Bayport Beach View

 There is a really small local beach in Bayport that is on the Great South Bay. It is a nice area for a sketch.

Oyster Bay

I recently went to Oyster Bay with Suzala and her husband. There was a book festival going on, so Rick was very happy to be there. We sat across from the Oyster Bay Brewing Company to sketch.

For our second sketch we headed into the park aiming to sketch the beach. It was really windy, but I sat on a concrete wall with my back to the water to sketch the view looking toward the sand. Some dark clouds started moving in just as we were finishing, so I think we timed it right.

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.

 

Corey Beach

With our cold, windy days I've been looking for locations where I can part and sketch from my "mobile studio." At this time of year you can park along the street by Corey Beach in Bayport and get a view like this one. The covered pavilion and the life guard's shack are a good backdrop to the shrubs and beach grasses. 

Happy New Year

Happy New Year!!!

Since my favorite place is the beach I usually try to get there to start the new year off.

Today I drove over to Robert Moses State Park to check out the beach there. I was tempted to paint the lighthouse, but I couldn't get a good parking space with a view of it. I needed to sit in my mobile studio because there were gale force winds at the beach today. The wind didn't stop many people from venturing there. On one section of the beach there had to be at least 50 people on the sand watching something...and a hellicopter flying over the area. I have no idea what was going on and was not tempted to check it out.

Instead I went down by the boardwalk area and positioned my studio so I had a good view of people walking back and forth to the sand. I captured a few groups of people enjoying the day.

Sunken Meadow Park

On Saturday I went to a Christmas market held at Northport High School. It was one of the better ones that I've been to recently. When I left I stopped at Sunken Meadow Park which was just a few miles away. I got my beach fix there.

 

Seahorse by the Shore

I went down to Miramar Beach in East Patchogue the other day and found something I hadn't noticed before. There was a seahorse statue standing in the reeds. It was a nice surprise!

Sayville Digital

This was done at the beach in Sayville using Procreate.

Beach Day

 We recently had a day where the temperature reached the mid 70s...definitely a beach day! I headed over to Robert Moses State Park and of course I sketched the Fire Island Lighthouse.

I needed to sketch people relaxing for the scavenger hunt on Creative Spark and this was the perfect location. I took my beach chair and went down on the sand for a while. I had a perfect view of these people who had no idea they were my victims...I mean subjects. lol

Before & During the Eclipse

 The day of the lunar eclipse last Monday, I headed to Sunken Meadow State Park to experience it. I wanted to be around other people, and since it was going to last a while it was important to be someplace with bathrooms. lol I got there early...about 1:00, checked out how the sun was positioned, and went down on the beach. To see the sun and moon meant facing away from the Long Island Sound. Since I was early, I started sketching the view in front of me which is the concession stand up on the boardwalk with a few people sitting in chairs. After the eclipse started I decided not to actually sketch 

 After the eclipse started I decided not to actually sketch the eclipse itself but did do a sketch of a few people watching it happen.

I liked looking through the eclipse glasses. The view was really good that way. I tried to take some photos putting an extra pair of eclipse glasses in front of the lens on my phone. (That's why this photo it is so dark.) It was interesting to watch, but during the last one I saw in California it got dark like sunset. It didn't get much darker here so I was disappointed in that respect.

Short Beach View - SOLD

Last Sunday we had a surprisingly warm day...probably about 65 degrees and sunny. My friend, Susan and I took a ride up to Short Beach in Smithtown. It was actually warm enough to sit outside without a coat and paint! It felt so good to be outside painting, and it was nice to be painting with a friend. 

Since I posted this on Facebook it sold.

Hecksher Park View

The other day we had sunshine but windy conditions. I headed over to Hecksher State Park in East Islip and painted the view across the dunes. This park is located along the Great South Bay.

Beach Shade

 Last week we had quite a few really hot days...and of course the pool was closed. I went to the beach where there was a nice breeze and stayed in the shade of my own umbrella while I sketched a few that were on the beach. This was at Smith Point Beach.

Robert Moses Beach Sketches

 We had a heat wave that continued after Labor Day. The day after Labor Day was hot but the pool in my development had already closed for the season. I decided to go to the Robert Moses Beach hoping that there was a breeze. Rather than going down by the water (since I knew there was no chance that I was going in) I stayed up near the concession stand that now has an outdoor bar. There was beach music playing and I attached my umbrella to my chair. As long as I was in the shade I was comfortable. I had a nice view of this lady and the beach landscape behind her.

The thought crossed my mind that to cool off a bit I could go under the outside showers, but instead since I had such a good view of them, I sketched a number of people showering off.

Direct Watercolor #28

 I am coming to the end of my direct watercolors for the 30 x 30 Direct Watercolor Challenge. This one was painted down by the town beach in Sayville. It was a very cloudy day and on the chilly side. The lifeguard didn't have anyone to watch.

One of the items for a recent Scavenger Hunt over on creativespark.art was an airplane. We have a small airport nearby that has commercial flights and also private planes.

West End Bath House

 One of the largest beaches on Long Island is Jones Beach, the beach my family went to most often when I was a child, and the one I continued to frequent until I moved further east on Long Island. I do return there once in a while and happened to go there last weekend. 

I wanted to sketch the Jones Beach Theatre which has been renamed the Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theatre. Concerts and shows are held there during the summer. Unfortunately because it is off season the parking lot by the theatre was closed. I rode around for a while trying to see if I could see the theatre clearly from anywhere else but had no success. Since the last parking area I tried was next to the West End Bath House, I figured I would sketch that. The building is no longer being used as a bath house but seems to house some offices for the park.

Beach Entry

 I guess you can tell how much I love the beach. There is always something to sketch or paint. This was done at Smith Point Beach.

Beach Days

 We have been lucky here in NY because the weather has stayed quite mild. I even go to go to the beach this past week. It is always a great place for inspiration, so I'm glad I had some painting supplies with me at Robert Moses Beach.

I just tried to focus on the wave itself for this little painting.

This lady is a real pro. She brought along her wind shield to stay warm.

Beach Party

It seems like I haven't sketched people at the beach in a long time. With my hip surgery last year I didn't get there very often. This was done at Robert Moses Beach and these people looked like they were well prepared.

 

Beach Walk

 When I don't post my sketches in order of how they were done I tend to have a few that slip through the cracks. This was done a while back for a scavenger hunt item, but some how it never made it to the blog. Yes, it was a cold and windy day. These people were bundled up and I was safe and warm in my mobile studio in the parking area of Smith Point Beach.