Grand Central

Grand Central was my destination on Saturday. The Long Island Railroad has just started offering train service to Grand Central (at E 42nd St & Park Ave). Previously the LIRR trains all terminated at Penn Station (at 34th St & Seventh Ave). To get from one to the other you needed to take the subway and then a shuttle from the west side to the east side).  The new station for the LIRR is about 15 floors below ground level with an insanely long escalator that made me dizzy. 

I did one sketch on the train going into the city.  I originally planned on sketching part of this woman's friend who was seated opposite her, but I ran out of room and only sketched her one knee. lol

Grand Central was where the NYC Urban Sketchers were meeting. It is a wonderful place for sketching architecture as well as people. I started out on the main concourse where the famous clock where everyone seems to meet is located. The clock is surrounded by a vast and wonderful space. If I had been a little quicker setting up there was a group of 5 dancers performing right in front of me, but I wasn't ready to sketch before they finished. lol

After a break for lunch with the other sketchers, I remained downstairs where the dining hall is located. I sat across from Luke's Lobster to sketch. I had lobster bisque from there for my lunch. The sign says they were voted New York's best lobster roll. I can't say if that is true, but if the lobster bisque was any indication the sign may be right.

At 3 o'clock we gathered for show and tell in an empty area downstairs. Luckily most of our sketchers had their own stools to sit on. 

Pardon my ranting here. My big beef presently is that since they renovated the downstairs food stands ALL the seating has been removed, except for the businesses that have specially roped off areas for their customers. Previously there were many tables and chairs available and long wooden benches in some locations for seating. Those are ALL GONE!!! Commuters who are tired and need a break before their trains, parents with children, seniors who physically may not be able to stand for a long time, and disabled people really have no options for seating. It is disgraceful!!! Tables that you have to stand at are the only options available. Upstairs they constantly make announcements that customers are not allowed to sit on the floor or on the stairs. I guess we are lucky they allowed us to use our chairs/stools. Unfortunately I think this lack of seating is a trend in most large stations.

 

Train Ride

On Saturday I decided I wanted to go into the city and join the NYC Urban Sketchers for the day. My friend whose husband usually drives us into the city couldn't go. It was a big decision to go it alone on the Long Island Railroad (LIRR) and subway (the Q train). The train only leaves Ronkonkoma (my station) once an hour on the weekend. That meant I either had to take the 7:31 am train and get there at 9:10 before the location opened, or take the 8:31 am train and be a little late. I opted to be a little late. 

When I got on the train there was a family already seated in the middle section where the seats face each other...yay...that is the perfect spot to sketch people if I sit on the opposite side in the next row on the aisle. There weren't too many people on the train and a few of them were masked. The group I was facing included 2 grandparents and 3 kids. They were all busy eating breakfast when I got on so I sat down and had my bagel and coffee as we started to pull out of the station. They rode as far as Jamaica and then got off to switch trains to Brooklyn. It was just enough time (about an hour) to finish my sketch. I didn't sketch grandma because the seat blocked her.

 

Inktober Day 27 - Around Tudor City Part 2

My Day 27 Inktober Sketch or sketches were done on the Long Island Railroad going into the city. Usually I don't sketch on the LIRR in ink because the vibration of the train is too jerky, but I figured for Inktober I would give it a go. These two people were sitting in the same row but came on the train at different stops and didn't know each other.

#inktober

#inktober2019

Once the Halloween Doggie Parade was over (see yesterday's post), we met in the park and had lunch and talked a bit. Then I went out of the park and back on the street. We were a bit elevated on Tudor City Lane which gave us a great view of the Chrysler Building. I could only fit a small part of it on my paper.

I finished the above sketch and had about 30 minutes before we were meeting for our "show and tell." I ended up doing a quick watercolor sketch of the view out of one side of the park. Using just a few pencil lines for placement I did most of the sketch directly in watercolors. I finished just in time.

Gas Station and People

On Sunday when I was driving around I found this cute old gas station that was somewhere between Hampton Bays and East Quogue. I loved the old pump and the flag on the building.

This was done mostly with watercolors and ink and then a little watercolor pencil on the trees.

These two sketches were from Saturday. I usually do a full sketch when I take the train from all the way out by me, but because I was going to Brooklyn Terminal the connections were better if I left from Hicksville. That means the ride to Jamaica Station was short. I did this directly in ink which I find hard to do on the LIRR. For some reason there is a vibration that I feel and it makes the ink lines very raggedy. This lady was sitting so that one of the seats partially blocked her so the sketch isn't quite complete, but it resembles her a lot.

Coming home I had a short wait in Jamaica where I was switching trains so I sketched one of the commuters that was standing nearby. This was done directly in ink.

Construction

Like so many of you I have been following the news reports of the destruction and effects of Hurricane Irma. Although it has lessened in intensity it has affected and will continue to affect so many people. My thoughts and prayers go out to all of those affected.

Every time I have been to the Hicksville LIRR Station lately there have been workmen busily working on renovations. Usually I am taking the train form there and don't have time to stop and sketch. Yesterday we were there for another reason and were early, so my friend and I went up to the platform, plunked down our chairs and did a sketch of some of the workmen. They are putting a roof over the platform which will come in handy in wet weather.

