First Robotics

 A few weekends ago I joined my friend @suzala at Hoffstra University for the First Robotics Competition. We've gone a few times in the past since she and her husband were involved with the local groups for a long time. Rick still works at the events here on Long Island. The competitions are quick moving and not easy to draw, but I try to find people that are officials that are usually standing pretty still. It is loud and full of energy.

A woman who was sitting near us came over to look at what I was doing and noticed that I had included a small image of her adult daughter who was some kind of a master-of-ceremonies. She is wearing the bright yellow jacket and has some kind of decoration on her head. She took a photo of my sketch.

After the lunch break was over the competitions resumed and the woman who was master-of-ceremonies came closer to our side of the floor. I sketched her with all her decorative buttons as well as a referee and a few other people. When I was finished sketching I passed my sketchbook over to her mother and told her she could take a photo if she wanted. She was thrilled! The event is a lot of fun to sketch, although I don't really watch the competitions because I'm concentrating on sketching.

First Robotics Competition - Sketch 1

Last Friday I joined my friend, Suzala, at the First Robotics Competition that was being held over two days at Hofstra University. Suzala and I sketched there a few years ago and thought it was fun. I still haven't figured out how the competition is scored, but that doesn't affect my enjoyment of sketching it. I was able to sneak into a seating area that I believe was supposed to be for judges, but nobody stopped me and I had a 2nd row seat to what was going on. Most of the teams were from local schools with a few teams from foreign countries. Each team dressed in attire that was somehow connected to their team name. The two people on the left were in cowboy hats, but I don't know what their team name was. I like the uniforms on the referees. The competition moves quickly and teams are on and off the floor fast, so this sketch has bits of assorted activity that was going on. 

Assorted Sketches

After our snowstorm last week I took a ride down near the Maritime Museum in Sayville. Due to the high tides with that nor'easter there was a lot of flooding. The water was almost even with the dock. I did stop by the golf course next to it. The flooding was up to the fencing.  I had to laugh that there were golfers out practicing their strokes...not much stops them.

Then last Sunday a friend and her husband asked me to be a "reviewer" for the First Lego League competition for ages 7-10 at Longwood HS. It was for the morning only and it was great to see the projects the teams created. After lunch my friend, Suzala and I went to the main gym to sketch the older participants during their robotics tournaments. It was colorful, noisy and fun! We sat in the bleachers to sketch.