Green-Wood Cemetery Sketching

The destination for the NYC Urban Sketchers recently was Green-Wood Cemetery in Brookly. We've sketched there before, but for me it has been a few years. Just outside of the main entrance is the Weir Green-House. Originally it was just a place to purchase flowers for the cemetery, but it has been renovated recently and is now the visitor's center for Green-Wood Cemetery as well as a place to buy flowers. It is a beautiful building from the outside, but I didn't have a chance to go inside.

My next sketch was of the main gate to Green-Wood Cemetery. At the top of the tall spire is a huge nest that is the home to the Broolyn parrots. There is a large (and quite vocal) colony of parrots that make their home in the entrance. The story goes that back in the 1960s the original parrots escaped from a shipment which arrived at Kennedy Airport from South America. The escaped parrots found their way to Brooklyn and have been there ever since. It is entertaining to watch them fly in and out of the spire.

Across from the entrance is a high hill (said to be the highest spot in Brooklyn) that offers a great view of the entrance itself and the NYC skyline in the distance. I climbed up to the top of the hill and sat with quite a few other sketchers who had the same idea. It was a perfect location until I had to figure out a way to get down from there. I always find going down a hill or down stairs to be more difficult than going up. The two ladies who I sketched in front of me were mother and daughter. The mom was from Florida and her daughter lives nearby in Brooklyn. Neither had ever sketched with our group before.

Our show and tell was scheduled for 3:00 so I had a full hour to find another location to sketch. I wandered and found this view on the side of that same hill. The trees here are massive since many of them are original trees that were here in the 1860s when the cemetery opened.

At our show-and-tell there were about 35/40 sketchers. It is always fun to see how everyone interprets the scenes at a location.

The only downside to the day was the incredible amount of traffic that we sat in going home. The distance from the cemetery to our first stop to drop someone off was 58 miles. It took us nearly 2 1/2 hours. My thanks to my friend, Susan who drove through the traffic. Then she and I had another 1/2 hour to drive...luckily without traffic.

Inktober Day 17 - Huge Tree & Green-Wood Cemetery Part III

My plein air painting group went to Frank Melville Memorial Park in Setauket this morning. I've sketched and painted there many times. Sometimes it is hard to find something to inspire you when you have been there before. I think in the entire landscape there was one tree that had changed color and the red barn that usually entices me was wrapped in orange fencing because they are repairing it. So a friend and I walked around a bit on one of the paths I hadn't been on before. We found this huge tree with a strange bamboo grove behind it. It wasn't something I would paint but I thought it made a good Inktober subject. I used my twig, Chinese ink, and a stencil brush for this one.

#inktober #inktober2017

My last sketch from Green-Wood Cemetery was done from up on a hill looking back at the main entrance to the cemetery. I believe that the highest spot in Brooklyn is in Green-Wood Cemetery. Up at the top of that tall spire in the entrance is this huge nest and it is the home to the Brooklyn parrots. Parrots you ask...yes. There is a large colony of parrots that make their home in the entrance to Green-Wood Cemetery. Apparently back in the 1960s the parrots escaped from a shipment which arrived at Kennedy Airport which was coming from South America. The escapees found their way to Brooklyn. They have been there ever since. It is fun to watch them flying in and out of the openings in the entryway. I wish they came down a little closer so you could really see them.

Inktober Day 16 - Scarecrow & Green-Wood Cemetery Part II

Today was a damp day so I didn't want to sit outside and sketch. I figured that if I went back to Bellport I could find a parking spot near one of the scarecrows and sketch from my car. Moday is a fairly quiet day in Bellport. I picked "Farmer Joann" or did she pick me? LOL I didn't realize her name until I got out of the car to check. I used my Elegant Writer pen and Lamy with waterproof ink for this. #inktober #inktober2017

Yesterday was a busy day at Green-Wood Cemetery. I spied another angel to sketch. In fact, I could have spent several days there sketching angels. If you haven't heard of this cemetery here is a bit of information about it. It is a National Historic Landmark and was founded in 1838. By 1860 it was attracting 500,000 visitors a year. Today people enjoy the 478 acres of hills, valleys, ponds and paths. It has one of the largest outdoor collecting of 19th and 20th century statuary and mausoleums. Since it is so popular trolley tours are given to take you around this huge place.

Inktober - Day 15 - At the Cemetery

Today the NYC Urban Sketchers went to Greenwood Cemetery in Brooklyn. It is a huge place and the burial place of some famous people like Leonard Bernstein and Louis Tiffany. We drove around to find a good view to sketch and ended up by one of the back gates. I'm going to post this first, because it was what attracted us to this area...the prostrate angel was so moving that I had to sketch it. I used watercolor pencils for this.

This next sketch is my Inktober Day 15 sketch done right around the same area as the angel. I used my Lamy pen with waterproof black ink as well as my Elegant Writer to make some areas bleed.

Green - Wood Cemetery

I met up with the NYC Urban Sketchers at Green - Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn today.
It is a national historic landmark and is celebrating 175 years this year.
It is a beautiful place with interesting architecture, views, and celebrities who are buried there like Leonard Bernstein, "Boss" Tweed, and many others.

We met at the main gate which was very interesting. Above the gate is a huge nest of green parrots.
Apparently the original parrots escaped upon arrival at Kennedy Airport and they and their descendants have taken up residence here. I sketched part of the gate, and you can see the big nest in the center.

We moved on to sketch this large copper beech tree. When I finished I sketched several members of the group.

Here are a few photos from today.

First Matt and Carol standing, James standing, and Susan sitting.

Richard and Mark

Matt and Carol showing their work.

One of the many views.

Richard sketching.

Next some of us headed off to lunch at a local bar. Members of the group continued sketching while we were there, sketching the bar patrons inside or outside in the garden like I did.

A few of us went back to sketch at the cemetery again before heading home.