Happy Easter & Sketches from the Central Park Area

Happy Easter to those who are celebrating. 

Yesterday I sketched with the NYC Urban Sketchers.  Our destination was Salon 94 on 89th Street near Central Park. There was a bit of a mixup, and we were told we couldn't sketch in the gallery, although some of the sketchers weren't noticed and managed to sketch for a while. Since the weather seemed promising most of the sketchers headed up to 5th Ave and Central Park. Many of us sat outside of the park to sketch, some sketchers went into the park, and some sketchers went into the Metropolitan Museum. The view that the group I stayed with was 89th St and the Guggenheim Museum on 5th Avenue. I couldn't decide what I wanted to sketch, so I did some small sketches of what was in front of  me.

I started with a sketch of the Guggenheim on the left and then the streetlight, signs, and birds right in front of us. Then I sketched looking down 89th Street with the buildings, cars, and foliage that I could see.

My final sketch on the page was of some of the other sketchers sketching while sitting in front of the wall enclosing Central Park. I had a bit of lunch and then headed into Central Park. I didn't go far. The cherry blossoms had started to bloom so I sat in a spot where I was out of traffic but could see the blossoms. That is the painting I posted at the top of this page. 

At 3:00 we had our "show and tell." It was interesting to see what everyone had painted since so many of us had wandered to different locations. The Guggenheim Museum was a popular subject, but there were some other good locations and some sketches that had be done in Salon 94. People started to leave but a group of about 8 of us decided to go back into Central Park and do one more sketch. The spot we picked included a blooming cherry tree with the Guggenheim Museum behind it.

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.

First Robotics Competition - Sketch 1

Last Friday I joined my friend, Suzala, at the First Robotics Competition that was being held over two days at Hofstra University. Suzala and I sketched there a few years ago and thought it was fun. I still haven't figured out how the competition is scored, but that doesn't affect my enjoyment of sketching it. I was able to sneak into a seating area that I believe was supposed to be for judges, but nobody stopped me and I had a 2nd row seat to what was going on. Most of the teams were from local schools with a few teams from foreign countries. Each team dressed in attire that was somehow connected to their team name. The two people on the left were in cowboy hats, but I don't know what their team name was. I like the uniforms on the referees. The competition moves quickly and teams are on and off the floor fast, so this sketch has bits of assorted activity that was going on. 

Old Gas Pump at Yaphank Garage

 It is rare to find old gas pumps and the ones (3) at the Yaphank Garage are in excellent condition. They are no longer in use at the restored Shell station from the late 1930s but only serve as part of a museum. The inside of the building that you can see through the windows shows what the office would have looked like back then. I've sketched/painted this station several times.

Collage

 Last Wednesday the South Bay Art Association had our monthly meeting and there was a collage workshop. I brought along some gelli printed paper and the instructor, Derek Owens had tons of collage fodder, especially fabric.

Along Brown's River

This is a direct watercolor done along Brown's River in Sayville.

Buildings at CEED

Last week I took a ride to CEED in Brookhaven. CEED is the Center for Environmental Education and Discovery. It is a resource for connecting to and experiencing the joys of nature that hopes to restore balance and harmony in our lives so that we become stewards of the earth. They have nature trails, gardens, and all kinds of programs for children and adults. I sat in front of part of their building to capture this tool shed and planting table.