Brooklyn Botanic Garden - Part 2

 After sketching in the very hot Aquatic Room I needed to cool off. I skipped lunch and just noshed on some almonds. The cafe was too far to bother walking over. I'd rather be sketching. The plan was to go outside to sketch next. While I was waiting for my friend in the center of the lobby area I decided to do a quick sketch of some of the leaves. There are plants from all over and I remembered to take note of what I was sketching. These leaves belong to a ceriman plant. It is sometimes called a Swiss cheese plant because of the holes in the leaves. They grow mostly in Mexico and Guatemala and produce a large fruit. 

When Suzala was ready we bundled up to head outside. It was windy and not too warm, but the sun kept us from being too cold. I did end up wearing my fingerless gloves by the end of the sketch, but my hat and scarf remained in my backpack. I started with the conservatory and those big windows. I was working in a small sketchbook that is about 3 1/2 x 5 1/2. It was a reasonable size just in case I got cold. But I kept sketching and was comfortable enough to expand the sketch onto the other side of the page. This was done directly in watercolor (quicker than sketching it in pen or ink first). I was able to fit in a bit of the buildings surrounding the garden.

We headed back inside for show and tell but had about 10 minutes before that was starting so we headed into the Desert House which had loads of cacti. I tucked myself into a corner and sketched the cactus that was closest to me. 10 minutes was just barely enough time to capture something.

On our way out of the garden we stopped to check out what was in bloom. Brooklyn is a bit warmer than where we live on Long Island. There were lots of daffodils, hellebores, crocus, etc in bloom. Some of the magnolia trees were starting to bloom and there were some cherry trees with tiny blossoms too. 

I guess Spring is here!

Brooklyn Botanic Gardens

Yesterday the NYC Urban Sketchers met at the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens for sketching. There are several big greenhouses that are partly underground and will keep you warm (a bit too warm) while it is frosty outside. The weather report was for a fairly mild day so I was hoping to get to sketch outdoors too.

I began in the Desert greenhouse which has some wonderful varieties of cacti. That is my favorite of the rooms for sketching because it is dry and comfortable...as long as you are not wearing a heavy sweater. I was prepared with a flannel shirt and a t-shirt underneath...so I was comfortable. I included the windows so this wouldn't be mistaken for a sketch from Arizona.

Then we walked over to the cafe for lunch. I brought my own lunch due to my experience the last time we were there in the winter and the concession stand was so underwhelming. This one was too. Coffee was made one cup at a time with pods...so you know how long that took with about 15 sketchers waiting. They had soup, wraps (that were premade and cold) or scones and cookies. Not very exciting fare for sure!  How difficult is it to provide something a bit better? Yes, there is a regular restaurant but lunch runs around $20 and takes far too much time.

After lunch we headed back to the greenhouses. I went in the tropical room and it was just too hot. The temperate room wasn't much better, so I opted to go outside. It wasn't as windy as earlier in the day but I needed my warm coat, hat, scarf, and fingerless gloves. After a while I was wishing I had my tights on under my jeans...and covered the tips of my fingers. All this to be able to sketch the conservatory. 

Around 3 we met to walk over to Tooker's Alley for drinks and "show and tell." I didn't sketch there because I was busy talking to a couple that were visiting from San Francisco and a guy visiting from Copenhagen. We also had a guy from somewhere in South America but he didn't join us for show and tell. It was a good day of sketching and meeting new people.

30 Day Challenge - Day 14 - Cacti

Today is Day 14 of Leslie Saeta's "30 Paintings in 30 Days" Challenge. This was done at the Plantings Fields Arboretum in Oyster Bay. They have lots of cacti, orchids, and tropical flowers. It was nice to be indoors and warm while I sketched since the temperature was about freezing outside.

"30 Paintings in 30 Days" - Day 15 - Cactus Flowers

I love it when cacti have flowers on them, but for some reason I never get to see them in full bloom. The reference photo for this painting was from photos I took along the promenade in Manhattan Beach when I was there for a wedding this summer. This is 5 x 5 inches.

#30paintingsin30days

If you have time and would like to check the other paintings done for Leslie Saeta's challenge you can look here: http://30paintingsin30days.weebly.com/blog

Just when I thought I had done my last Christmas themed painting, along came another opportunity. My friend, Gina, had a few sketchers over last week since we hadn't met at all through the holidays. We planned on ordering sushi and then sketching since her house was still totally decorated. I just couldn't resist sketching this stocking, even though it meant I was sketching in a different room from everyone else.

Cactus Garden

The other day I visited the Planting Fields Arboretum in Oyster Bay. In the main greenhouse they have a room filled with cactus and succulents. Since it was a quiet day I was able to sit on my sketching chair and not be in the way of other visitors. This is about 5 x 7.