Beach Days

Here are a few of my recent beach sketches. I make sure I have my watercolors and other materials so I can capture something while I am at the beach.

Happy 4th of July

I just finished watching the PBS special "A Capitol Fourth" and sketched a bit through it.

These are tiny...not bigger than 2 x 3.

Kelly O'Hara (from Broadway) was singing patriotic songs.

Patti Labelle came out and belted out a few songs.

(I think I sketched her a little thinner than she is. LOL)

I had to do the fireworks over the capitol.

And in honor of what would have been my mom's 95th birthday today

I'm posting one of my favorite photos of her and me.

Happy Birthday Mom!

Blue Point Dock

This was sketched on a dismal drizzly day down at the Blue Point Dock.

This dock was replaced after Hurricane Sandy demolished the old one.

Old Westbury Gardens

My friend and I recently painted at Old Westbury Gardens. We went to the Thatched Cottage first and I never left. The hollyhocks and other gorgeous flowers were just too much to resist.

I did this sketch directly in paint...just some of the random flowers in front of the house.

This one I focused on the wind with all the colors in front, especially those gorgeous hollyhocks.

Here is my painting against a bit of the actual view.

Art Day with Mickey

I recently had an "art day" with my sister, Mickey who lives in New Jersey. Of course we decided on a day and then the forecast was for temperatures in the 90s. We were tempted to postpone the art day but decided we would do something indoors instead. When I got to her house we decided to go out sketching before lunch while it wasn't quite as hot as they were predicting.

We went to The Gardens at Wycoff which is a few minutes from Mickey's house.

The roses were in bloom and were just gorgeous. I did this across a double page in my sketchbook and worked on each of these without any pencil sketching at all...just directly in paint.

After lunch we worked on collages using stained paper. This is the method we used in the workshop we had taken with Gerald Brommer back in March. I did this sunrise which is an 11 inch square.

Sketching in Cold Spring

Yesterday the NYC Urban Sketchers ventured out of the city for a day of sketching.

My thanks to John and his wife Karn for welcoming us to their home and their town of Cold Spring yesterday. It was such a wonderful day and despite the fact that we were so far out of the city, members came by train and car to experience Cold Spring and were not disappointed. Susan and I drove from Long Island and it was worth the 2 hr trip!

Our first sketch spot was down by the waterfront. I couldn't resist the gazebo with the flags and the Americana red, white and blue banner hanging...great Cold Spring charm.

There were some of the usual members and some that joined up with us for the first time.

Of course I took some photos of everyone at work.

I had a few minutes to sketch Lucy.

Next it was back to John's house which we decided looked like we were in Provence.

Everyone got lunch which we shared in the shade in the garden.

We talked "shop" ...

... and shared our work from the morning.

Then it was off for round two of sketching along Main Street.

I sketched a cute house first.

And then a store which I sketched there and added color to at home.

Around 4:00 we went back to John's to relax in the shade and have a cool drink while we talked.

Some of the sketchers headed home, or back to the waterfront to sketch.

Susan and I went back to Main Street and did one final sketch.

I got inspired by some of the other sketchers who had used lettering with their sketches.

It was such a great day! My thanks again to John and Karn for welcoming us, 

and to John for organizing our day so well.

At the Lighthouse Show

Last night was the reception for the Fire Island Lighthouse's 12th Annual Art Show. 

I had two paintings in the show...both of lighthouses. One was of the Fire Island Lighthouse itself and another was of the Pemaquid Lighthouse in Maine. Imagine my delight to arrive at the show and find out that one of my paintings had already sold. Yeah! Here I am with the painting of the Fire Island Lighthouse that sold.

The show continues until July 20.

The reception was really very nice...as always they did a great job with snacks and wine and live music. It is always very hot inside the lighthouse so after viewing all the work we spent the rest of the evening outside enjoying the beautiful night.

Here army friends Carol, Sue, and Ruth outside on the deck.

Another photo of Sue and Ruth behind the lighthouse on the bay side.

Sue sent me a few photos she took with her phone.

Here are Kathy, Carol, Ruth and me.

We stayed to watch the sunset, and I took a few pictures. Part of the sky looked like it was on fire.

I just love watching the sunset!