Urban Sketching

Today I went into NYC to meet the NYC Urban Sketchers. I went in on the LIRR and was able to sketch a bit in route. There were a few cooperative victims who were in my range of sight.The ride is
1 1/2 hrs so I was able to do more than one sketch.

I was early so I did one sketch outside Penn Station looking across Seventh Avenue.

Luckily I dressed warmly because it was cold and windy.

The plan was to meet on 44th St near the Shubert Theatre to sketch some of the theaters in the area.

When I arrived Mark, Svetlana, and Pat had already been sketching and were freezing.

Svetlana suggested that instead of sketching the theatres we go to her office building which was in Times Square and sketch the views from the windows. It sounded warm and very comfortable.

Mark had lots of room to spread out and paint.

Svetlana made the most of the view.

Pat worked digitally.

We were on the 25th floor and had nice views of the rooftops and buildings.

I did a few.

After a while we headed down to another office on the 15th floor which had a view of the Times Square area. Marie joined up with us there.

It is always fun to sketch Times Square but difficult because many of the billboard designs

change constantly or are moving. I did my best.

I did another sketch facing a different view.

Svetlana was sketching the view of Times Square.

Around 3 o'clock the group split up and people went off to do other things.

I decided to head back to 44th Street and sketch one of the theaters.

Here is the Shubert Theatre where the musical, Matilda is presently playing.

I headed back to Penn Station for the 5:15 train home.

I did get in one last sketch of a woman who was facing me.

I think I did pretty well, and touched on a variety of subject.

Sketching in the West Village

Yesterday I decided to join the NYC Urban Sketchers in the city. The best bet for me was to take the LIRR to get there so I took the 7:40 train from Ronkonkoma to Penn Station. It is fun sketching on the train if you can get a good view. At first I only had a view of a woman through the opening between the seats. I used my wc pencils and ink for these sketches.

But then a woman sat across the aisle and one row ahead of me.

Finally someone got on and I got a good view of him...and finished 

just before we pulled into Penn Station.

Mark scheduled us for a walking tour of locations related to writers.

We met at 1 Washington Square North to sketch the former home of Henry James and Edith Wharton.

It is a lovely red brick building.

Here is my sketch of it.

I also did a quick sketch of the view down Washington Square North.

This was done directly in watercolors with no pencil lines.

Next we headed off to 130 Macdougal Street which was the home of Louisa May Alcott.

No luck there. Either the building is gone or it was turned into part of the college.

By this time we were freezing and spied the Tea Spot just across the street at 127 Macdougal Street.

What a find! It was warm and cozy with an interesting interior perfect for sketching.

And the woman behind the counter (and the other customers) couldn't have been nicer.

I did a view of the counter with Angela working behind the counter.

Of course when she brought over our assorted teas and a teapot of extra hot water it made a still life that none of us seemed to be able to ignore.

Part of the fun of sketching with other artists is seeing what they find interesting to sketch, talking about sketching and supplies, and just enjoying the day...and often the food we eat.

Here are Mark and Mia who were sketching across from me.

Suma was sketching to my left.

Marie was trying to help Svetlana with a problem she was having loading ink into her new pen.

We were there for quite a while so I also had time to do some sketches of people...some look a bit like the person I was sketching but some not so much. 

Here is the whole group at the table...from the left are Svetlana, Marie, Me, Suma, Mia and Mark.

We noticed the sun was finally out so after a bit of lunch we bundled up again and headed outside.

There were several places related to writers along Grove Street. We stopped at 10 Grove Street which is where O'Henry lived when he wrote the short story "Last Leaf." It must be a popular spot on tours because big groups of people would stop to see the garden behind the gate.

Here is Mark sketching the building.

And Svetlana sketching.

Here is my sketch from that location.

By this time some of the artists were ready to call it a day. Mark, Mia and I headed off to the White Horse Tavern for something to warm up and have something warm to drink before we headed to our trains/buses. I didn't sketch inside (Mark did. He sketches everything.)

We walked back to the subway while the sun was going down. It was a great day of sketching. My thanks to Mark who did so much research and organizing for our day. I didn't get to sketch on the train going back home because my car was very empty and I didn't have a view of anyone near me.

All in all I think it was a productive day!

A Trip to Manhattan

Yesterday I was meeting two friends in Manhattan to see the Christmas decorations. I took the LIRR (Long Island Railroad) into the city. The ride takes about 1 hr 15 min so I had a bit of time to sketch one of the commuters.

 

Once I got into the city I had about an hour before I was meeting my friends so I walked as quickly as I could from Penn Station on 33rd Street up to 48th St and Sixth Ave where these huge red balls caught my eye. So I found a spot and sat and sketched.

 

By the time I was nearly done my friends had arrived and the rest of the day was spent walking around Manhattan, especially the shops in Bryant Park and the Christmas Tree at Rockefeller Center. Here are a few photos from my day.

The skaters in Bryant Park.

The tree in Bryant Park.

Decorations along Sixth Avenue.

 

 

The angels in Rockefeller Center.

 

And the Rockefeller Center tree.