Avalon Preserve in Autumn

 I was up in Stony Brook the other day and found some color by the Avalon Preserve. It looks very different from what it looks like when all the yellow flowers in the field are in bloom.

Stony Brook Water View

Last Tuesday my plein air group, PALS, headed up to Stony Brook Harbor. We've painted there many times in the past so I looked for a different view...and one that was in the shade. I liked this view with the rocks and the water that goes back into the scene.

 

Iron Ramen

Today was a rainy, dismal day. The good thing was that it wasn't cold enough for rain. I had a few things to take care of and ended up in Stony Brook. There is a ramen restaurant that I've wanted to try up there and it just so happened to be in the same shopping center as the dermatologist I had an appointment with. At Iron Ramen I had a good view of the other tables, so after I ate lunch I stayed for a bit and sketched my view. The color was added at home.

Then I drove across the parking lot to the building that housed the doctor's office. I waited for about 20 minutes but I had my sketchbook along so I didn't really mind. The office visit was my annual "check the spots on my body" trip and nothing looked suspicious so I'm in the clear until next year. There were a few good models in the room who never noticed what I was doing.

Avalon Preserve

Last Wednesday my plein air group met at Avalon Preserve in Stony Brook. We have painted many times at this location so I looked for something different to paint. The last few times we painted up the road at the flower field, but I checked there and the yellow flowers were quite a bit past their prime. I took the walkway that meanders around the back side of the lake and up to several ponds. There was a nice bridge that caught my eye as a subject.

Firetruck, Flowers and Photos

I've done a few more pieces for the military project. This was done last week in Stony Brook. I was passing a fire station and this truck was outside. I find fire trucks so colorful and interesting, but rarely see them outside where I can sketch them.

The other night I worked from one of my photos to do this painting of gladioli. I had done a similar larger painting of this scene at a farmstand out on the north fork.

Yesterday and today my plein air group, PALS, had our 9th annual exhibit and sale. Here are a few photos of some of the paintings that were done at the many locations we visited this year. In addition to the paintings hanging we had small matted pieces, cards, prints, and I had my tiles, ornaments, and books.

#30x30DirectWatercolor2018 - Day 12 - Stony Brook Harbor

My plein air group met at Stony Brook Harbor this morning. I've painted there many times so I wanted a bit of a different view, so I walked in the sand along the rocks to a spot where I could look pack toward the town. There was a kayak rental there and I asked the guy running things if he thought the tide was going to come up much more. He thought it was pretty much at high tide. So I set up my easel, got out my materials which were on a large rock, and noticed that the water was nearly up to my sneakers. I climbed up on the rock and moved all my supplies except the easel to higher ground. As you can see from this photo the water continued to rise a bit so it was a wise move. I think at the highest the water was up about 3-4 inches on the legs of the tripod. Sitting on the rock wasn't the most comfortable way to paint, but the rock was flat enough that nothing rolled off or landed in the water...and I stayed dry.  lol By the time I finished the painting the tide had gone down and there was sand to walk on again.

Here is my day 12 painting that I completed for the #30x30DirectWatercolor challenge. This is the largest of the direct watercolor paintings I've done. Most have been 5 x 7 or smaller. This is 8 x 10.

Avalon Preserve in the Snow

I took a ride up to Avalon Preserve in Stony Brook. In the summer this area is fields of yellow flowers that are as tall as I am. At this time of year you can see the brown foliage and the snow from the recent snowstorm. This is in my toned gray Strathmore sketchbook and done in gouache.

Avalon Preserve

Here is another painting I finally finished from about a month and a half ago. This was done at Avalon Preserve in Stony Brook.

Water View

My plein air group went to Avalon Park in Stony Brook on Tuesday morning. One of the prettiest spots is behind the grist mill overlooking the water. It was low tide when we were there. 

Avalon Preserve

My plein air group painted at the Avalon Preserve in Stony Brook. They have fields of yellow flowers that are so pretty. Since we've painted there so many times, finding a different view isn't easy. I found a wooden fence over by the driveway to the barn which I thought looked a bit different.

Challenge Days 5 & 6 and Stony Brook House

These next two were done for the World Watercolor Group's February Challenge. They are ATC sized (2 1/2 x 3 1/2).

