Brookwood Hall and Park in Islip was the meeting point for the Patchogue Sketch Club last week. There is a lake, a ball field, a garden, and Wednesday night there was also a concert. We hadn't sketched there before so there was no set location in the park to meet. I wandered around and found a serenity garden which had a rocky waterfall. It was peaceful and surprisingly enough a few other sketchers found me. It was fun to play with the rocks and foliage.
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.
I was looking for a new location to sketch the other day and drove down to one of the town beaches in Islip. I was happy to find this "Key West" cafe setting up for the season. I think they may have music too once the season starts. They were already serving food which surprised me. I will have to go back.
Recently I drove over to the White Cap Fish Market and Restaurant in Islip. I like the buildings and the semi-nautical vibe of the buildings along the canal. The restaurant was doing a fair business as I sketched. I'll have to try to sketch it in the summer when the outdoor deck is filled with diners.
Riding around in Islip I found this house with a lot of lobster buoys along one of the canals. It reminded me of the houses in Maine. They were prepared with a few boats too.
What can be more fun than sitting and sketching the view in front of you? I sat in my mobile studio and started on the right side of the page sketching down to the building with the clock on it. Then I sketched coming back up the left side of the page. Of course I had to include a few cars in this sketch of Islip...both closeups and a few in the distance. Add a few signs and wires and the sketch is complete.
I believe this house was part of a complex in Islip. I loved the trees covered in green ivy.
I was still in a direct watercolor mood and did that method at the Islip Farmers Market the other day.
I don't get tired of sketching beach grasses. This was done over the weekend at Captree State Park in Islip.
Sometimes I just drive around in areas that have older houses like this one in Islip. I find that they have a lot of character.
We had a semi-mild day last week and I took a ride to Seatuck Nationlal Wildlife Refuge in Islip. I was able to sit outside for a while to sketch which has been a rare thing lately. The breeze picked up and I got cold, so I completed the rest of this from the car.
The day 17 prompt was a "street corner." It was cold out and most spots that I liked I couldn't sit inside my car to sketch. I found this shop on a corner in Islip. I loved the blow-up soldier standing by the steps outside.
The other day I drove over to White Cap Fish Market in Islip to see if there was something there to sketch. Right across the water there were some colorful lobster traps...or I think that's what they were. Most of them were a reddish-orange but there were a few yellow ones and green ones that snuck in. I wonder if the place sells lobster to the public. Hmmm......
Sometimes the clouds are what attracts me to paint something. I saw the sky and knew I had to find an open area to see far in the distance. Although Hecksher State Park is on the Great South Bay in Islip, you could see all the way down to the Captree Bridge in the distance.
While riding along Main Street in Islip recently this food truck caught my eye and I turned around to see if I could get a good sketching view of it. How could I not be excited by that color and fun sign? I sketched and then moved on...no tasting of the dogs was done.
Birds have such great balance. I don't know if I would be happy sitting up there, but it gives them a good vantage point. If they see something that looks like food they're off! This was sketched at a small beach on the bay in Islip.
This building was along Main Street in Islip. I think it is an insurance company. I liked the location for a quick watercolor.
On Saturday I headed into Islip looking for a location to sketch and came across the Islip Farmers Market. I liked that I was able to park and sit close enough to have a good view. The booths were close together so I could put several of them in one sketch. The farm on the left had good corn and tomatoes. Yay!!
I needed to do some sketching for the creativespark.art scavenger hunt that I am posting. One of the items was a fence. I found this one down at a small beach park in Islip.
White Cap Fish Market is located in Islip and is tucked away along a small canal in Islip. It has an actual fish market as well as a small restaurant with an outside deck. It is a rather rustic place where I've sketched many times. There are usually commercial fishing boats tied up around the dock area.
