Paper and Threads

I am taking Marc Taro Holmes' Craftsy Class on Travel Sketching and was anxious to do more homework before arriving at Battery Park City on Wednesday.  I draw fast and more accurately when I don't use continuous lines, so the evening before I gave up the continuous line and quickly sketched the Conciergerie in Paris in pen, from one of my photos, and then "added the darks."  After just one video I know I will love his lessons. 

I arrived at the Park 10 minutes before the Art Cart and did a "Fast Drawing" of the front Façade of Pier A.  My pen had water soluble ink so I just pulled out some ink with a water brush and may still "add the darks" at home.

This is one of the Gardens in the Park where many of the sketchers spend the morning.  There is abundant shade and a wonderful breeze from NY Harbor, and the Hudson and East Rivers. 

I went to the other end of the Park and sketched Pier A, a recently renovated building between Wagner Park and Battery Park.  I was under a huge shade tree and loved being there watching all of the activity in the Park and the Harbor as I painted.  This is the end of the Pier A Western façade as it juts out into the Harbor as painted in my accordion sketchbook reserved for NYC paintings. 

After lunch there were 2 male models at Figure Al Fresco and more than 50 artists arranged in a big circle drawing them in 1, 2, 5, 10, and 20 minute poses. 

Here are 3 of my 4 five minute sketches. 

This was the final pose - 20 minutes with the two of them back to back. 

Posted by Shirley at 12:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Pat, Benedicte and I spent a full day last week at the Museum of Art and Design (MAD) and the American Museum of Folk Art.  There were two excellent exhibits at MAD, but as artists who like to draw figures, the Ralph Pucci Mannequin exhibit made us pull out our sketchpads and iPad, and want to draw.  One half of the exhibit showed his studio, with mannequin body part casts and partially assembled and assembled bodies.  I love the yellow full body casts on the top shelves. 

The other half was a huge demonstration of mannequins created by designers - for example Diane Von Furstenberg.  But one of them was even designed by one of my favorite artists - Maira Kalman.

Here are two photos I took of the studio section and one of Benedicte photographing one half of the line-up.

I selected a few mannequins to draw.  The one on the left was designed by Maira Kalman.

Next I sketched just the heads of the most bizarre mannequins.  Most of their bodies were the same shapes, but in different positions. 

After lunch we went to the American Folk Art Museum to see the "Folk Art and American Modernism" Exhibit and my favorite piece was a 19th C. Archangel Gabriel weathervane.  I loved the patina and tried to create some of it with my paint colors.   

Posted by Shirley at 6:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I Love Battery Park!  For me there is something so magical about sunshine, lots of trees, Harbor and River breezes, and lots of activity.  The Art Program of the Battery Park City Conservancy, which runs from May through October, drew me down to the Park on Wednesdays (weather permitting), and now I can't wait and watch the weather forecast from Sunday through Wednesday morning.  From 11-1, the program is based in Wagner Park - the west side of Battery Park, along the Esplanade and in beautifully manicured flower gardens that extend from Pier A to South Cove.  From 2:30-4:30 there are clothed figure models to draw in South Cove.  This is a quick picture of one of the many shady areas in Wagner Park, and the people you can see on benches are some of the artists.  The rest are spread out in the gardens or along the Esplanade facing the Harbor.

On the right side of the above photo, in deep shadows, is the Art Cart.  The staff from the Conservancy drives the cart to both sites, filled with free art supplies, including stools, drawing boards, paper, and a large variety of media.  I always bring my own supplies - but love the stools.  I used Photoshop to lighten the photo and focus on the cart for this blog post.

This week I challenged myself to draw the setting for a beautiful water lily that I saw in one of the Gardens.  Landscapes are my least favorite types of drawings/paintings.  If I'm painting flowers I prefer to carefully observe one or a few. While I was there, the Conservancy gardeners were busily at work, I was in the shade and breezes, and loved the first hour.  Here is my sketchbook page.  I sat near the water during the second hour and prepared a new sketchbook, mixing my primary watercolors to put a sample of my palette on the front page.

