Planting Fields Arboretum - Part 2

 The weather was so beautiful the day Suzala and I went to the Planting Fields Arboretum in Oyster Bay that we decided to stay and do a second painting. I ended up staying longer because she had to leave by 2:00 to be home in time for one of her art students. This time we painted along the side of the manor house where the columns were around the portico.

Manor House and More

This is part of the manor house at the Bayard Cutting Arboretum in Oakdale. I was planning to join my plein air group around the other side of the house, but when I saw this view I knew I was going to paint it. I joined the other ladies for lunch instead.

One of the items on the scavenger hunt for Creative Spark was the front of a house. I did this one with my magic pencil. The house was down by the bay in Sayville.

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.

Garden #1 - Hidcote Manor Garden

The NYC Urban Sketchers event today involved gardens all over the world. My friend, Lois Bender, led the group, suggested a few gardens to visit, and provided links. Lois and I sketched together last year several times in Paris, including at the Luxembourg Gardens. Of course you could select a garden that you wanted to sketch, but I was pretty happy with her choices.

One of her suggestions was Hidcote Manor Garden in the Cotswalds area of England. This garden is one of the best known examples of a British "Arts and Crafts" garden, featuring outdoor "rooms" that follow various themes and moods. I did a view of the manor house from below. This is a direct watercolor.