If you follow me here you probably know that one of my "go to" places is Weeks Yacht Yard in Patchogue. It doesn't matter the season. There is always something going on. A lot of the boats have been shrink wrapped for the winter but a few of them, like this one are uncovered. An all around the boats there is "stuff" to draw...perfect for me.
I've been trying to sketch a few wider and deeper views of the local towns near here. I think I succeeded with the section to the right, but the left is lacking and so is the distant part of the village. It all looks too empty. Patchogue is usually very crowded.
There are so many quirky houses down near the water like this one by the Sandspit Park Marina in Patchogue. It is right next to one of the inlets that lead out to the great South Bay. It is very common for people around here to have a boat on their property.
There is a fairly new coffee house in Bellport that I hadn't been in until last week when I went there for an art reception. I sketched it the next day from the outside and hope to sketch it from the inside soon.
The Patchogue Sketch Club meets at the Patchogue/Medford Library at this time of year and we have a theme. Can you guess our theme? Yes...tea time. Everything in this sketch is something I brought in except for the teacup on the top right. That is one of many teacups that belong to my friend, Pat, and she shared it with me. I love sketching her teacups and teapots.
On Saturday the NYC Urban Sketchers met at the Petrie Court of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This section of the museum has som beautiful sculptures and looks out to Central Park.
I didn't remember to write down the title of this sculpture but it caught my eye with the dark sculpture behind it and the windows looking out at the park.
Happy Thanksgiving to all of you who are celebrating today!
Here is a local scene from Sayville with a bit of the autumn color we still have on our trees.
This building was along Main Street in Islip. I think it is an insurance company. I liked the location for a quick watercolor.
Tuesday was the last day for the year that my plein air group, PALS, met to paint. Our last location is always the Bayport Flower House. By this time of year it is usually too cold to be outside painting (unless you are in a mobile studio) so we happily paint the decorations inside. There is an entire large greenhouse filled with nothing but poinsettias in all different colors. There are so many choices for paintings. This year I selected this Christmas milk can filled with ferns, pinecones and big bells. Several of my paintings done here have been used for my annual Christmas card. Our last day there always fills us with the holiday spirit and spurs us on to get ready for our annual exhibit and sale.
I'm still chasing the autumn leaves here on Long Island. I like when I can look down a street toward the bay and see different colors on each tree. This was painted on Academy Lane in Bellport.
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The autumn colors here are slowly disappearing, so I'm trying to capture them when I see them. This was done locally.
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Of course when I was out on the North Fork to do the farmhouse that I posted yesterday, I did more than one small painting in my concertina sketchbook. This is the Cutchogue New Suffolk Free Library. The original part of the library was actually a church at one time, but it was donated to the town for a library when the congregation returned to their original church. This section houses the children's section of the library. Attached is a beautiful more modern section. I'm attaching a photo of what it looks like together. It is beautiful inside and out.
I did some work in my North Fork of Long Island concertina sketchbook last weekend. This was done out somewhere near Cutchogue. I liked the fenced area (to keep out the deer) near the house. I still have a few more pages to complete.
The other day I was riding around looking for some colorful trees in Bayport. Out of the corner of my eye I spied some activity going on...road work! Yay!! I went around the block so I could be facing what was going on and lucked out because it was a street that was really free of other cars parked, so I had a good view. Workers in yellow vests, a Komatsu digger, a truck with supplies, cones, a "road work ahead" sign and colorful autumn leaves...what a great cast of characters!
Buckley's is an Irish Pub along Main Street in Center Moriches. According to the window on the left it was the original home of the Long Island Hotel. I googled that but haven't come up with any information about it, so I don't know if it is true. It looks like a fun place and was colorful enough to capture my attention while I was driving by. Maybe I'll have to try it some time. I'm always looking for interesting looking places that are different. Too many places here in Suffolk County are in cookie-cutter mini malls and have no character on the outside.
Last week when it was warm I made several trips to Robert Moses State Park. 3 out of the 4 days I sketched or painted the Fire Island Lighthouse. I can't resist!!
Last Tuesday my plein air group, PALS, went to the Suffolk County Farm to paint. It was windy and cold so my goal was to find someplace to sit where the wind was blocked. I ended up sitting next to one of the small barns and I had this view in front of me. I wasn't crazy about it until the sun came out and it lit up the area and created great shadows. I was really happy with the way it came out.
When I go to Robert Moses State Park there are some wonderful beach grasses to paint when I am looking away from the ocean. These always fascinate me and the sky in that direction is usually interesting.
I guess you can tell how much I love the beach. There is always something to sketch or paint. This was done at Smith Point Beach.
During the nice, warm weather we had earlier in the week I made several trips down to the ocean. It is hard to resist painting the Fire Island Lighthouse when I go to Robert Moses State Park. I can't even imagine how many times I've painted it...and I can always paint it again.
On Saturday my friend, Suzala and I decided to stay more local. I suggested going to a place I went to many years ago. The property was the estate of the poet, William Cullen Bryant in Roslyn and is called Cedarmere. I probably hadn't been there in 25 years. It borders on Roslyn Harbor and has a pond, boathouse, house, mill, and gardens. It is sort of hidden and you can easily pass the entrance without realizing it. It was wonderfully filled with autumn colors...in fact so many leaves were on the ground and the trees that you could hardly see the pond.
I was up on the north shore for an appointment the other day so I figured I would look for someplace up there to paint. I've been to so many locations many times, so I was looking for a place I hadn't been. Old Field Point Lighthouse kept popping up in my searches. It overlooks Long Island Sound in Old Field Village. I couldn't believe there was a lighthouse in this area that you could drive to but that I hadn't visited. It took quite a while to take the meandering road out there, but I thought it was worth the trip.
Last Tuesday my PALS plein air group met at the Quogue Wildlife Refuge. The forecast was for drizzle in the early morning but clearing by the time rush hour was over. We meet at 10:00 so that sounded like it would work out, but at 10 it was still misting. The refuge has an indoor nature center with huge, nearly floor to ceiling windows overlooking a former ice pond. They opened the building early for us so that we could stay dry. This was the lovely view.
I love seeing walkways with shadows on them. Add some autumn colors and I'm a happy camper.
The Patchogue Sketch Club has been meeting indoors since the days are shorter. One week we sketched fruit. Here is my assortment.
I hope I didn't post this before. It has been sitting on my desktop for a long time. I did it the same day as I did an Inktober sketch of the commercial fishing boats on Dune Road in Hampton Bays. I love the many, many different dune views I find.
This house in Bellport must have a wonderful view of the Great South Bay expecially at sunrise. It is a few houses from the water along Bellport Lane but is set up on a fairly high incline with no other houses in the way of the view. It overlooks the Bellport Dock property. Wish I was nervy enough to contact some of the owners of the houses I'm always sketching. lol I need an agent!
With Inktober taking over the month of October I have some sketches that never got posted. This is a painting of Bodhi's Beach Shack. I did it as one of the postcards that I did for the troops. In the summer Bodhi's was very popular and crowded...sometimes with entertainment. On this day it was a windy, cool October day and I don't think Bodhi's was even open. I'm not sure why the one umbrella was open.
