Bellport Garden Tour & #30x30DirectWatercolor2018 Quickie

Today was the Bellport Garden Tour. This year it only included homes with pools. There were 6 gardens but I only saw the ones I was assigned to. I had 2 hours to pick a scene and paint it in each garden.

The first garden's pool area attracted me...I was ready to dive in.

The second property had a pool and assorted small buildings and quirky things around the back of the pool. One was an aviary, one was a storage building, and one was a small guest cottage. Believe it or not, this building below is a storage area. I don't know what is stored inside, but I thought it was nice enough to live in. Don't you love the dog statue in front of it?

Both of the paintings above were drawn in pencil first, so I hadn't completed my day 9 direct watercolor painting for the #30x30DirectWatercolor2018 yet. I decided to paint something that would have a dual purpose...to fit the challenge and be something on the WetCanvas Scavenger Hunt which I'm hosting. This qualified as "something sweet."

#30x30DirectWatercolor2018 - Day 8 - Week's Boatyard & Ink Sketches

Today I headed to Week's Boatyard in Patchogue for my daily painting for the #30x30DirectWatercolor2018. There is always a view of something there. lol I've painted many of them.

I never got to post these. Right after I got back from Australia the organizer for the Bellport Garden Tour contacted me and the other members of the PALS Plein Air Group. We will be painting in their garden tour next Saturday and they were looking for small black and white sketches of the selected gardens to use in their brochure that is handed out. A few of us did the rounds of the gardens doing quick sketches of something in each. These each took me about 15 minutes. Here are gardens #1-3.

Garden #1

Garden #2

Garden #3

This Saturday we are participating in the Bellport Garden Tour. It will be a busy day.

#30x30DirectWatercolor2018 - Day 7 - Robert Moses Park

Today I had to deliver paintings to the Fire Island Lighthouse for their upcoming annual show. Since I was there already I decided to do my challenge painting at the park. It was very windy so I needed to paint from the car. I couldn't find a parking space with a clear view to the lighthouse, so I went to the other end of the parking lot and parked across several empty spaces to face the watertower there.
#30x30DirectWatercolor2018

While I was dropping off the paintings I found out that one of my paintings that I did a few weeks ago during the plein air paintout at the Fire Island Lighthouse sold. Yay!!! This is the painting that sold.

#30x30Direct Watercolor2018 - Days 4, 5 & 6

I don't know what happened but I forgot to post for the last two days. Sorry! I'm not even away so I can't use that as an excuse. lol

Day 4 was done on the north fork of Long Island which is known for their wineries. I loved all the colors here like the yellow/orange wall, the purple bike, and the red bench.

Yesterday for day 5 I went to the Bayard Cutting Arboretum. Their rhododendrons were in bloom. I looked for a cluster that was in sunlight. Their was a lot in bloom but due to our recent rain it was like a mud pit to get to most of the bushes. I opted to stay on the concrete path. 

Today for day 6 I went to the Smith Point Marina to paint. There were some nice cloud formations.

#30x30DirectWatercolor2018 - Day 3 - Ready to Plant

Since I was away I am off to a late start getting my flower boxes on my patio done. I finally shopped for the plants but then it rained, and then I went into the city yesterday. Today it is cloudy and cool...a good day to do the job. So I decided before I made a big mess planting everything I would do a direct watercolor painting of some of the plants. Flowers and foliage seem to be easier to do directly in watercolor than buildings and people.

#30x30DirectWatercolor2018

#30x30DirectWatercolor2018 - Day 2 The City

Today I went into the city to meet the NYC Urban Sketchers at Lincoln Center. On the way in on the train I did a painting of a rider directly in watercolor. I figured I would do one just in case I didn't get one done later. 

We met near the Lincoln Center Fountain but we all moved into the shade to sketch. It was pretty hot today and sitting in the sun would not have been good. It was early so there weren't too many people around. I sketched this one out before doing the watercolor. There were just too many tricky angles that I needed to get right.

Next I went out to Columbus Ave and sketched the people in Dante Park. This was done directly in watercolor for the challenge. The hardest part was trying to save the whites for the Columbus Ave sign.

My last sketch was done in watercolors and ink of the farmer's market and the skyscrapers behind it.

#30x30DirectWatercolor2018 - Day 1

We had a misty, foggy, drizzly day today so I was very happy when I drove into Sayville and found a parking spot with a view and where I could stay dry. I did this one from my car. The building is the Sayville General Store. I didn't do it justice...the doorway's perspective is off a bit. In fact it was off enough that I took down the first image and redid the top angle of the door. I scratched the paper in the process. I think it looks a bit better than it did before...trust me.

This painting was NOT done directly in watercolor. I did this when I met up with my plein air group in Bellport on Tuesday morning. I think I'm going to go back and darken the inside of the house through the front door.