Paintout at the Fire Island Lighthouse

Today the Wet Paints Studio Group which I belong to had a Paintout at the Fire Island Lighthouse. My thanks to Carol and Patty for all their work in organizing things.

Fire Island is a barrier island off the south shore of Long Island, and has a beautiful lighthouse. It is accessible by car and is at the eastern end of Robert Moses State Park. We had about a dozen artists participate today and it was the perfect day to sit out and paint...sunshine and a bit of a breeze..and only a few pesky insects.

There are two boardwalks that you have to walk across to get to the lighthouse, but you can see it as soon as you get to the end of the parking area. The boardwalk zigzags back and forth and you are treated to different glimpses of it as you walk.

I arrived early so that I wouldn't have to sit in traffic (It is a very popular beach.), so I was there about 8:30am this morning. As soon as I got to the boardwalk I saw my friend, Bill, who was already working on his first painting. Here he is in action.

There are such great views along the walk.

I continued down the boardwalk and found a spot to paint. This is the first painting I did.

When I finished I walked the rest of the way to the lighthouse.

I passed Laurie on the way.

Up by the lighthouse I found a few more of my friends.

Carol (one of the organizers) sold this painting when she finished it.

Roseanne was painting up there too.

Next I headed over on the bay side and painted the view from that direction.

I forgot to take a separate photo of this painting and it is hanging in the lens house at our show. Luckily I did take a photo of it with the view behind it. If you look closely I used artistic license to make the flag blow in the other direction.

When we were done we hung the paintings inside the lens house. Our show of paintings of the Fire Island Lighthouse will be on display and for sale there for the next few weeks.

Meadowcroft Garden

Last Sunday my friend and I went to paint at Meadowcroft Estate in Sayville.

We ended up in the garden but I had to use a bit of artistic license to complete this because most of the plants had just been planted and hadn't filled in yet. This is 5 x 7.

Music and Musicians - Part I

Over on "Paper, Paint, Pencils, & Pens" (see the link on the side) we have changed themes to "Music and Musicians." I've been busy sketching from my photos.

This woman was playing her harp outside of a music store in Provincetown, MA.

Rather than working from a photo this was resketched from a sketch I had done during the Bay Chorus performance last fall.

The next three musicians were all in the same photo. They were playing near Bethesda Fountain in Central Park.

Poppy Parade

These poppies were dancing in my friend, Susan's garden last week.

I couldn't resist painting them. This is 8 x 10.

Chris's Boat

Last Wednesday the Patchogue Sketch Club met at a marina in East Patchogue where one of the members keeps her sailboat. It would have been a wonderful place to watch and paint the sunset, but it was very overcast and cold. We were all bundled up in coats and sitting in the open backs of people's hatchbacks to keep out of the cold wind. We do go prepared because it is usually colder down by the water in the evening. Eventually I hope we will have warmer weather on the nights we sketch...after all it is JUNE! lol

Here are a few photos of the other sketchers trying to keep warm.

Beach People

I've been getting to the beach a bit and love to sketch the people there. 

Here are a few of my sketches.

Groovin' At the 59th Street Bridge

I can't even imagine how many times I've driven across the 59th Street Bridge in my lifetime (aka the Queensboro Bridge), but this was the first time I've ever stood on it. This was where the NYC Urban Sketchers met on Saturday. My thanks to Joy for all her organizing and research. 

I drove from home in Holbrook to Kew Gardens and took the F train to Lexington and 63rd St. I was amazed to find myself there in 1 hour and 20 minutes. I think I set a record for getting in so fast. I did a few subway sketches of people while riding the subway.

We met at in the area where the bridge meets the water on the Manhattan side of the 59th Street Bridge.

There was a lot going on with the two bike lanes, bikes whizzing by, and pedestrians walking. It was not the safest location to be but we sketched anyway.There was also bridge traffic close by zipping along. It was noisy, crazy and fun. I sketched the view looking back towards the city.

It was windy on the bridge but we all made the best of it.

Here are a few sketches of some of the others at work.

I sketched some of the traffic that was crossing the bridge right next to us.

And part of the structure of the bridge.

Finally we headed down off the bridge to street level. It was fun to sketch the arches under the bridge and the view through them.

After lunch we headed over to the promenade along the river. It was sunny for a while but then started drizzling, so we took cover under an overhang for a bit. When it stopped drizzling around 3 everyone else decided to leave. I wanted to finish my sketch and sat back down, but it started drizzling again. I finished it from under the overhang, but then it started to pour.

I stayed dry watching the rain from under the overhang. When it finally stopped I headed back to the subway for my return home.