Jazz NYC 55 & Anniversary #28

While we were in the West Village we grabbed lunch to go and went to Washington Square Park. We were meeting several other sketchers in the park. There was a lot going on. As we were finishing lunch I realized there was a group a little further into the park playing music. I checked it out and there were 4 jazz musicians playing...and they were good. I found a spot on a nearby bench and several of the other sketcher we met up with all joined in to sketch the group. I had no idea how long they would remain so I started with the bass player on the right. I sketched him and then the sax player. I added color to them and then moved on to the guitar player, leaving a space for the drummer who was walking around taking up a collection of tips. When he came back I squeezed him into the last space. I find that the drummers in most groups are the hardest to sketch because they are usually in the back and often blocked by the other musicians. Our friend, Mel, always talks to the musicians he sketches so he found out the group's name. They were still playing when we left around 4:30. I hope the tips were good!

Today is our 28th Anniversary! How time flies. Here is a photo from our first wedding day taken by the nurses at the nursing home where my mom was a patient. We had our first wedding ceremony (very impromptu...notice our fancy clothes) at her bedside the day before she passed away.  When the nurses found out about the ceremony they brought us a cake to celebrate. Two other ceremonies were also held later, but that is another story.

 

First Robotics - Lunch Concert

 At around noon the First Robotics Competition took a break. I was in a luck seat because they took away the row of chairs that were in front of me and I then had a front row seat to a concert at lunchtime. There were about 9 musicians from Long Beach High School who performed. I didn't know how long they would play so I started with the first musician that was on my left. After I finished enough of that one musician I moved to the next in line. I guess they played for about 30 minutes, but I was only able to sketch three of them before they left. They were actually very good. I'm glad I didn't try to do the whole group because I wouldn't have had enough info to complete the sketch. When the group was leaving a man came over and told me that his son was one of the musicians I had sketched and asked if he could take a photo. I said yes, but told him the sketch wasn't finished yet and if he wanted I would email a copy to him. I did later when I got home.

Musicians

Yesterday was a rainy, damp day so I needed an indoor spot for sketching. I checked out all the local library calendars to see if any of them were having a performance in the afternoon. Two of them were, and I settled on the event at the Patchogue-Medford Library. In honor of St. Patrick's Day they had two musicians, Tom Donovan and Paul Henry singing and playing Irish songs, ballads and a few jigs. They were pretty good. It wasn't crowded and I sat myself in the second row on the far right to sketch. They moved a little but it was fairly easy to sketch them both. I did the sketch in pencil, then added watercolors and added the ink last, using Noodler's Battleship Gray Ink which is permanent but not as in your face as black. When the show was over the two ladies sitting behind me told me they noticed I was sketching and wanted to see what I did. Then I went over to the musicians to thank them for the performance and to show them the sketch. They loved it and both took photos of it. It was a good day!

#30x30DirectWatercolor2018 - Sayville Garden Tour

Today was the Sayville Garden Tour. I had previewed the gardens when I did the black and white sketches of them so I picked the two gardens I wanted to paint in. This is the view of the first garden. There were many spots I would have loved to paint but most of them were in direct sun and it would have been too hot on this very sunny day. I found a very shady spot and painted this view toward the house. I even put in the home owner, Donna. She loved the painting and bought it. Yay!!!

The second garden property had all these fun spots. This one had a pink pig tucked into the foliage.

Yes...I know...I needed a direct watercolor painting for today. Each garden had musicians...a jazz group in the first garden and these two ladies playing in the second. I had a little time after painting the garden itself, so I turned and painted the two musicians as my day 15 painting for #30x30DirectWatercolor2018. They were so delighted that I painted them and kept telling me that I made them look better than in real life. lol They were sweet.