Sunday, July 31, 2022

Boat Storage

 Just an update. My painting of the sailboats for Bellport Day SOLD. Not only that, but a woman contacted me after seeing the sold sticker on the painting and said the boat and the young man are her son and she was disappointed to find it had sold. She is interested in having me redo the painting.

We have several places where I've found these stacked boats at marinas. These look like they are quite a bit past their prime but I thought they made an interesting subject. This was at a marina in Patchogue.



Saturday, July 30, 2022

Return to Flo's

 Flo's Famous Luncheonette in Bayport has been a popular sketching location for the Patchogue Sketch Club as well as for myself. The sketch club probably made what will be our last visit to this location on Wednesday night. It isn't that the location isn't good, but the town of Brookhaven has made parking in the area a nightmare! Flo's is up the road from a popular local beach and another small restaurant. Things were fine until the town decided to cash in on the popularity of both and put in parking regulations which make it possible for Brookhaven residents with a pass to park, but non-residents need to pay for parking at $3 per hour. Paying $6 to sketch seems a little steep...and who can sketch in less than an hour? Last year you could park on the street north of the area, but the town now has "no parking" signs all over the area. I will have to strategize how to do this by myself. I also used to go down by Corey Beach to sketch but that is affected too.



Friday, July 29, 2022

By the Creek

 I was exploring the area off Brown's River Road in Bayport for possible sketch locations for our Wednesday evening sketch group and came across this building by the creek. 



Thursday, July 28, 2022

Paint Out - Part 4 (Update: Painting SOLD)

On Tuesday morning I joined my plein air group and we were back at the Bellport Marina. There was a lot going on all over. There were boats for sailing lessons that they were getting ready on the small beach. A few minutes after I had these boats sketched in, the kids from the camp group pushed them (and others) into the water and they took off. I hate when my models move away. lol

This is one of the paintings I am putting into the exhibit for Bellport Day. I'm hoping that someone walking around town will connect to the idea of the boy taking lessons and want it. Bellport has a big summer population of people who sail. My fingers are crossed!


 

Wednesday, July 27, 2022

Tuesday, July 26, 2022

Loretta

On Sunday my art group (which is hosting the paint out) had our monthly meeting outdoors at the Bellport Marina. I'm starting to feel that I've been there a bit too much. lol The idea was that after the meeting the artists participating in the paint out would be able to create something there. It was too hot to move from the shady spot where we had the meeting, so I just sketched our treasurer, Loretta Oberheim while she was painting.


 

Monday, July 25, 2022

Farmers Market

 On Saturday I went to the Sayville Farmers Market to sketch...just sketch. I decided it was too hot to walk around. I had a spot in the shade so I was content for a little while.



Sunday, July 24, 2022

Paint Out - Part 3

For my next painting for the paint out I decided to do something actually on Main Street in Bellport. It was very hot so I looked for a shady spot with a nice view. There was a big tree near Bellport Apothecary, a new business in town. They had tables and flowers outside so it seemed like a good spot. There was even someone inside that I could see in the window. I painted until the sun had moved too much and I was sitting in the sun instead of the shade. The manager of the store came out to see what I was doing and asked me if I was going to post it somewhere and I told her it would eventually be on Facebook and Instagram. I told her I was going to stop for that day and come back another morning when the light and shadows would be similar. 


I went back the next morning and continued painting. The woman from the store came out and offered to put everything back in a similar spot so I could continue. I told her that wasn't necessary. She wanted to see it when I was finished. Here it is finished.


The store manager said she told the owner (Giovanni) about the painting and said he was interested in buying it and asked if she could take a photo of it. So the painting is SOLD. I will use two other paintings for the day of the exhibit.



 

Saturday, July 23, 2022

White House in Sayville

I have passed this house in Sayville so many times. It is almost directly opposite the library there. Now that the flowers are in bloom I knew I had to make a stop, but I kept forgetting. Finally I stopped and found a nice shady tree right by a fire hydrant which meant I could sit there and nobody would park in front of me blocking my view.



