The Met - Part 1

 The NYC Urban Sketchers met at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Recently. Through the winter we have visited and will continue to visit the Met regularly. For each visit we attempt to sketch in a specific gallery. This particular visit our destination was the The American Wing. It is a great spot with lovely sculptures, a wide open area, a cafe, and views to the outside and Central Park.

Prior to the visit I purchased a set of Prismacolor Premium colored pencils. On their website the museum specifies that only dry materials should be used. Over the years I have used pen and watercolor, but it seems using other materials is often determined by the guards in that particular gallery. Some allow other materials, but I have been told by some guards not to use them. One friend had her paints confiscated. So I decided a nice set of colored pencils would be good to have.

I began the day with a sketch of the sculpture, "Artigon Pouring a Libation Over the Corpse of Her Brother Polyncos" by William Henry Rinehard. In the backgound is my friend, Sonia sketching the statue from the other side. Looking around the gallery there must have been at least 20 of us sketching the statues and Tiffany glass.

The Sayville Chocolatier

 Valentine's Day shopping caused a line outside the Sayville Chocolatier. I had been in Sayville the day before and there was a line outside. I couldn't stop then, but went back the following day. I sat across the street in my mobile studio to capture the store and some of the customers waiting outside.

Snow Piles and Boats

The boats at the marinas are mostly wrapped for the winter, but I did find this one in the lot by the Tiki Bar in Patchogue that was uncovered. I liked this scene with the melting snow piles and assorted marine materials around. I sketched from my mobile studio so the cold outside didn't phase me. I believe this is the Sunset Harbor Marina.

Sketch Club Sketches

Last Wednesday the sketch club met at the Patchogue Library and the theme was contour drawings of hands. I didn't have much interest in doing that, but I did one sketch of my hand. Instead I went around the table and sketched each of the sketchers.

 

24 Bellport Lane

 Many of the big, beautiful houses on Bellport Lane are hidden behind shrubbery for most of the year. Right now the foliage is sparse and you can see the lovely houses behind them. A little snow adds to their charm.

Sandspit Lighthouse in the Snow

 I had seen a photo of some of our places here on Long Island in the snow. Sandspit Lighthouse in Patchogue was one of them. I decided to drive over and see how it looked in person. The parking lot had one path plowed through it, but in order to sit in my mobile studio to sketch it I had to park on the icy snow. It was cold so I knew I had limited time to sketch and paint before I would have to leave or turn on the heat...so I worked quickly. I really liked the way the ice covered so much of the rocks and that there was a break in the ice covering the bay. 

Jalapeno Trio

 While the jalapeno was around I decided to sketch it a few more times, each time using a different medium. I started with Neocolors for the first one, used a green pastel pencil and Posca markers for the center one, and Derwent watercolors for the one on the right. Which is your favorite?