North Fork Delights

I recently took a ride out on the north fork of Long Island to buy flowers for my patio. Of course I did some sketching too. White Flower in Southold caught my attention with all the lovely merchandise inside and outside the store. 

When I got hungry I stopped at the Southold Fish Market. I wanted to do a quick sketch of my sea scallop lunch but realized I had no sketchbook and no paper. Everything was out in my car. All I could find in my bag was the receipt from the lunch I bought so I turned it over and sketched on the back with the ink brush that I had in my bag. My small set of watercolors were luckily in my purse. The scallops were delicious!

North Fork Umbrellas

 Riding along the main road of the North Fork, I saw these red umbrellas over tables of purple flowers. It was a outdoor seating area for the bagel store in the small strip mall.

Jamesport Country Store

 The Jamesport Country Store is a fixture on the North Fork of Long Island. It has been there for as long as I can remember. I was inside many years ago, and it seemed to have a bit of everything. If it isn't inside it must be in the collection of odd things outside the store, like the bicycle built for two. I've wanted to sketch there for a while but there never seems to be any parking in front. I found a spot recently and sat in my mobile studio long enough to do this entire sketch. A man kept coming back and forth between the store and his old truck, carrying things. I guess he was the owner or manager. After several trips he came over and asked if I was OK or if I needed anything. I showed him what I was doing but he seemed puzzled by that and just walked away. lol

Forinos Tavern

Last week I took a drive out to Greenport which is the last town on the southern part of the North Fork. You can go slightly north and still go farther east to Orient Point. Greenport is a bustling little town and very popular with tourists in the summer. Right now it is one of the few towns that has a lot of stores and restaurants open...although some of them probably close after the new year. Pretty much right at the end of Main Street is Forinos Tavern which is built over the water. I've never been inside so I can't tell you what it is like inside or even if it was open (It didn't look like it was.). This is another sketch in my concertina sketchbook of North Fork locations.

The Garden & Vineyard

Last Friday I took a ride out to Greenport on the North Fork. I haven't been out there in a while and I rode around looking for a location that inspired me. There was a house just outside of the town that I knew I wanted to capture...I just didn't know which part of it to paint. I ended up focusing on part of the garden and a shed. As I started working a woman came out into the garden. I was sitting across the street in the shade of a tree and I asked her if she minded if I sketched her garden. She said I could as long as I let her see it when it was finished. She liked it so much that she bought the painting. Then she asked if I would be interested in doing another painting of the garden hiding behind the hedges. Inside there was a small fountain in a small koi pond, several seating areas and flowered areas. I plan to go back soon to do that painting for her. 

On the way home I decided to stop and do a quick painting in my accordion sketchbook that has just paintings and sketches of  North Fork locations. This is the Paumanok Vineyard in Aquebogue.

Glass Greenhouse

 Out on the north fork of Long Island there are many nurseries. The Glass Greenhouse is one that stands out. Sketching the structure was not easy. I need to go out and get some plants for my patio. This was done in my home-made concertina sketchbook.

East End Nursery

I still had some Christmas shopping to do the other day so I figured I would head east and see if I could get shopping and a sketch done on the North Fork. I was searching for a Christmas tree lot or nursery that looked a little different. Most of them I've sketched before or they just didn't catch my eye. I did some shopping and then pulled into this nursery. I couldn't find a really good spot to position my "mobile studio" so I was pretty much looking out the driver's side window for this whole sketch...not so good for my neck. lol But I liked the way the scene looked.

North Fork Concertina - Sketches 1-4

Yesterday I didn't feel like taking the train(s) to meet the NYC sketchers in Brooklyn. It just sounded like it involved too much energy. Instead I decided to head out to the North Fork of Long Island, a place I love to sketch. Usually when I go out there I gravitate to the same kind of spots all the time...the farmer's markets. So I came up with a sketching plan that was semi-successful.

Before I left home I made a concertina (accordion style) sketchbook from a sheet of paper from a Winsor Newton watercolor pad. I cut it into strips that were 6 inches high and marked off and folded pages that were 6 inches long. Then I glued 2 strips together giving me a length that was 8 pages long.

My plan was to start right at the corner where the "North Fork" begins which is where Rt 105 and Rt 25 intersect outside of Riverhead. Cruising along Rt 25 my plan was to drive about 1 mile and pull over to sketch whatever the view was. My first stop was at 1.2 miles on my odometer where I had a view of the Woodside Orchard store in Jamesport. It sells pies and cider and things like that. I parked across the street and sketched that view.

#momentsketchers

When I finished that sketch I drove another 1.2 miles and found myself right near Jamesport Vineyard. I drove into the parking lot, sat my mobile studio near one of the buses there for a tour, and sketched the vines and building. All the grapes have been harvested and the leaves on the vines are turning autumn colors.

Next driving through Jamesport I came across this field of cabbages growing with such great green colors that I had to stop the car. I had driven a little over a mile to this spot. I must admit I had painted from that location before but I don't know if there had been cabbages growing or something else at the time.

Now this was where the "drive a mile" fell apart.  I had to find a restroom and I was starving! So mileage went out the window and I drove to find lunch. That took a while and I didn't want to go any farther east, so I turned around and headed west stopping at the first place that called to me. That was the Cutchogue Diner.

By this time it was already 4:30 and I decided to buy a few veggies at the farmers' market and head home. I do plan on going back out there and finishing the pages in the sketchbook I made. Hopefully I will get to do the rest soon. 

Dune View

With the thought of the impending storm heading our way I decided to go sketch today in case I can't get out tomorrow. Actually I think the snow will change to rain here along the coast of Long Island. But then it is supposed to get bitterly cold on Monday. Anyway I hopped in the car and drove east to Jamesport. I sat by their small beach on the North Fork and did a small view of the dunes.

Flower Field

On Saturday my friend and I drove out to the north fork of Long Island. We have a few favorite spots, and Sep's Farm Stand is one of them. The fresh produce attracts us but they also have a lovely field of flowers to paint. I was very thankful for my plein air umbrella that can attach to my chair, because it was really hot out in the sun.

Pink and Orange

I braved the crazy Columbus Day weekend traffic yesterday and headed out to the north fork of Long Island. I've painted at this market many times...usually from the car because it gets so crowded. I've always wanted to paint their pink truck. This is 5 x 7. This was done at the Bay View Market and Farm in Aquebogue.



Potato Barn

I took a ride out to the north fork of Long Island on Thursday and found this potato barn. They are becoming rare as the farmland is quickly being developed. This is 5 x 7.



Harvest Ready I & II

Last week when I went to the north fork of Long Isand I found this spot to paint with a view of the local farmland. Of course it was on the main road and not really a safe place to sit in traffic the way people drive sometimes. So I sat on the shoulder of the road and painted from my car. I did a small 5 x 7 and was really happy with the way it came out.

I liked the spot so much I decided to go back on Friday and do a larger painting of the same spot. This one is 8 x 10. They are very similar, but there are differences. Which one do you prefer?



Pumpkin Patch

This is the final page in my journal for the Sketchbook Project. It is a view from Route 25 in Jamesport on the north fork of Long Island. It looks like you are in a real quiet country setting, but I did this from the front seat of my car because the view is on the side of a 2 lane road with a small shoulder to park on. Traffic moves along at a pretty fast pace, and I'm always afraid of being hit by a speeding vehicle or flying gravel or something. Now that all the pages in this book are finished, I have to design a cover and a title page. I hope to post a slideshow of it when it is all done.