Cherry Trees

We are lucky to still have some cherry trees in bloom here. These were in Oakdale. 

Spring Colors

I knew there would be some trees in bloom at a certain location in Oakdale along Sunrise Highway's service road. There are some corporate buildings and a large grassy area with some pink blossoming trees across the lawn. 

Apparently the lawn is popular among the geese who were enjoying themselves in typical goose style.

 

Snowy Oakdale

 My challenge was to find different scenes that still have snow. This was down near a restaurant in Oakdale.

Oakdale Path

Yes, our snow is still around...due to the cold very little of it has melted. I found another path into a wooded area. This one is in Oakdale right off Montauk Highway.

Idle Hour in Oakdale.

 Idle Hour is a former Vanderbilt estate that is located in Oakdale. Part of it is in use by Dowling College. and part of it (stables, barns, etc) were developed into small houses. Apparently for a while it was used as an artist's colony. Today the houses are rather exclusive and parking in the area is restricted to residents only, but I've found one small street where it is possible to park for a while and sketch.

Mexican Entry

I've sketched at the Mexican restaurant, Viva La Vida in Oakdale several times. I like the contrasts of color in their architecture and decorative elements. This was done for the 30 x 30 Direct Watercolor Challenge.

 

Daffs at the Arboretum

 We had some damp, very windy days so my mobile studio came in handy. I was hoping that some of the trees would be in bloom at the Bayard Cutting Arboretum in locations where I could see them from the parking lot, but that didn't happen. I could see large areas of blooming daffodils, so I settled for that. Right before I pulled into a space a man had been over by the flowers. He came back to his car with a fistful of daffodils that he handed to his girlfriend/wife and they drove away. Although it is called a "cutting" arboretum picking the flowers is not allowed!

Idle Hour House

There is an interesting area near Oakdale called Idle Hour. It was part of one of the Vanderbilt estates and later the main house was dontated to Dowling College for their main building. The remaining small buildings which a greenhouse, two guardhouses, stables, pens for animals, a hen houses, small barns, etc. Over the years they have been converted into small, very interesting buildings. At one time this was an art colony. I can't imagine how cramped they are inside and would love to have a peek into a few of them. This is one of the larger buildings in that area that is attached to another section that I believe is also part of the same house. 

Antique Store

 I've passed this antique store in Oakdale many, many times and have always thought about sketching it. The problem is it is in a strip mall, and there is never a good spot to sit and sketch it. When I passed the other day there were a few parking spaces across from the store so I backed my car in so that I was facing it. It was too cold to sit outside but using my "mobile studio" worked well. I was surprised at the amount of traffic that went through that door while I was there. Of course before I finished someone came out and moved things around and took a few items into the store.

Trees in Oakdale

 I was down by the bay near Timber Ridge, a golf community in Oakdale. There were still some green trees there.

Manor House and More

This is part of the manor house at the Bayard Cutting Arboretum in Oakdale. I was planning to join my plein air group around the other side of the house, but when I saw this view I knew I was going to paint it. I joined the other ladies for lunch instead.

One of the items on the scavenger hunt for Creative Spark was the front of a house. I did this one with my magic pencil. The house was down by the bay in Sayville.

Dahlia Daze

PALS, my plein air group visited the Bayard Cutting Arboretum recently to paint the dahlias. I am always fascinated by the different colors and the kinds of petals. 

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Ice Palace

The forecast for the day was rain, but it looked like it was clear enough that I could get out someplace local and sketch before that happened. The colorful Ice Palace in Oakdale caught my eye. I didn't trust the weather so I sat in my mobile studio in the auto repair parking lot across the street. It was a good thing I did because it did pour for a few minutes and then rained lightly for a while. I was smart enough to sketch the people when I first got there...just in case they had to leave and seek shelter.lol Once the heavy rain passed there were other people who stopped for ices and sat under the umbrellas. I still haven't tried their ices, and I've sketched there before. 

You can see the other sketches I've done of the Ice palace in 2022 here and in 2012 here.

Cherry Blossoms and Forsythia

 When the first cherry blossoms started appearing I would pull over and sketch them, like these blossoms and the yellow forsythia in Oakdale.

Usk Sketchmas Day 20 - Bakery

 The prompt for day 20 was "bakery" and I went to La Roma Pastry Shop in Oakdale. I heard about the bakery through friends but had never stopped there before. I got a cappuccino and biscotti to enjoy while I was sketching and sat down at a table. The biscotti were delicious and the bakery was festively decorated, active with people coming in, and a pleasure to be in. I was there for quite a while before one of the workers came over to see what I was sketching. Then everyone took a look. The owners and the staff were so nice and just loved that I took the time to come in and sketch their bakery. I will definitely be going back.

Usk Sketchmas Day 2

The day 2 prompt for Usk Sketchmas was "mode of transport." I was able to find a scene that not only was a mode of transport but was a Christmasy scene too. This was sketched at a tree lot in Oakdale. 

Umbrellas, Umbrellas, Umbrellas

In Oakdale there is a Spanish restaurant called Viva La Vida. I love their colorful colors and the collection of umbrellas in their outside dining area.

Moku Loa Paddle Tribe View

I sat in the parking lot to get this view of Moku Loa Paddle Tribe, a paddle board rental location along the Connetquot River in Oakdale. I thought I was sketching kayaks but their website says they offer paddle board lessons, tours, and social paddles. Who knew? It looks like a fun place...but I have no sense of balance. lol

 

Pink Tree at the Station

Like my friend, Tina Koyama, at this time of year I stop in my tracks for trees covered in pink blossoms. (I think she sketches many more of them than I do.) I was driving by the Oakdale Train Station and spotted this tree. I had to stop...#1 It was beautiful and #2 there was a parking space waiting for me. I found it hard to differentiate the color of the blossoms from the brickwork and am not sure if I succeeded.

Oakdale Tree Lot

While passing through Oakdale the other day I came across a Christmas tree lot that I hadn't stopped at before. It was fun to sketch a few of the items there as well as the trees.