 

Friday, July 22, 2022

Paint Out - Part 2

For my second painting for the South Bay Art Association's plein air paint out, I headed all the way to the end of Beaver Dam Road in Brookhaven.  The scene is of an inlet from the Great South Bay with reeds and trees. I was painting using a small umbrella that hooked on to my chair for shade. I was there early hoping to beat the heat since it was supposed to hit a high in the low 90s. I couldn't move from where I was sitting and couldn't turn around because of the umbrella. I kept hearing splashing sounds behind me. It turns out there were several people behind me baiting their lines (with chicken legs) to catch crabs.




Thursday, July 21, 2022

Paint Out - Part 1

The South Bay Art Association is hosting a plein air paint out in the towns of Bellport, Brookhaven, and East Patchogue. We can paint at any location in these towns and two paintings from each artist will be exhibited and for sale at Bellport Day on July 30. On Saturday I registered for the paint out and then went over to H.O.G. Farm in Brookhaven. There is a farm with a barn where produce and other things are for sale.


While I was working my friend, Michele DePaolo came by and sat with me chatting while I worked. She also took a photo of me in the field with my painting. She is very good at coming out during paint outs and photographing the participating artists.


 

Wednesday, July 20, 2022

Lefty Lucy with Wings

 Somehow I forgot to post these sketches of Lefty Lucy from the beginning of the month. She has been on a break since and isn't posing again until the beginning of August.




Tuesday, July 19, 2022

La Tavola Reds and Bues

 I was passing La Tavola the other day and had to stop. The red and blue umbrellas were calling.



Monday, July 18, 2022

Stony Brook Water View

Last Tuesday my plein air group, PALS, headed up to Stony Brook Harbor. We've painted there many times in the past so I looked for a different view...and one that was in the shade. I liked this view with the rocks and the water that goes back into the scene.


 

Sunday, July 17, 2022

Woods and Water

  • During the week one day I headed over to Sayville and the beach by the bay. I usually sketch the small beach area but this time I walked along the path that goes into the small park. I liked the bush and the trees with the leaves wrapped around them.


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Saturday, July 16, 2022

Tacos

Somehow this sketch got lost after I did it about 2 weeks ago. Food trucks are making more of an appearance here on Long Island, or else I'm just suddenly noticing them more. This one is along the Long Island Expressway not too far from me. I will have to stop and try the tacos at some point. There are almost always customers there.


 

Friday, July 15, 2022

Mermaid Sketching

 On Wednesday night the Patchogue-Medford Library hosted a live model sketching session with a mermaid. The Starlight Mermaid works as a model as well as at the Riverhead Aquarium. With a wonderful costume and a tail that weighed in at 25 pounds, the mermaid must have great core strength! The poses varied from 1 minute to 20 minutes. The Patchogue Sketch Club as well as members of the library were able to sign up for the session with a cap at 25 sketchers.

We were sketching outdoors under a tent which worked well until the sun started going down and it became a bit too dim to sketch. These old eyes aren't quite what they used to be. lol

It was really a fun sketching session!!!






Here are a few photos of the mermaid.



You can see me in the back of this photo taken by someone from the library. I am second from the left.






Thursday, July 14, 2022

Queens Botanical Garden

 On Sunday the NYC Urban Sketchers had our First Annual Picnic Summer Celebration at the Queens Botanical Garden. Due to Covid we were unable to have a holiday celebration indoors so this was our way of celebrating together. The day included sketching as well as raffles, free art supplies, a silent auction, and some desserts. The best part was spending time with the 80+ members who came to celebrate. Some of the members hadn't been together in person since pre-Covid. I also got to meet several of the members who I had met only on Zoom during our indoor events. We had an indoor space at the gardens but since the weather was so beautiful outdoors, we mostly enjoyed being outside.

By the main building I found Leslie Sim and some koi posing for me.

Pat Gaignat stopped by while I was painting. We hadn't seen each other since the pandemic started.

Facing the gift shop was a great circular gate surrounded by beautiful flowers.



The Queens Botanical Garden is located in part of Flushing that is filled with Oriental businesses and is the second largest Chinatown in New York City. I wanted to include that in one of my sketches so I looked for a scenic spot that gave a glimpse of what was outside the park, like this Oriental market.


It was so great to be back together as a big group again. My thanks to all the members who volunteered and helped organize the event.
















Wednesday, July 13, 2022

Order Here

Last Tuesday my plein air group went to Silly Lilly's Fishing Station in East Moriches. I love their bright yellow color on their buildings. The buoys and their shadows attracted me.