And here are several of my figure drawings from the afternoon session. 

Five Minute Sketch:

Composite of 10 and 20 minute sketches:  These were sketched on the same large sheet of watercolor paper, but scanned individually and put back together in Photoshop.

After Figure Drawing I walk with my friend Benedicte along the water, and we revel in the Harbor activity.  This was one of the first things we saw this week. 

Posted by Shirley at 9:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I'm not very good drawing portraits of my family, but I think there is some improvement in my sketches of my husband.  He was sitting across from me on a Manhattan bus when I sketched him in the first drawing below, the other two were sketched while having coffee at the Boat Pond in Central Park.  He was doing the New York Times Sat and Sunday Crossword Puzzles and therefore quite still.

This page was pre-printed with watercolor and then drawn in graphite, with a little charcoal.

Barry with the Crossword Puzzle he finished while I was sketching him with graphite and a little charcoal.

I try to go to figure drawing weekly during the summer, weather permitting.  Figure Al Fresco  at Battery Park City has one clothed model, in the Park, for two hours.  Last week was the second time I sketched this model - who told us he lifts weights and runs marathons. 

I did 10 0ne minute sketches, and 5 Two minute sketches.  Here are two of the 2 minute sketches that were done on newsprint.

These are 3 of the 5 minute sketches done with soluble graphite and water. 

Posted by Shirley at 6:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Today is the Grand Opening of the new Seaglass Carousel in Battery Park.  It took 10 years to reach completion and is a labor of love for the Battery Conservancy, a group founded by Warrie Price in 1994.  The WXY architectural firm's Mark Yoes and his team members conceived of the nautilus shape to honor the original New York Aquarium that once was located in Castle Clinton in Battery Park. 

Yesterday our weekday NYC-Urban Sketchers' group met there to sketch the exterior one day before the official opening.  Upon arrival we learned that it was Press Day and the "keeper of the press list" wouldn't let us any closer.  You can see  the table set up at the entrance.  I sat on a bench and started sketching, soon joined by 2 others from our group.  Several others were disappointed and decided to go sketch along the water where it was cooler.

Much later, after my sketchbook page was painted, one of our members approached the Battery Conservancy Chief of Operations, and was granted permission for the 3 of us to enter based on our almost completed sketches.  The official program for the Press was over and press attendees were just riding the carousel, so I was even able to see the Nautilus spiral ceiling from the inside.    

Warrie Price and NYC-USK: Much later, the Chief of Operations, Steve Lagerstrom, introduced us to Warrie Price.  From Left to Right - Raylie, Me, Maureen from Urban Sketchers, and Warrie Price the President and Founder of the Battery Conservancy.  The man behind Raylie is Mark Yoes, architect.

Here is my sketchbook page.  I wasn't sure how long I could sit on the bench in the sun, so the sketch was done quickly and the measurements aren't completely accurate.  Just before we were given permission to enter, the carousel was started and I saw that great big pink fish pass inside the windows.

When I went inside, I actually met Mark Yoes, completely by chance, as we discussed my open wet paint palette and painting.  I told him I would send him a link to my blog post and hope that he enjoys it!  Here are 4 of the many photos I took as the fish were whirling past me,

There are many articles already printed, and even a short 1 minute video showing the 30 fish as they spin around and move up and down.  I'm including 2 links, one to the NY Times video and the other to the NY Times article plus video.  Seaglass will now become a favorite NYC destination for NYC families and tourists alike. 

Video:  NY Times   http://www.nytimes.com/video/arts/design/100000003846021/take-a-ride-on-a-seaglass-carousel.html

Video Plus Recent Article Describing the Project:

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/14/arts/design/new-yorks-new-carousel-puts-you-in-a-whirling-school-of-mechanized-fish.html?_r=0 

Posted by Shirley at 11:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)