Meeks Boat Yard & Digital Sketch

I've sketched at the Meeks Boat Yard in Patchogue before...but who could resist that red boat? Not me! This is about 5 x 7.

I was sketching some items for the WetCanvas Scavenger Hunt and one of the items to sketch was something sweet. I did a digital sketch of a brownie. A brownie still looks good in digital form. lol

Patchogue Boat Yard

Like I said yesterday, I've been drawn to boatyards recently. This one is behind the Blue Point Brewery in Patchogue.

Sayville Boatyard

For some reason I did quite a few boatyard sketches last week. This one was done in Sayville, near the ferries to Fire Island. Right now so many of the boats are still under wraps for the winter...it will be nice to see them unveiled soon. #sayville #fireisland #fireislandferries #sketching #watercolorsandink #pleinair

People and the Lighthouse

I have been doing a Craftsy class with James Richards called "Sketching the Energy of Places." He gives several lessons on incorporating figures into sketches and doing crowds of people too. Following his advice I did this sketch along the boardwalk going to the Fire Island Lighthouse last weekend. It was a nice day so the boardwalk was packed. I was happy with the way this came out. It was the first time I was in a location that I could do a crowd of people since I started the class.

Sketches from the Met - Part II

After lunch at the Metropolitan Museum of Art we moved to the American Wing which is filled with light and gorgeous sculptures. This was part of a fireplace mantle that originally dominated the entrance hall in the Vanderbilt Mansion on 5th Avenue. It was sculpted by Augustus Saint-Gardens. There is a matching piece on the other side of the mantle. I liked this side better. I used my watercolor pencils for this.

Next I did a free-standing sculpture. I used my watercolor pencil and started to use my ink brush, only to be told by the guard that I could use "pencils only." I had to finish the ink when we all met downstairs in the cafe. I included some of the background of the room and a few Met visitors.

Armor Sketches from the Met

On Saturday the NYC Urban Sketchers met at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. We were sketching in the room that contains the armor. I've sketched there before and enjoy sketching the displays. The museum policy is that you can draw with dry media but they usually let us use water brushes. I sketched this in watercolor pencils.

The above sketch took quite a while and I had just a little while before we were meeting for lunch. Two of our fellow sketchers were busy in the same room, so I sketched them.

More from the Met tomorrow.

Arboretum Sketches

I headed to the Bayard Cutting Arboretum in oakdale to catch some of the snow before it was gone. This was one in my grey toned sketchbook with ink, watercolor pencils, and white colored pencil. I sat in my car to do this.

Then I went for a walk taking my sketchbook, my Elegant Writer pen, and my water brush.

Peconic River

The snow here has melted quite a bit since our weather turned warmer, but you can still find bits of it in some locations like along the Peconic River in Riveread. I sat in my car in the parking lot of a pizza place to paint this...and yes, I resisted going in and having a slice of pizza (even though the last time I stopped there their white pizza with spinach was one of the best things I'd tasted). This is 5 x 7.

Deano

Our model last week was Deano. He's a great model but I find it more interesting to do his whole body than just his face. I don't think his face has enough character. I like some wrinkles as a challenge. lol Someone decided to pose him with a snow shovel as a prop. It sort of works.

I think I'm done with the February challenge. I went to finish the next subject on the list which I had already started, and I couldn't find the painting. I have too many to do to catch up at this point. My enthusiasm for the items on the list is gone. It at least the project gave me about 14 new ATCs for my exchange with my art group next week.

The Grange & Challenge Paintings

I wanted to capture a snow scene so I headed down to the Grange in Sayville. I like the path that goes through back to the caretaker's house. I've done this location a few times.

Here are a few more of the paintings for the Feb World Watercolor Challenge. Right now I'm about 3 days behind and need to catch up. (But I'm on the computer instead. lol)

A rainbow

Fire

 Several people asked questions about the sketches I posted of the Heart Tower yesterday. As far as how long they take me...I think the first one took me about an hour and a half, but the second interior one was really quick...maybe a half hour. We were meeting shortly to share our sketches so I didn't have much time. No that isn't another sketcher in the opposite building in the first sketch, although now that it was pointed out I do see it looks like it. There were these odd ornamental pieces adorning the base of the building. You could see them periodically around the building. I probably should have just left it out. lol

The base for the tower is a building that was there previously. Here are before and after photos of it from the same spot. It is an interesting place. The glass tower was attached to the original building. Then on the inside there is an atrium with a waterfall that probably extends several floors and a long escalator that takes you up to a light-filled area with several levels and lots of tables for seating (there is a buffet restaurant for the employees downstairs on the first level). Elevators go from there up to the offices.

The woman who organized the sketching brought copies of all the sketches to the management of the corporation and they said they would like to do something with them...either enlarge them and hang them or turn them into a booklet. We will see what happens.

Hearst Tower

Last Saturday the NYC Urban Sketchers got special permission to sketch at Hearst Tower. It is an ultra modern tower built on top of an existing building that was commissioned by William Randolph Hearst. We were allowed in the lobby levels which had wonderful views of the neighborhood peeking out between the modern beams that grace the structure.

