Port Jeff Blooms

For a while I was able to find cherry trees in bloom almost everywhere. This one was up in Port Jeff on a hilly street. 

Pinks!

 It is hard to resist the cherry trees when they are in bloom because the time is so short. Here is another tree sighted in Sayville.

Last of My Pinks

I'm pretty sure this is the last of the pink cherry trees that I painted this spring. I miss seeing their colors. Now everything is back to green.

Twin Cherry Trees

 Two more cherry trees in Yaphank.

Blue Point Pinks

I still have a few paintings of cherry blossoms to post even though the blossoms are pretty much gone here. The greens have taken over. This was painted down by Corey Beach in Blue Point. 

Planting Fields Arboretum #2

There were so many views with the cherry trees at the Planting Fields Arboretum in Oyster Bay. These were flanking the trellises that will be covered with roses soon.

 

Return to the New York Botanical Gardens

After sketching the cherry trees at the New York Botanical Gardens one weekend, one of our members asked that the NYC Urban Sketchers also visit there while things were in bloom. The daffs, the tulips, the cherry trees, the lilacs, the peony trees and the rhodies were all in bloom when we were there so it was arranged that we would go again. Since I had been painting so many cherry trees I decided that my first stop would be the lilac garden...oh, what a lovely smell. They were in bloom in various shades of purples and lavenders, as well as whites. It was beautiful!

Across from the lilac garden is the actual cherry tree location. Last week we had been to daffodil hill, but this was another area of the gardens. Right at the edge overlooking a small hill was this massive, wonderful cherry tree, the thought of painting anything else went right out of my head. lol

This is the sight that was before me.

By the time I finished this painting I knew I needed to get back to the Conservatory where our show & tell would be. I took the tram, but I only had a short time before we were starting. I started a sketch of some of the potted plants in the area, but didn't get to finish them. I did take a photo so hopefully I will be able to complete it at home.

Between the Houses

I love the pinks and purples that separate these two houses... 

Cherry Tree & Fence

I'm still coming across cherry trees in bloom. I just can't help myself. 

Bellport Pink

 I have been searching out cherry trees in the area. This one is on Bellport Lane in Bellport. It is at its best at this time of year and in the fall. You can barely see the beautiful house behind it.

New York Botanical Gardens - Part 1

 Last weekend my friend, Susan and I decided to go to the New York Botanical Gardens. We are sharing a "senior dual membership" and as long as you visit twice, you come out ahead. The NYC Urban Sketchers were going to the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens but from experience we know that gets much too crowded on weekends when the cherry trees are in bloom. The gardens in the Bronx are much larger so the crowds are spread out much more.

Another friend of ours who we haven't seen in a long time (probably before Covid) was going to be there in the morning because her son takes a nature class there on Saturdays. Elaine dropped him off for the class, and we all sketched by the Conservatory until she had to pick him up. It was great to catch up with her after such a long time.

Elaine and Isaac left about noon and Susan and I hopped on the tram to go to paint the cherry trees at the top of daffodil hill. The sign there says there are 1 million tulips planted on the hill. I haven't counted them but from my estimates the sign must be right. Here is a photo of just part of daffodil hill. Now imagine that view in multiple directions!

I sat at the bottom of the hill and painted the view above.

As you can see I was concentrating more on the trees than the daffs...and I didn't stop.

I will post more tomorrow.

Planting Fields Arboretum - Day 2

When I woke up on Tuesday and saw that we had another beautiful day, I called Suzala and told her I would meet her at the Arboretum. I knew I couldn't go on Wednesday, so it was best to get there while I could. This time I painted the view into the walled garden. Again the cherry trees were just amazing!

For my second painting I did a smaller one (5x7) up near the manor house. There is a small pond down some big stone steps, and the falling blossoms from the tree collected in there.

I left the gardens about 3:30 but Suzala kept on painting. She also went back on Wednesday, but the cold and the dampness cut the day short for her.

