Forsythia in Bloom & Watercolor Warmup Patterns

 I have been on high alert watching for forsythia in bloom. I knew the forecast was for rain for a few days this week so I headed out on a dry day to an area where there is usually forsythia in bloom.

I did another lesson from Sketchbook Revival. This one was hosted by Faith Evans-Sills called Watercolor Warmups Gathering Color and Pattern inspiration. She had us find an advertisement or photo and work with patterns of colors found in what we selected. I used a Degas painting of dancers for my inspiration.

Across the Water & Zentangle

 While I was up at Cedar Beach I changed locations within the park and went down by the pier. I sat in my mobile studio looking at this scene while I had lunch.  I really wanted to do this but it looked like too much playing around to get the shrubbery on the cliff to look right. I took a chance and pulled out just my regular sketching pencil and I liked the result. I don't know if those big buildings are private homes, but considering I was in a rather wealthy area it is possible. The one on the left looks like it should be a hotel.

This morning I did another Sketchbook Revival session. This was with Melinda Barlow on the Art of Zentangle. I've tangled before but never with such floral designs. This was fun and is about 5 inches square.

Mount Sinai Waterview and Sketchbook School Street

I drove up to Cedar Beach in Mount Sinai on Saturday. Mount Sinai is on the north side of Long Island where there are bluffs along Long Island Sound. The landscape is a bit different than the south shore...still a lot of water but the land down here is pretty flat. There was a mound of sand by the water and beyond that was a sand bar and across the inlet some rather large, expensive houses.

I have been working on my "Collage the Street" from Karen Stamper's Sketchbook Revival lesson a little bit at a time. I think it is finally done.

 

Waterfront & 1-2-3 Cats

 I sat across from the ferries to Fire Island down by Brown's River Road and sketched.

I did another Sketchbook Revival lesson, this one with Este' Mac Leod. She had us doing 1-2-3 Let's Draw Cats. They must be the most popular animal...at least in these lessons. Each cat was drawn incorporating a number from 1-9 in the design. #3 and #8 had to be on their side. It was fun to try to figure out how to get the number in the design for the cat's face. Can you find the number in each face?

Boardwalk & Sketchbook Revival Royal Tern

Some of the water locations here have small boardwalks like this spot by the Sayville Boat Basin. The marina isn't open to boats because it is too early so there are no boats in the slips.

I have been watching some of the video lessons for Sketchbook Revival to catch up. The 2 weeks are now up but the videos remain available until April 18. I'll watch as many as I can and do a few more of the lessons. This morning I did a sketch of a Royal Tern in a workshop let by Shari Blaukopf who is an urban sketcher I have been following for years.

 

Japanese BBQ

 I recently noticed this restaurant out of the corner of my eye because of the bright colors and vowed to go back and sketch it. When I went back to the location in Lake Grove I was very disappointed to find that it had closed. I never noticed it before. I wonder if it opened and closed during Covid. I hadn't been in that shopping center since before the pandemic. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it will reopen.

Lifted

Down near the dock in Bellport I recently noticed that there is a house that has been completely lifted up off of its foundation. I'm not sure why but I expect it is due to the flooding that the area gets when there are storms. A few weeks ago when I was doing the 100 people challenge I sketched a few of the workmen that were on the street surveying the property. It was interesting to see what was now holding up the house...lots of steel girders.