Saturday my friend, Susan and I headed into Manhattan on the subway. There are always some models if the train isn't too crowded. The woman on the left got off at the first stop (the nerve of her) so I moved on to sketch the second woman.

This woman was directly across from me. She alternated between being half asleep with her head all the way back, looking straight ahead, or putting on makeup.

The NYC Urban Sketchers had planned a day at Rockefeller Center to sketch the art deco in the buildings, decorations, etc. But we got there and the Christmas tree was standing up behind the skating rink and the workmen were putting scaffolding around the tree so that it could be decorated. We just HAD to do a sketch of that! Now you may be thinking to yourself...this is just the start of November...but this tree is BIG and it takes an extremely long time to put all the lights on it. When you see it finally lit ( the lighting is on Dec 3) you will see what I mean. I still don't understand how they keep the tree from now until the beginning of January without it losing it's needles. When we had fresh Christmas trees as a kid the needles started falling off the tree as we were bringing it home. lol

I found a spot in the middle of the promenade that leads from 5th Avenue all the way to the skating rink. There were art deco designs over the doorway, but I was interested in sketching the workers who were planting the tall trees that would be decorated and will stand in the middle of all the lit angels that will also be put up. By this time I was starting to get cold. My body was warm enough in my down jacket, but my feet and hands were cold. I did have fingerless (and regular) gloves that helped my hands but I couldn't do anything about my feet.

Then I walked down 49th Street a half a block and sketched the NBC Studio marquis. It had some art deco elements too. Then it was time for lunch...and we were able to warm up indoors. Yay!!!

After lunch I sat on 5th Avenue right in front of St. Patrick's Cathedral facing across 5th Ave where  the bronze Atlas is supporting on his shoulders, not the earth, but a representation of the heavens (or so says the brochure about Rockefeller Center). This is the largest sculpture in the Center...he stands 15 feet tall on a 9 foot high pedestal. I happen to have worked in this building when I was in college and passed this statue just about every day.

Since it now gets dark so early we headed indoors to share our sketches with the other members before most of them headed home. A few of us hung out a bit longer at a local restaurant bar, but only Mark sketched there. It was a good day...but a bit too cold to be sitting around. lol

Friday in the City

On Friday I met two friends in NYC to see the decorations. I went in early so I could sketch a bit. I sketched on the LIRR on the way into the city. This is a young girl that was with her parents. It doesn't look very much like her.

I walked up 34th Street and came to a small park in Herald Square that was decorated.

Next I headed to the NYC Public Library on 42nd Street. This was what I wanted to sketch. Outside the library are two massive stone lions. I believe this one is named Fortitude (the other one is named Patience). At Christmas they usually decorate them both with wreaths around their necks.I only had time to do the sketch before my friends, Maureen and Rhea arrived.

But I did finish it at home.

Around the corner from the Library is Bryant Park which has a tree and a skating rink, but what we wanted were the small stores that are set up for holiday shopping.

Here is a photo of the tree there.

We had lunch, shopped some more and then headed over to Rockefeller Center to see the tree.

It was so crowded and crazy...and it wasn't even dark yet. 

We really wanted to see the tree at night, so we went to have coffee and dessert.

The tree and the lights around Rockefeller Center are just amazing...and the crowds are too!

Here we are in front of the tree.

Maureen and I walked back to Penn Station to catch our respective trains. I had a bit of a wait so I sketched someone buying tickets.

I did one final sketch of a woman on the train going home.

This ends another long, exhausting day in the city!