Planting Fields Arboretum - Day 1

My friend, Suzala wanted to go painting last Monday because it was supposed to be such a wonderful day weather-wise. She suggested going back to Camusett Park, but I thought that was too far. I get caught in too much traffic heading east after 3:00 so I prefer to be closer. I suggested going to the Planting Fields Arboretum in Oyster Bay. I told her there should be cherry trees in bloom and buildings too. It was spectacular! I painted this cherry tree with the greenhouse behind it. In addition to my regular watercolors I used watercolor crayons to give this a little more texture.

I moved on to another part of the park after finishing the first painting. This section is a huge open field with several cherry trees at the top. There were so many people who came just to take photos with the cherry trees. There was a bride and groom, several ladies in gowns, and other people dressed nicely and wearing big hats like the woman in this painting.

I finished painting around 3:15 and by the time I left the park I got stuck in traffic heading east. That is a problem I encounter a lot. I didn't get home until nearly 5:30. That's rush hour on Long Island.

Suzala said she was free the next day until about 5 when her first art student arrives and was planning on going back to paint again. I told her I didn't think I was planning to go back to the Arboretum but if I changed my mind I would let her know.

 

City Trip

Last Sunday I made a solo trip into the city. The American Watercolor Society Show was going on at the Salmagundi Club, and it is one of my favorite exhibits. Since I was going in by train I did a sketch on the LIRR going in. This lady had such bright red hair (dyed).

I went in to the city on the 8:20 train which arrived in Penn Station around 9:40. The exhibit didn't open until 1:00, but I had a plan to sketch before it opened. I took the subway down to 14th Street and walked over to Union Square. There was a beautiful cherry tree in bloom right by one of the subway entrances in the park, so I sat myself down on a bench and started painting.

Then I meandered around Union Square for a little while. There are always vendors selling something, and they were also having some Earth Day events and exhibits. I sat at a table and sketched looking uptown. I included some of the people conversing, some vendors, and a bit of the exhibit booths from the Earth Day celebration. I lasted there until about 2:00 and had just packed up my materials when it started to rain lightly. I ducked into Whole Foods and grabbed a snack (fruit) and waited for the rain to stop.

The AWS show was great! There is always some amazing work...and a few pieces that make me shake my head. I really enjoy seeing paintings by people I know from workshops I've taken, or from following them online. I was a nice ending to my day in the city. By the time I got home it was around 6:30...definitely a full day.

Pinks on the Corner

 For some reason it feels like I'm coming across more cherry blossom trees this year than I can remember in the past. Right now they are finally losing their pink blossoms and turning green. It hasn't helped that our rainy weather and gusty winds for a few days seem to have speeded up that process too. This one was painted in Stony Brook before the wet weather arrived.

Pink Tree

 The signs of spring are slowly showing up. I've been watching for the tiny pink and white buds on the trees. It seems once you see them they are in nearly full bloom overnight. I found this beautiful lonely pink tree on Bellport Lane in Bellport. Hopefully I will find more trees in bloom. 

Bellport Pink

 A friend had posted a few photos of pink trees in Bellport so I took a ride out to check them out. This massive one was on the front lawn of one of the beautiful quaint houses in the village I didn't want to be too obvious so I sat in my car to paint this. Otherwise I would have to sit in the street which I didn't think would be too safe. I am going to miss it when the leaves fall off these beauties.

Nearby

This is a sketch I did locally in Sayville. Although I don't live there I tend to go there several times a week. There are so many nice houses and views...and it is on the water so I love it. I've sketched the view down this street several times before and tend to return anyway.

The cherry trees are still in bloom here, but probably won't last much longer. I've found several of them recently and have been sketching all of them in the same accordion sketchbook. This one was in Islip in a tiny little garden area in a corner of a small trip mall. I sat across the street in the parking lot of the Midas Muffler shop. lol

Daffs in Bloom

I found a small group of daffodils along a fence the other day. Luckily they were in a spot where I could sit socially isolated in my car and not get the attention of the homeowners. Usually there is nobody home when I park in front of people's homes, but with the virus these days there are almost always people home. The daffs were a bit of a break from the trees.

Here's another bonus cherry tree I found the other day.

More Blooming Trees

I love seeing all the trees and plants that are in bloom right now. The contrasts in color make things so great looking. I think this is a weeping cherry tree.