I hosted the last Creative Spark Scavenger Hunt. Each hunt contains 26 items to find and sketch. The sketchers can sketch as many or as few as they want/can. It has been a long time since I have been able to finish one of the lists, but I figured if I put the last of the items into one continuous line sketch I could do it. I think there are 11 items in the sketch...all fun to do.
We had a sunny day last week and knowing what the forecast was for the weekend, I hurried down to Robert Moses Beach to paint and enjoy the sun. The dunes had nice shadows.
Recently the Patchogue Sketch Club went to the Sandspit Marina in Patchogue for our sketch night. Right off the end of the parking area is a small lighthouse that we all sketched.
It is the season for The Farm on Lakeland in Sayville to be open for business. Right now they have lots of hanging baskets and flowers in bloom. I sat along the side street to paint this for the 30 x 30 Direct Watercolor Challenge 2025.
I hadn't been to the Suffolk County Farm in Yaphank for a while. There were some flowers in bloom. I painted them in direct watercolor for the 30 x 30 Direct Watercolor Challenge 2025.
The NYC Urban Sketchers met at Domino Park recently. Domino Park is located in Williamsburg along the East River. It was built on the site of the former Domino Sugar Refinery. There is a great view of several of the bridges from there.
I've sketched the entrance to Sayville Beach Park a few times. I like the stone pillar entrance.
I went down to the Bellport Dock and there was a 2nd grade school picnic going on. The kids were running around, but the parents were keeping things organzied. I liked the kids on the side playing Connect Four.
The Dublin Deck over in Patchogue has some fun things in their parking lot.
Who wouldn't like a pirate and a giant chair?
Once again the Long Island Maritime Museum is having a fundraiser. They are restoring The Priscilla, a sixty-foot, 1888 oyster dredge. Her mast had to be replaces and to pay for a new one artists have been painting on slabs of wood cut from Priscilla's mast. Each slice is about 2 1/2 inches thick. Some are perfectly round and some had the bottom flattened so that it can stand up. The paintings will all be for sale/auctioned in the near future. Here is my submission for the fundraiser.
Here it is standing.
Near the Sandspit parking lot in Patchogue you can see across the canal to the Island View Marina. Sometimes there is a lot going on, but this day it was pretty quiet...perfect for sketching.
I was home on Memorial Day and decided to check out the local events to honor the veterans here in Holbrook. The ceremony was held at the Holbrook Vietnam Memorial. The parade started on Main Street at 11:00 and ended at the memorial. I sat and sketched the memorial before the marchers arrived. It was decorated with floral arrangements.
Finally I could hear music and the marchers came into sight. I decided to sketch a little of everything...the police officers with the American flag, a bagpiper, and a family watching the parade. It was nice to experience this with other people from my area...just honoring those that gave so much.
Recently I went to a car show in Babylon. There were old and new cars, but I was attracted to this 1955 Chevy Bel Air. While I was sketching the owner came over to see what I was doing. There was a lot about this model that attracted me.
It was damp and chilly but that didn't stop me from sketching from my mobile studio at the beach in Islip. The Bayside Clam Bar & Grill wasn't open when I was there, but I'm sure it is now open for the season.
Suzala and I took a ride to Cold Spring Harbor, one of the small towns on the north shore in Nassau County. We rode through and found a spot with some good buildings. I focused on this one that has a hair salon.
I do some sketches for the Creative Spark Scavenger Hunts and rather than posting them individually I have saved a few to post together.
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| Something with wings |
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| My palette |
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| The continuous line sketch for my palette |
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| A medium I don't use often - oil pastels |
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| A breakfast item |
My plein air group recently went up to Cedar Beach in Mount Sinai. It is on the Long Island Sound and has some nice sandy areas like this one.
I spent a day with my sister, Mickey recently. We turned it into a bit of an art day and went up to The Gardens of Wycoff near her in New Jersey. We had painted in the rose garden once before and that was our destination. It seems we were a bit early and most of the rose bushes only had buds. The only exception seemed to be a few bushes with white roses.
