A Day in Brooklyn
I met my friends Pat, Melly, and Gwen in Brooklyn on Friday to celebrate Melly's upswing week (week 3 after chemotherapy) and had a wonderful day wandering the Botanic Garden and the Art Museum. It was my first visit to the Gardens - WOW! The wisteria and tree peonies were unbelievable. The website says there are 300 tree peonies in bloom! Go see Melly and Gwen's blogs for their sketchbook pages and some photos from the day.
I sketched a little (in pen) as I walked and Gwen taught us about the Chelidonium Magus plant whose sap was used as pigment in Medieval manuscripts. The yellow squiggly lines and the yellow flower on my sketchbook page are all from the sap of the leaves when you break one off the stem! Amazing!
After a lovely lunch on the patio in the Gardens, we walked next door to the Art Museum and spent most of the time sketching in the African Arts section.
Then we took a quick tour of Judy Chicago's Dinner Party and the current exhibit in the Feminist Art Center. It was a fantastic day - and a very easy trip for me from Manhattan to Brooklyn by subway.
Comments
I like your study of wisteria flowers. They are little aliens when looked at in groups and such an interesting vine.
Posted by: Melly | May 21, 2011 12:22 PM
Great sketches of some beautiful flowers. And it was very interesting to read about how you used the yellow color directly from one of the plants on your walk. I wish I could have been walking with you!
Posted by: Sandy in Michigan | May 21, 2011 1:43 PM
Love the flowers, Shirley, it must have been a wonderful day.
Posted by: Cathy Johnson (Kate) | May 21, 2011 9:09 PM
Shirley- I love your take on our day! The golden sap from the yellow celendon looks great! I have hit so many dead ends trying to find seeds or plants. None are to be had on line as far as I can tell. And I've searched the woods near my house-- no luck at all. I even went to a nursery near my house, and they had heard of it but had no idea where to find it. It doesn't seem to grow wild around here.
Posted by: Gwen Diehn | May 21, 2011 9:23 PM
Sounds like a wonderful day! Love those African drawings!
Posted by: Dan Kent | May 21, 2011 10:04 PM
Some great sketches and especially interesting how you tried the yellow sap out on the page!
Posted by: Cathy Holtom | May 22, 2011 5:58 AM
Lovely drawings and what a great day!
Posted by: Sasa | May 22, 2011 10:02 AM
Thank you for the fun sketching trip. I enjoyed each artist's pages and insight. What a group!!
Posted by: Sandra Torguson | May 22, 2011 10:13 AM
Love the layout of your Botanic Garden page - and the sap!
Posted by: Margaret | May 22, 2011 12:43 PM
Wonderful sketches! Once again I envy your journal group friends....you guys sure know how to have a good time!
Posted by: Carol C. | May 23, 2011 10:05 AM
Lovely! =)
Posted by: Alex Tan | May 23, 2011 9:53 PM
Great drawing by you!
Posted by: Carla Sonheim | May 25, 2011 3:05 PM
Beautiful sketches! I LOVE that iris!
Posted by: Ann | May 27, 2011 8:57 PM