"The Chain" in Rotary Park

 Last Wednesday the Patchogue Sketch Club at Rotary Park. They are a Fleetwood Mac tribute band and were pretty good. I was happy that I had time to sketch each of the members of the group and a few audience members too.

Concert in the Park

  Sayville Common Ground Rotary Park has concerts on Wednesday nights. My sketch club met there for the first concert of the summer and some sketching. The weather forecast predicted possible storms but a fairly big crowd turned out anyway, but few of us sketchers showed. I think there were only four of us.

People get there early to gather with friends and chat, have a bite to eat, etc. I used that time to do a direct painting of a few people and a dog.

The concert itself was by "Strange Magic," a ELO (Electric Light Orchestra) tribute band. They sounded pretty good and had a lazer light show while they performed. After about 40 minutes or so you could tell that the stormy weather was coming...but we kept sketching. Finally I looked up and decided it would be best to put away my painting materials before the rain started. I was just in time! The rain started coming down lightly and one of our members headed home. The rest of us and the rest of the crowd stayed until the end. Yes, by that time I was pretty wet. I was wearing a rain jacket but water resistant and waterproof are very different. Mark, Pat and I toughed it out and had a nice time. ELO isn't one of my favorite groups, but I was surprised that they did so many songs that I knew and enjoyed. I did snap a few photos so that I could touch up the sketch at home. Once in a while when I sketch performers I show the sketch to them but I wasn't doing that in the rain, so I looked for the band and found them on Facebook. I messaged them and sent a copy of the sketch. They loved it and reposted it on their page.

Shiloh

 On Sunday it was pretty cold here. I had wanted to go sketch the St. Patty's Parade in Patchogue but was afraid it would be too cold. So I looked for something indoors. The Bayport-Blue Point Library was having a St. Patty's Day piano and cello concert so I headed over there. The duo, Shiloh was good. They did some traditional Irish songs and some more contemporary songs by Irish composers and groups. I got there a little too late and the closest I could get was a seat in the third row on the end on the right side. I had a limited view between people and didn't want to move around and distract the audience, but I made the best of it. Two people in the front left before they finished so I finally had a bit more of a view and could see the bottom of the cello and the side of the piano. 

When the concert was over I did show them the sketch. They were super excited to see it and both of them (and a few family members) asked for permission to take a photo of it. Barbara Feltkamp(cellist) and Phoebe See (pianist) asked if they could post it on their social media and of course I said yes.