One Week 100 People - Day 2

 It is hard to find locations that have a lot of people that can be sketched. This morning I had to go to the market so I took my sketchbook with me and sketched a few people at the deli counter and around the produce. I was standing up holding my sketchbook which is not something I like to do.

I brought my groceries home, had a quick lunch and headed out to Panera. I know there is a pretty constant stream of people there. At first I sat near the window so I would see faces too.  These were easier because I was sitting down and didn't have to worry about balancing my sketchbook and materials. I eve pulled out my watercolors. A few of these ladies were seated close to me but didn't seem to notice what I was doing.

After sketching the people near me and a few at the counter I changed my table. Now I was seeing most of the people from the back.

I am more than halfway done! I will have to think of another location tomorrow.

1 Week 100 People Challenge, Dish Theme & Gelli Printing

Today starts the One Week 100 People Challenge. Marc Holmes and Liz Steel host this every year. Artists from all over the world take part. The sketches can be fone from live models or photos. I have taken part since 2017. I like to do it from live models, but some days it is hard to find enough people to sketch. Today I went to the Smith Haven Mall and headed to the food court first. You know there will be people there especially since I arrived around 1:00...and I started sketching.

I did a few more at the food court (the two larger figures) and then relocated outside the Apple store. They have a table with stools so it is a handy spot to sit and sketch and there are always people in the store. I made it all the way to 27 people which was good!

I am posting other things today too.

When the Patchogue Sketch Club met last Wednesday our theme was dishes. I have this set of dessert plates designed by Guy Buffet that I love with waiters on them. They were a gift from friends. Each of the 6 plates has a different image. This one was fun to paint.

Jerry gave me roses for Valentine's Day and my plan was to use one of them to try and make a print on my gelli plate. I waited a bit too long and it was really difficult to press the flower into the paint to make the print. It would have been much easier if the petals weren't so dry. Out of the whole bouquet there was only one rose that didn't lose its petal as soon as I touched it. I got a little bit of a print, but not quite what I was hoping for. I guess I'll have to get more flowers and try again.

Birds Watching

Birds have such great balance. I don't know if I would be happy sitting up there, but it gives them a good vantage point. If they see something that looks like food they're off! This was sketched at a small beach on the bay in Islip.

 

Wading River Beach Club

 On the north shore of Long Island there are some beach communities right on the water like this one in Wading River which is along Long Island Sound. Of course the beach and parking are reserved for the homeowners and during the season it is nearly impossible for non-residents to park anywhere by the beach without paying a high price. But off-season it is possible to sneak into a parking lot and nobody seems to mind. I found a small lot across from the Wading River Beach Club and sat and sketched. This area seems to have some high dunes surrounding the houses. I couldn't tell if there were any rocks or cliffs going down to the water from where I was sitting.

Water Tower

 Both Robert Moses Beach and Jones Beach have distinctive water towers. This one is at Robert Moses right in the center of the traffic circle as you come off the Robert Moses Causeway onto Fire Island. The tower is 202 feet tall with a well that is over 1,100 feet deep. Construction on the tower was completed in 1968 and is topped with a beacon that can be seen for many miles out on the ocean.

Clouds Over the Bay

 Sometimes the clouds are more of a star than the landscape like in this painting. I was sitting in the parking lot of a park in Islip looking at the bridge at the southern end of the Robert Moses Causeway.

Ice Skaters in Port Jeff

 On Saturday it was pretty cold so my plan was to find an indoor location and hopefully have a view of the outdoors. I remembered that the Village Center in Port Jefferson has an upstairs with huge windows and plush leather couches and it overlooks the harbor. I headed upstairs only to realize that there is a perfect view looking over the Rinx Skating Rink there. The sign upstairs said "No food or drink!" but it didn't say anything about water and watercolors. Sketching moving people isn't easy but they tend to go back into the same positions over and over. The girl in the pink with the long hair would twirl every once in a while, but it was hard to catch her in action so I had to settle for this position. The little kid with the black helmet was a speed demon and was racing around the ice really fast. Of course when I was already finished with him he slowed down and was taking a skating lesson.

When I was finished and putting my belongings back into my backpack a woman approached me from behind. She asked if she could take a photo of my sketch. When I turned around I saw that she was the mother of the little girl in the green jacket who was with her. I think the dad was seated at a table near me, had seen what I was sketching and called his wife on the phone to come up and see it. Of course I let her take the photo and chatted with them for a minute. Sketching creates interesting connections with other people.