Paper and Threads

Figure Al Fresco:  We have a wonderful adult art program in Battery Park City, NYC.  On Wednesday aftenoons from May 1-Oct 1, weather permitting. there is a model for figure drawing for 2 hours.  The models are dressed, and visitors in the Park wander through our circle of artists who are drawing the model.  These are my 5 and 10 minutes poses from this week.  I sketch with a General Sketch and Wash pencil, and then use a water brush to move the soluble graphite around the drawing.  These drawings are too big for my scanner and were photographed.

20 Minute Poses: 

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It was hard for me to add to my Summer Vacation Sketchbook and a special sketchbook for direct watercolor painting when we were on vacation - so I am behind already.  I made a 16 page Teesha Moore pamphlet book with one sheet of 140 lb watercolor paper for the challenge (from her online tutorial) and this first painting was done on the narrow cover flap. 

Several more paintings without a pen or pencil:  A deep sea scallop shell found on the beach in Southampton last year and a white ceramic piggy bank that was in our vacation house. 

I did this challenge each day in June last year and learned so much more about my watercolors.  I will try to finish the challenge by June 30th, but if not I'll continue in July! 

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We learned lots about Sag Harbor during this vacation.  It was the Whaling port for Long Island during the height of the Whaling Industry in the 19th C.  Whale boats, for whale ships, were built there, and the men from the region could be gone for 1-3 years before returning with hundreds of barrels of whale oil.  I never read Moby Dick, but we saw the movie at the Sag Harbor Library, after visiting the Whaling Museum. It was a great education.  The last page in my sketchbook is of the Sag Harbor Historical Society Building.  This is a very active group that is preserving the heritage of this town.

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Our vacation is almost over - 2 mile morning walks on the beach, cool weather, a town to explore, and old friends.  Shells were scarce, but we watched a big horseshoe crab walk very slowly across the sand and the others watched a small snake slither away.  I painted the house and the pool house where we are staying, and will always remember the afternoons spent drawing.

The House: 

 The Pool House and Shed:

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These are a few of the treasures I picked up on our beach walks.  The channel whelk shell is a beautiful gray- blue and only about 3" long.  The Sand Dollar, the first one I ever found, is silver dollar size.   The Jingle was a nice mix of black and gold.  And I'm not sure what type of shell is striped and very tiny - 1/2".  But today we stopped at the South Fork Natural History Museum and Nature Center, and the expert said it was a "smooth Astarte" shell.  I looked up images online, and it is!

Some days, some years, we find lots of shells.  This year the beaches only have clam shells and rocks. We are still on vacation, and I'm still photographing the sketchbook pages, hence the blue background tone.

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