Tuesday, July 12, 2022

Greenhouse

 On the same property as the Sayville Maritime Museum is a small greenhouse known as GROW, which stands for Greenhouse Recreation Opportunities Workshop. This 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.



Monday, July 11, 2022

Farmers Market

On Saturday at The Grange in Sayville there is a farmers market. I sketched one booth and some of the customers.





Sunday, July 10, 2022

At the Grange

 The Islip Grange in Sayville has some interesting buildings. This one reminds me of an outhouse. I'm not sure what it actually is.



Saturday, July 9, 2022

Beach Party

It seems like I haven't sketched people at the beach in a long time. With my hip surgery last year I didn't get there very often. This was done at Robert Moses Beach and these people looked like they were well prepared.


 

Friday, July 8, 2022

Lavender for Sale

 I liked the way Lavender by the Bay had their setup for sales displays...so I sketched it.



Thursday, July 7, 2022

Lavender Field

Lavender is in bloom here! My plein air group went to Lavender by the Bay in Calverton for a morning of sketching. I did two paintings there, and posted the first one as part of the direct watercolor challenge. I love seeing the rows and rows of lavender stretching out before me. Lavender by the Bay now has two locations, this one in Calverton and the first property that we've sketched at before in East Marion. That one gets ridiculously crowded, but I think it is a little more scenic. I just love being surrounded by all the fragrance of the lavender.




 

Wednesday, July 6, 2022

Robinson's Pond

 Along South Country Road is Robinson's Pond which seems to have been taken over by some algae or some kind of green plant. It looks like it should be water lilies, but I know it isn't. We've had that problem with a lot of lakes and ponds here. It still looks pretty with the yellow green surrounded by the dark shadowed water.



Tuesday, July 5, 2022

Concert in the Park

 Last Wednesday the Patchogue Sketch Club went to the Common Ground (park in Sayville) to listen to the band, "In the Groove," and sketch. The band was very good and played mostly 70s music. They made me want to get up and boogy!!! I sketched instead. I slowly sketched each of the band members, although the ones in the back were difficult to see between the other performers. An older couple got up and started dancing right near me and they were so good that I had to include them in the sketch. By the end of the night there were a lot of people dancing. Before I left I showed the sketch to the couple and they were thrilled that I sketched them! I told them I would text them a copy of the painting. They said their kids wouldn't believe it and they couldn't wait to show it to them. They were really sweet people and told me that they try to follow the band where they play in the area and that I should come and watch again. The band also loved the sketch and took photos of it with their phones.



Monday, July 4, 2022

Pansy Pot

I'm trying to keep the momentum going for painting in direct watercolor. I painted this while sitting on my partially covered patio while it was drizzling on Saturday.

 




Sunday, July 3, 2022

Carnival

 This sketch is from a little over a month ago, but with the challenge in June it didn't get posted. I went to sketch the carnival in the parking lot of St Joseph's College in Patchogue. It wasn't yet open for the day, which gave me the opportunity of sitting in my car rather close to the rides. Showers were expected so I figured inside the mobile studio would be the best way to sketch. I watched the sky coming toward me from the direction of the ferris wheel get darker and darker. Then there was a boom of thunder and a deluge of rain. It was impossible to see out the window since it was raining so hard. That lasted about 10 minutes and then the rain stopped and I was able to finish the sketch.



Saturday, July 2, 2022

Zoom Sketching

Last week the Patchogue Sketch Club had to resort to sketching on Zoom due to storms that were forecast in our area. Mark is very good at providing something to sketch at the last minute. We copied several John Singer Sargent paintings of figures. Here are mine.





Friday, July 1, 2022

The All American

 Now that the watercolor challenge is over I can go back and catch up on posting some other things that got put on the side. A few weeks back I met my friend, Suzala for a bit of sketching after I helped my SIL do a few errands. (She couldn't drive for a few weeks after a car accident.) Suzala and I ended up sitting across from a place called the ALL AMERICAN which is an old style burger and franks fast food restaurant. I've never been inside but it seems like the seating is mostly outside. We sat across a busy road at the edge of a strip mall parking lot. A few people honked and waved at us. The hardest part doing the sketch was smelling the food the entire time. We both resisted and didn't have anything to eat there.