Paper and Threads

We took our grandchildren Henry (just 4) and Sydney (2 1/2) to the Central Park Carousel this week.  We arrived just before 10AM so we were able to see it before it started running.  I even took Sydney to see a nice little horse - but there was no way this otherwise adventurous child was going to get on that horse!  So grandma had a ride on a big horse, all alone, hoping to change her mind - but no.  "When I'm bigger" was all she said!  Henry was also very cautious and rode in the cart behind one of the horses with Grandpa. 

Tonight's dinner salad.  I really did have to sketch and paint it before eating.  I wasn't looking forward to this, but like most EDM challenges I'm glad I did it. 

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I recycled an old book on Elizabeth I, encorporating many kinds of watercolor paper for experimentation.  Since we returned from our last visit to London, I periodically play with the image of Big Ben from countless photos I took during our visits and use this recycled book.

Big Ben, even just a silhouette, is as much an iconic symbol for London as the Empire State Building is for New York.  I posted Big Ben #1 on May 24th.  Here are Big Ben monthly entries #2-5 from my Elizabeth  I book.  I'm curious how far I can take this - since I'm not someone who has even been able to work in a series.

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This is our mahogany library ladder unfolded.  The bottom step folds under the second step and then both together fold under the top step.  It always takes me two attempts to get it open and closed.  It seemed like a great challenge to sketch the perspective in this angled view.

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I finally painted our "2006-2007 London Home"  at 25 Royal Ave, Chelsea.  We were so fortunate to have 6 wonderful trips to visit our daughter, her husband, and 2 children and even were there when their 3rd baby was born prematurely in December.  We spent a total of 3 months visiting - approximately 2 weeks every 2 months - except when we rushed over one week early in December for the baby for a total of 3 weeks.  They have moved back to New York and we don't know who is living in this lovely home now.  We will always have wonderful memories from the time we spent there.

This was painted on Fabriano 9 X 12" 140 lb extra white HP paper.  It was the first time that I used it and I love it!

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One of my Art Goals for 2007 is to practice drawing people - real people, photos of people, photos of nude models, and Greek-Roman statues.  Here are a few sketches from August.

This sketch was made from a photo in a pregnancy magazine that is distributed at the medical school.  There are great photos of babies and pregnant women in the advertisements!

These two folks were sitting separately reading at the Cafe at the Toy Boat Pond in Central Park.  I loved her hat and then needed to find a suitable male wearing a hat for balance! 

This was sketched from a photo in my Nude Models for Artists book.  Although the graphite smudging doesn't show up on the watercolor paper, it really does in the scan.  This is one of the liabilities of being left-handed for sure.

A sketch from the Greek and Roman galleries at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  I went on my own Sketchcrawl today and did 3 projects that I planned for my next museum visit.  The New York group was meeting at South Street Seaport for their Worldwide Sketchcrawl - and it is a hot, humid day.  The Museum. in contrast, was beautifully cooled....  Ah, I'm getting old and fussy!

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