Bryant Park Part 2 & Beach Sketch

Bryant Park has a lot of different views. I decided to stay put in the shade but had a nice view across their lawn to the back of the NY Public Library. These two people were sitting and cooling off in my line of site, so I included them too.

Here are some of the sketchers who were with us on Saturday. A few had already left by this time.

Here I am with one of my sketches at show and tell.

It has been a long time since I sat on the beach and sketched people, but I was able to do that today at Robert Moses.

Bryant Park - Part 2

After lunch we continued sketching in Bryant Park. There was a sketch in every direction you looked. This woman was sitting right in front of me...a perfect spot for a model.

I turned about 180 degrees from above and sketched a view of the umbrellas and sandwich kiosk.

This is one of my favorite sketches of the day. It shows the scope across the lawn in the middle of Bryant Park. The building behind the trees is the NY Public Library, an impressive spot on its own.

Around 3:30 those of us who were left gathered around for a "throw down" of one of our sketches. 

Here is the collection...just one sketch per person showing.

And finally a group photo.

Most of the group dispersed at that point but a few of us headed down the street to have a drink. That was followed by a shopping trip to Kinokuniya, a great Japanese store that has a nice collection of art supplies...something none of us can resist.

Friday in the City

On Friday I met two friends in NYC to see the decorations. I went in early so I could sketch a bit. I sketched on the LIRR on the way into the city. This is a young girl that was with her parents. It doesn't look very much like her.

I walked up 34th Street and came to a small park in Herald Square that was decorated.

Next I headed to the NYC Public Library on 42nd Street. This was what I wanted to sketch. Outside the library are two massive stone lions. I believe this one is named Fortitude (the other one is named Patience). At Christmas they usually decorate them both with wreaths around their necks.I only had time to do the sketch before my friends, Maureen and Rhea arrived.

But I did finish it at home.

Around the corner from the Library is Bryant Park which has a tree and a skating rink, but what we wanted were the small stores that are set up for holiday shopping.

Here is a photo of the tree there.

We had lunch, shopped some more and then headed over to Rockefeller Center to see the tree.

It was so crowded and crazy...and it wasn't even dark yet. 

We really wanted to see the tree at night, so we went to have coffee and dessert.

The tree and the lights around Rockefeller Center are just amazing...and the crowds are too!

Here we are in front of the tree.

Maureen and I walked back to Penn Station to catch our respective trains. I had a bit of a wait so I sketched someone buying tickets.

I did one final sketch of a woman on the train going home.

This ends another long, exhausting day in the city!