This is a view through the beams to the outside buildings...with one of our sketchers in the foreground.

From one of the balconies in the lobby there was a great view of a brownstone down on the street.

I had a little time left so I did a quick sketch of the interior beams and hanging tapestries.

Winter Scenes

As you know, we had about 13 inches of snow here last week. Even though I was trapped inside for the day I managed to sketch the view out the living room window. This was done on grey toned paper with ink, watercolor pencils, and white colored pencil.

Once I was able to get out again I found a house in Sayville to paint.

Here's another challenge painting of trees.

Maritime View & Challenge Days 9 & 10

This was painted on one of our warm days right before the snowstorm. It was even warm enough to sit out to paint at the Maritime Museum in Sayville. The painting is 5 x 7.

Here are the next two days in the challenge.

Day 9 - silver wrapper

Day 10 - a mammal

Gerri, Seamus and Challenge Paintings

Gerri posed for us last week at our portrait group. She is the wife of Seamus who posed for us the week before. I usually do two portraits on a page and it worked out that Seamus and Gerri were on the same page. I couldn't resist giving her the two portraits together. She was thrilled.

Meanwhile back in the World Watercolor Challenge I have continued painting.

Day 7 - bones

Day 8 - bird

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Here's a zentangle heart I created today.

And a gelli print I did for Valentine's Day.

 And a Valentine's Day still life I did last Wednesday with my sketch group.

I hope your Valentine's Day is or was great!

Challenge Days 5 & 6 and Stony Brook House

These next two were done for the World Watercolor Group's February Challenge. They are ATC sized (2 1/2 x 3 1/2).

Day 5 - Marsh View at Captree Island.

Day 6 - a bee

I drove up to Stony Brook the other day. I painted this house once before from the other side. I liked the lighting on it and the fact that you could see the hill more on this side. This is 5 x 7.

I forgot to mention...on Saturday I successfully registered for the Urban Sketching Symposium to be held in Chicago in July. Only about 400 people are allowed to register. Saturday was the "early bird" registration and it sold out in 10 minutes. The regular registration (which has the bulk of the 400 spaces) is this coming Saturday. I'd bet it fills up just as quickly. I am excited!!! This will be my first time going.

Challenge Days 3 & 4 and Sayville Scene

Here are two more ATC sized paintings done for the World Watercolor Group February Challenge.

Day 4 - fruit, done from life

Day 3 a fossil, done from a photo taken by my friend, Mythili.

When it was bitterly cold I sat in my mobile studio behind the shops in Sayville. Sometimes the back views of stores are more interesting. Luckily I was able to find a spot in the lot that had a pretty good view.

Stony Brook March and New Challenge

I've been getting a little active politically and attended a march for unity at Stony Brook University recently. I sketched while people were getting organized.

I mentioned I might be starting another challenge. These were done for the February Challenge by the World Watercolor Group. Each day there is a subject for a painting. I am doing small, ATC sized (3 1/2 X 2 1/2 inches) paintings.

Day 1 was sealife.

Day 2 was flowers.

With Laces

When the Patchogue Sketch Group met last week at the library, we were sketching "footwear with laces." I brought the snow boots (which came in very handy today), someone brought an old fashioned boot, and someone brought a sneaker.

Seamus

Seamus has been a model for us several times on Wednesdays. He is fun to paint.

We had a lot of snow today...probably somewhere between 12 and 13 inches according to the weather reports. I haven't been any further than my front door to take a few photos. 

Here is what it looked like about 3 PM. I stayed inside, did some cleaning, and some art.

In and Out at Starbucks

This was sketched from my car in Port Jeff. I saw the woman sitting on the curb outside and loved that I could see the people inside too. I guess she was using the Starbucks wi-fi signal. 

Alcohol Ink Landscape on Yupo

I don't know how I missed posting this earlier. When I was getting ready to teach the alcohol ink class I tried painting on yupo with the alcohol inks. In case you don't know...yupo is a synthetic paper which is sort of like painting on plastic. I've painted on it before with watercolors, but they puddle much more than the alcohol inks and dry much slower. I liked using the inks on the yupo and hope to do more of these. This is 5 x 7.

People Sketches to End the Day

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, due to the huge crowds for the Chinese New Year Festival, we couldn't find a Chinese restaurant that could seat all of us (15 people) for lunch. Most of the restaurants in NYC's Chinatown are tiny and they turn over the tables fast. After checking with a few larger places and not getting anything we headed off to Empenada Mama on Allen Street, a short walk from Chinatown. They were really accommodating and put together enough tables for us to sit as a group. Aside from a few higher tables we had the entire place. I've never eaten empanadas before and the food was really good. We all enjoyed being out of the cold, so much so that after lunch we stayed. We kept ordering drinks and at the end of the day left a really big tip so the waitress was quite happy. Being urban sketchers we always draw until lunch arrives and we had many faces to sketch. Here are the ones that I completed. You can see that the sketchers are usually looking down at their sketchbooks. lol

I did one final sketch for the day on the Long Island Railroad heading home. It was a long day of sketching.