Saturday - Part II - Hastings-on-Hudson

After lunch in Dobbs Ferry on Saturday we decided to drive over to Hastings-on-Hudson. We went down by the water to paint the view across the Hudson River, but it was too windy to sit there. We had stopped at a really cute coffee shop in the morning that was actually in the Hastings-on-Hudson train station. Susan and I sat there to paint and JoAnn went to do the water view from the railroad platform. I liked the look of this with the tile roof and potted plants.

Slightly up the hill (everything was either up the hill or down the hill) was Maude's Pub. There was a group of people eating at the tables outside and I could hear them laughing from where I was sitting across the street. I found a view on the sidewalk between two parked cars. JoAnn finished her painting and told us she was going to sit at Maude's and have a drink while she sketched, and we should meet her there. So when I finished that's what Susan and I did.

It was a nice change of pace to go to two new places.

Saturday - Part I - Dobbs Ferry

Although the NYC Urban Sketchers were meeting in Queens on Saturday, two friends and I decided to escape Long Island and head a bit north. We were hoping for some hills, quaint towns, and maybe more color on the trees than we had here. Our destination was Westchester County and the towns of Dobbs Ferry and Hastings-on-Hudson. Both are overlooking the Hudson River. We had never been to either town. We drove through Hastings-on-Hudson first to see what was there and grab a coffee before we went to check out Dobbs Ferry.

We decided Dobbs Ferry would be our first sketch location. After driving around a bit I parked at the top of a hill overlooking the water. The only way I could get a good sketch of the whole street was by standing in the middle of the street...so that's what I did to sketch the view. When cars came along I just moved out of the way. (It was a quiet street so there wasn't much traffic.) Then I sat in my chair to the side of the street to add ink and watercolors. 

Next, from the same spot I looked to my right and  I painted a building that was part of either a church or group of community buildings. I know that right behind the rock wall was a community garden where people were working to clean up the garden for the end of the season. I didn't venture over there. I wanted to finish the painting.

Then JoAnn and I walked down the hill to meet Susan in the center of town for lunch. For the afternoon we headed to the neighboring town, Hastings-on-Hudson. More on that tomorrow.

Inktober Day 28 - B&W and Color

Today two friends and I decided to head north a bit and see if there was any color on the trees. We stopped in Dobbs Ferry in Westchester County which is under 1 1/2 hrs from home. Yes, there was more color than here, but I think this year won't be a good year for color. We are expecting a big storm with heavy rain and high wind which will probably knock a lot of the leaves off the trees. Anyway, Dobbs Ferry is a very hilly town. We parked at the top of a rather steep street that had a bit of a view of the Hudson River. I decided that would be the view I would sketch. Of course the best spot was right in the middle of the top of the street, but I couldn't actually sit there. Instead I stood in the middle, moved when a car came, and sketched standing up. Then I inked the pencil sketch. This is how the ink sketched looked when I posted it for Inktober Day 28 today. 

#inktober #inktober2017

I just couldn't leave it as ink only. It was calling for color, color, color! So I added a bit. lol