White Cap Fish Market and Restaurant

Recently I drove over to the White Cap Fish Market and Restaurant in Islip. I like the buildings and the semi-nautical vibe of the buildings along the canal. The restaurant was doing a fair business as I sketched. I'll have to try to sketch it in the summer when the outdoor deck is filled with diners. 

First Robotics

 A few weekends ago I joined my friend @suzala at Hoffstra University for the First Robotics Competition. We've gone a few times in the past since she and her husband were involved with the local groups for a long time. Rick still works at the events here on Long Island. The competitions are quick moving and not easy to draw, but I try to find people that are officials that are usually standing pretty still. It is loud and full of energy.

A woman who was sitting near us came over to look at what I was doing and noticed that I had included a small image of her adult daughter who was some kind of a master-of-ceremonies. She is wearing the bright yellow jacket and has some kind of decoration on her head. She took a photo of my sketch.

After the lunch break was over the competitions resumed and the woman who was master-of-ceremonies came closer to our side of the floor. I sketched her with all her decorative buttons as well as a referee and a few other people. When I was finished sketching I passed my sketchbook over to her mother and told her she could take a photo if she wanted. She was thrilled! The event is a lot of fun to sketch, although I don't really watch the competitions because I'm concentrating on sketching.

Continuous Line Sketches

I enjoy doing continuous line sketches, but it seems like I tend to stick to bottles, cans, fruits and veggies. Maybe I need to try a new subject as a continuous line. These were done for Creative Spark Scavenger Hunts recently. A friend of mine often does blind contour drawings. I need to practice those too.

Crocuses

 We are finally getting some signs of spring here. The crocuses were the first to appear. I headed over to the Bayard Cutting Arboretum and found this group of crocuses waiting to be sketched.

Greenhouse

There is a greenhouse located in West Sayville between the West Sayville Golf Course and the Long Island Maritime Museum. It is a not-for-profit greenhouse that offers job training and coaching to individuals with autism in partnership with the Suffolk County Department of Parks. I've sketched it from the outside several times, but have never yet been inside. Apparently they grow the plants for the many Suffolk County parks.

 

Idle Hour House

There is an interesting area near Oakdale called Idle Hour. It was part of one of the Vanderbilt estates and later the main house was dontated to Dowling College for their main building. The remaining small buildings which a greenhouse, two guardhouses, stables, pens for animals, a hen houses, small barns, etc. Over the years they have been converted into small, very interesting buildings. At one time this was an art colony. I can't imagine how cramped they are inside and would love to have a peek into a few of them. This is one of the larger buildings in that area that is attached to another section that I believe is also part of the same house. 

Veggie Still Life Sketches

 I did a few still life sketches using veggies. Most of these were done for hunt items for Creative Spark's Scavenger Hunts. The top and bottom one were done postcard size so I could use them in the postcard project.

Cabbages are not easy to paint. There are too many overlapping leaves and veins in the leaves.

This one was done as a continuous line sketch (see the bottom photo). I like the way some people have done pepper paintings so I went off to buy a few interesting peppers at the market. Sadly, most of the peppers were green and not all that distinctive, or else really tiny. So I bought a red onion for color and threw in some garlic too.