NY Botanical Garden Part 1

On Saturday the NYC Urban Sketchers took part in a Lilac Festival at the NY Botanical Garden in the Bronx. Each year they have a paint out and selected artists are invited to take part in the plein air event. We are invited to come and sketch in the garden. Of course we don't get the same royal treatment as the invited artists but it is a very nice event. There are designated areas that the invited plein air painters set up and paint. The sketchers can work in those areas too or basically anywhere in the park. The park is huge and there is a tram that you can take to the different areas, but sometimes it is better to just walk and see what is in bloom. On Saturday pretty much everything was in bloom...the azaleas, the cherry trees, the dogwoods, the crabapples, some daffodils, the lilacs, the peonies, etc. Although showers were forecast in the morning we lucked out and had cloudy weather followed by some sunshine so the weather didn't impede anyone's sketching.

I was walking with another artist and we got sidetracked in the azalea garden which was what we came to first. It is a good spot because in addition to the colorful azaleas and the trees in their spring greenery, there are huge rocks to add to the sketches. This first one was done directly in watercolors and I was able to include several different colors of azaleas that were blooming. I did this on half of the page in a Strathmore sketchbook that is about 8 x 10.

Turning about 35 degrees I sat in the same spot and sketched the path going through the azalea garden. There were some wonderful yellow plants and some trees that were covered in nearly white blossoms. I always find those white blossoms a challenge. This was done below the sketch above and again directly in watercolors.

Tomorrow I will show you what I sketched in the lilac garden.

NY Botanical Gardens - Part 4

I tend to paint a lot faster (and smaller pieces) than my friend, Susan. So when we go out painting together I often am finished painting before she is. Since that was the case at the NY Botanical Gardens I walked up "daffodil hill." Looking down the hill toward the field with the blooming trees was another beautiful scene. This one was done directly in watercolor in my sketchbook.

NY Botanical Gardens - Parts 2 & 3

Although I went to the NY Botanical Gardens partly to see the Chihuly glass exhibit, I was there primarily to paint. We arrived at the gardens at 9:30 and were there until nearly 5:30 so that gave me the opportunity to do several paintings. 

After doing the painting with the rocks I went over to the area that had the crabapple trees which were in bloom. It was breathtaking between the pink trees and all the daffodils that were in bloom in the field. I did a small panoramic painting so I could include a sweeping scope of the vista.

Susan and I stopped for lunch and then returned to the same area. This was done from a pathway on the other side of the field I sat in front of for the previous painting. The gardens had a program where 1 million daffodils had been planted. I didn't count them but it seemed like at least that many. lol People were taking photos in the middle of the daffodils. At one point a guide came along with a group of kids celebrating someone's birthday. Most of the kids were under 5 and it was bedlam. When they finally moved away a woman came over to me and asked how I could sit there so calmly and keep painting surrounded by all the screaming kids. I just said to her, "I was a NYC school teacher. I can ignore anything." 

Here are the rest of the photos I took of the Chihuly glass exhibit. I will photograph the ones I missed the next time I go back.