Dunes at Cupsogue Beach

If you follow my blog you are aware of how I am attracted to the beach, the dunes, and the foliage that is there. Cupsogue Beach in Westhampton has some really nice dunes and a great beach. I'll have to make a point to get there this summer.

 

Beach Fences

 At the end of Dune Road in Westhampton is Cupsogue Beach. I was there on a cold, very windy day. The beach fences and their shadows attracted me.

One Week 100 People - Day 1

 It is that time of year for the "One Week 100 People" challenge. I usually have a hard time finding places with a lot of people so I decided to start a little early. The start date is actually today, March 11th, but this weekend several of the towns near me held their St Patrick's Day parades this weekend so as not to compete with the big one in NYC. They also try to space the parades over a few weekends here on Long Island because a lot of the firemen and police officers march with other local towns too. But I couldn't pass up finding a crowd of people.

I headed over to Westhampton for the parade. Just getting into the area to park was difficult. Most of the streets I know that lead to the center of town were closed off. Luckily a very nice young lady who was part of the Westhampton police force gave me a suggestion for where I could park. Of course Main Street was crowded with people waiting for the parade to reach our end. That gave me time to sketch some of the crowd. I used a Micron pen, a brush pen, a water brush, and a green watercolor pencil on site. Any other color was done later. I knew I had to sketch quickly because it was cold and windy. 

These people were right in front of me, but I was also able to see across to the other side of the street. I was able to use my stool to sketch this one.

This was one of my favorite characters...all decked out in his shamrock suit. lol

As always, you can hear the bagpipe players before they arrive. Even knowing they were coming didn't prepare me for sketching them since they were moving. Luckily I was at the end of the parade route and this bagpiper came back through the crowd and stopped to talk to someone nearby.

There were a lot of families viewing the parade.

It was fun sketching, but after about an hour and a half I was much too cold and had to go someplace to warm up.

Farm Stand in Autumn

 I sat across from this farm stand in Speonk/Westhampton to sketch. It was busy with shoppers getting ready for Thanksgiving.

Beach Sketches

Yesterday I took a ride out to Dune Road in the Hamptons. It is a barrier beach that runs from Westhampton through East Quogue, Quogue, and Hampton Bays. This part of Long Island has been a favorite of mine since I was in my 20s and I always tell Jerry that when I die I want my ashes sprinkled there. Along the road are million dollar mansions, some condos, a few resorts as well as a few small cottages. It is a beautiful area but at high tide it is very often flooded in spots. Beach parking in the summer is expensive unless you are a resident, but at this time of year you can park easily. I planned on parking at Ponquogue Beach because the parking lot has great views across the dunes and bay and a pavilion with tables where you can sometimes be sheltered from the wind. Just my luck...the parking lot was closed because they are rebuilding the beach pavilion. I ended up driving along heading back west and checking out every parking lot along the way. Most spots had no view of the water unless you were out of the car, and it was too windy yesterday to do that. Finally in Quogue I found a small lot that is more of a street.  It went up to Dolphin Beach where there was a small opening in the dunes. I could just see the water from my car...perfect! When I finished my watercolor I turned the car around to leave and noticed that the view looking toward the bay was nice too, so I did that view as well.

Cupsogue Beach

On Sunday I went to Cupsogue Beach at the end of Dune Road in Westhampton. I haven't been there in about a year and it changed quite a bit. The Beach Hut Raw Bar and Grill is now on the level of the parking lot. You still have to walk up the boardwalk to get over the dunes and to the beach. I wonder if the renovations were due to the winter storms. It is a nice, quiet beach. I'll have to make sure to go back again.

Westhampton Waterfront

I took a ride to Westhampton last week. It is about 40 minutes from me. I was looking for a different water scene. This was done at a local park there. The houses you can see in the distance are all million dollar waterfront mansions that face the bay. The pole has an osprey nest on it. I just found out that osprey mate for life.

The newest of Tracy's adventures is posted here on my "fake" blog:

http://tracyattheranch.blogspot.com

Hot Dog Beach & Osprey Nest

I'm not sure how this beach on Dune Road in Westhampton got the name "Hot Dog Beach." I has had that name since I went there in 1968 and probably before that. It was a big hangout in the summer for young people for a long time, now it is a beach where in the summer only residents can park. I sat in the lot across the other side of Dune Road to sketch this view.

Then I did a smaller version as an ATC for an exchange one of my art groups was planning.

In the same area (in fact directly behind me at the end of the parking lot) was the remains of a barge where bands used to play. Right near it was a great osprey nest. I did an ATC sized sketch of that.

If you notice, I've been trying to watermark my sketches and paintings lately. I often post them on Facebook and know several people from there and other spots who have had their images stolen. I don't know if the watermark will help but I'm trying to remember to do that before I post them now.

Bakery Cafe

On Sunday I was out in Westhampton. The colorful awning and cute statue at the Beach Bakery Grand Cafe caught my attention. I had to sketch it and of course go inside. lol

Six Corners, Westhampton

In my younger days I spent a lot of time out in the Hamptons in the summer. Each town has its own unique charm. This is a business at Six Corners in Westhampton where believe it or not, six roads actually do converge at a circle. I liked the style of this building...but I think it would make a better house than a business. Who knows, maybe there is an apartment upstairs and you can sit in that little bay window and look out. This is 5 x 7.