Dunes at Smith Point

I really enjoy sketching the dunes at the beach. They are constantly changing from day to day and hour to hour. This was done at Smith Point Beach.

Seatuck

My Wednesday night sketch group recently went to Seatuck Environmental Center in Islip to sketch. The building itself isn't usually open in the evening, just the grounds, but one of our sketchers works there and was able to keep it open for us to see an exhibit that was inside and sketch in the gardens of the historic house. 

Here are some of the other sketchers at work.

Patchogue Carnival

A week or so ago we had a carnival come to Patchogue. I swear the same rides are in every carnival so there isn't much difference between one and another that we have here. I started this with the slide and it sort of morphed into a sketch of all the rides. lol I couldn't stop myself. I did this from my car before the carnival opened for the day. I thought that was safer than sitting in the parking lot and being run over by someone who didn't notice me. lol

Sayville House

Well, things are back to normal...no bit art events on the horizon. Now I can catch up on some of the paintings that never got posted before PGSB. I have this thing about side gardens and I'm chuckling at this painting because I did one today in Eastport that looks very similar. This was done in Sayville and the flag and Adirondack chair caught my eye.

PGSB Finale

Yesterday was the exhibit, reception and wet paints sale for Paint the Great South Bay. It was held at the Patchogue Art Gallery on Terry Street from 1-5. The artists were allowed to hang 2 paintings of their choice in the gallery and bring the other paintings to display and sell outside. We didn't have as many people attend as we hoped but we did have some people and some purchases. Here are a few photos from the day.

Here I am with my paintings done during the week that weren't framed for the gallery show.

The painting below on the left of the urn in the garden, "Terry Street Garden" sold at the show. Yay!!!

Here is my painting (on the top), "Marshland."

Rosi Berry and her two paintings are below.

JoAnn Zambia did two small paintings that go together.

Here is Gina Lento with a pastel she did the other night during a festival event in Patchogue on Thursday called Alive After 5.

This year for the first time we had children participate. They were the daughter and son of one of the artists and painted with him at several of the locations. They both won awards.

And Anika's two paintings on the right both sold at the show.

 Jennifer Mesticky with her two paintings.

Mark Propper did an unusual painting of grasses lit at night by an outdoor lamp post.

Jeanne Salucci with one of her paintings.

Regina Halliday with one stormy painting and one sunny beach scene.

I should have taken photos of all the paintings but a big part of the day was being able to socialize with everyone. I think there were 4 paintings in all that sold.

PGSB Part 5

Yesterday was the last day of painting for Paint the Great South Bay. In the morning we had a "quick draw" event. Between 8 and 9 am artists had their canvas/paper stamped with my pink logo and then went to paint in a location of their choice. Linda and I went to Weeks Boat Yard which is located nearby. I can always find something there to paint. I sketched one of the boats on the other side of the marina. I was hiding in the shade from another one of the boats.

Linda was also tucked in the shade of one of the boats. She does really colorful, bright paintings...a style I love but could never do.

The artists had to be back at the front of the Patchogue Theatre promptly by 12 noon for their painting to be checked. The framed pieces were then on display from 12-1 and any people passing by the theater were asked to vote for their favorite. The winner got 2 tickets to one of the theater events. 

Here are some people casting their votes.

The winning people's choice was the painting by Jeanne Salucci which is all the way over on the easel on the left.

Left to right: Beth Giacoummo (Executive Director of the Patchogue Arts Council, Jeanne Salucci, Linda Davison Matheus, Debbie Taylor Meekins, Gina Lento, and Michael Chait

 Not all the artists took part in the quick draw. Some were still out painting in other locations to get their last pieces done for the event. Dropoff of the artwork was Saturday night and then the paintings were hung and the exhibit was open to the public today.

PGSB Part 4

My location yesterday morning for Paint the Great South Bay was the Fire Island Ferry in Sayville. There was a fair amount of activity but people kept moving around. I sketched the people first knowing it wouldn't be long before they would board the ferry and be gone. I knew the buildings weren't going anywhere.

 Here's what it looked like after my models left. 

New people started to arrive for the next scheduled ferry as I kept on painting.