Day 5 - Marsh View at Captree Island.

Day 6 - a bee

I drove up to Stony Brook the other day. I painted this house once before from the other side. I liked the lighting on it and the fact that you could see the hill more on this side. This is 5 x 7.

I forgot to mention...on Saturday I successfully registered for the Urban Sketching Symposium to be held in Chicago in July. Only about 400 people are allowed to register. Saturday was the "early bird" registration and it sold out in 10 minutes. The regular registration (which has the bulk of the 400 spaces) is this coming Saturday. I'd bet it fills up just as quickly. I am excited!!! This will be my first time going.

30 Paintings in 30 Days - Day 7 - Pink Rose

My painting for Day 7 of the "30 Paintings in 30 Days" challenge is a pink rose. It was done from a photo I took in Manhattan Beach this past summer when I was there for a wedding. The painting is 5 x 5 inches. I don't know if I would be able to keep up if I did larger paintings...maybe I'll try next year. Right now this doesn't seem so daunting.

#30paintingsin30days

Here is a link to the other paintings that are being posted today:
http://30paintingsin30days.weebly.com/blog

Here is another small painting I did before the year was over. This is a corner of a restaurant in Stony Brook with some of the Christmas decorations still around.

#inktober, #inktober2015 - Day 19 & Scarecrow #2

I was driving around in the Stony Brook/Setauket area today and decided to sketch this building with the marsh grasses behind it in the harbor as my Inktober Day 19.

I couldn't resist doing another scarecrow when I was in Bellport the other day. I may have to go back and do a few more.

Stony Brook House

My plein air group went to Stony Brook this week near Avalon Park. I've sketched the park itself too many times, but have always wanted to sketch this house across the street. It is a little quirky with shutters that are loose...but that just gives it some charm in my opinion. It was a hot day so I tucked myself under the trees behind the park fence and I was very comfortable. A nice man came by who has been taking watercolor lessons and asked if he could watch for a while. We chatted and he asked a few questions about how I was painting. He lived in the neighborhood, so after asking if I wanted something cold to drink he walked home, grabbed his watercolors and joined me.

I am presently in DC for a wedding.  Photos to come.

Avalon Park

Last week my plein air group met at Avalon Park in Stony Brook. This is the view of the water along the back side of the grist mill. I had fun with the reflections i the water.

Wildflowers Revisited

On Tuesday my PALS plein air group returned to the wildflower field up at Avalon Preserve Stony Brook. I had to search around a bit to find a slightly different view than I have already painted.
I ended up painting under my small umbrella since it was so hot and my view had no shade...I was dripping wet just standing and painting. This is 8 x 10.

Avalon Preserve

My PALS plein air group met at Avalon Preserve in Stony Brook on Tuesday. The fields are filled with wildflowers that grow up to about 6 feet high. You have to walk to find a spot where you can see over the flowers. Hidden between the flowers you could just see two barns. Summer camp was being held in one of them and the voices of the kids could be heard across the field.

Avalon Park

My plein air group has gone several times to Avalon Park in Stony Brook. I usually avoid the lake itself and focus on the mill house there, but this time I decided to tackle the lake and some of the birds that are always around there. This is 8 x 10.

Stony Brook Train Station

Every time I pass this train station I think to myself that it is like a small town America station. The only problem is there is really no place to sit to sketch it most of the time. I was finally able to do it after the snow when the bank across the street was closed. I sat in their parking lot right past the drive through hoping nobody would come along on this snowy day and need me to move. lol

Snowy Hillside (adjusted) and Stony Brook Grist Mill

I did redo the sky in "Snowy Hilltop" making it darker. Here is the before and after. It will have to stay as it is now...no more changes. lol I did go back in and darken the trees on top. I wish I could post them side by side but I can't figure out how to do that. I liked the original by I think the stronger color in the sky is much more dramatic. What do you think?

Before

After

This sketch was done of the front of the Stony Brook Grist Mill. Unfortunately the wheel is on the side of the house and there is absolutely no place to sit to sketch it, even if you are sketching from outside of the car. I was sitting inside the car. This was done directly in ink and then I applied the watercolors. (In the spring the overhang is covered in wisteria.