Here is the finished painting.

Then last evening the artists were invited to paint from the rooftop of the Village Walk, a new assisted living facility that opened in Patchogue. They provided dinner for us too. It was nice on the rooftop but there wasn't a lot of room and there were limited views. We all had fun.

Painting as the sun went down.

Photo by Krystle DiNicola.

I haven't finished the painting yet...stay tuned.

Rosie Berry painting.

Mary Jane Cerito (back) and Linda Davison Mathues (front).

Regina Halliday at her easel.

Patchogue after dark.

Even the moon came out to greet us last night.

Photo by Krystle DiNicola.

PSGB Part 3

Yesterday I met my friend, Gina at the Maritime Museum grounds in Sayville. The views across the marsh are what I planned for my painting for Paint the Great South Bay. I brought along a rectangular watercolor paper to do more of a panoramic view. I stood out on the dock that is closest to the marsh, but Gina focused on one of the maritime buildings for her pastel. She took a photo of me working out on the dock. You can see me there facing the marsh.

Here is my painting at the beginning stages.

And here it is a little while later.

Here is the finished painting.

 I think I mentioned the other day that I was interviewed for an article that was going into our biggest Long Island newspaper, Newsday about the Paint the Great South Bay event. The article was in the paper yesterday! I don't know if you can enlarge the words enough to read them, but I am quoted.

PGSB Part 2

For my next painting location I joined my plein air group, PALS, at the Bayard Cutting Arboretum in Oakdale. It is within the boundaries of Paint the Great South Bay. There is an area near the dahlia garden that is a community garden. I did that view. You can see a lot of blue in the painting because I was using the method I learned in Porto for using indigo for the shadows.

Here is the finished painting.

 

My friend, Mary O'Connor took a photo of me while I was working.

PGSB Part I

I am once again participating in Paint the Great South Bay (PSGB), a week long plein air event held locally. I believe I have taken part in three of them.  From this past Saturday to this coming Saturday we can paint anywhere in the designated area. Included in the organized events (which are optional) are nocturnal painting nights, a visit to the beach in the evening, a quick-draw event, and painting from a rooftop building. Artists must have their papers/canvases stamped before they can paint. This year they did a competition for the design of the PGSB rubber stamp and mine was selected. I won free admission to the event as well as a free renewal to the Patchogue Arts Council for the year.

Here is the stamp I designed printed on the flier for the event.

On Saturday I headed over to the Sayville Farmers Market. I wasn't sure what the weather would be like since it was spritzing on and off, so I parked my car where I would have a good view of a booth and then wedged my beach umbrella between the door and the seats of the car. It offered a little protection just in case. Of course people came along and checked out what I was doing, even the man who organizes the market. He asked me to send him a copy of the finished painting so that he could post it on the Sayville Farmers Market website, and to also send the details about the reception which will be this Sunday. Here are some photos of my setup and progress.

Our first organized event was on Saturday evening. I met with some of the other artists prior to picking a location. We were told that there would be a photographer and a writer who would be doing an article about the event for our largest newspaper in the area, Newsday. The weather forecast was not good so I decided to get started quickly and paint near somewhere where I could take shelter if it started raining. I went into the Terry Street Garden which was near the Patchogue Arts Gallery. The photographer came over and took photos of me working. I think she took photos of 2/3 of us before it started to rain.

This is how far I go on the painting before the rain started. I packed up quickly and ran for cover by the gallery nearby. It rained for hours! My friend, Gina was so wet that she had to call her husband to bring her some dry clothes. It probably started raining about 7 and the writer wasn't coming until 8. Most of the artists (except for 3 of us) left once there was a slight lull in the rain. Gina, Segundo and I hung around until the writer came to do the interviews. The article should be in Newsday either today or tomorrow.

I didn't paint on Sunday because I had the monotype workshop. On Monday I debated as to whether or not I wanted to go back and work on the same painting or find a new location. I decided to return...once again the sky didn't look promising, but luckily it didn't rain. I decided to enhance the urn with some inkwork using my Elegant Writer pen. 

As the painting progressed I used more of the ink in the painting.

The finished version of the painting is below.