Paper and Threads

Liz Steel and Marc Taro Holmes, from the International Urban Sketchers Group proposed a challenge for everyday in June.  Instead of using lines for drawing, they proposed using shapes to directly paint the art.  I love drawing and think in "lines", not "shapes," so this was a perfect challenge for me.  I made a Teesha Moore 16 page watercolor book with one sheet of Arches 140 lb cold press to use for challenge, and will try to paint something every day.  Each page will need images from two days, and I'm starting small so I can develop some beginning skills. 

SeaGulls:  from photos I took on our beach walks.

Rocks and Flip-Flops:  I'm trying to learn how to paint rocks wet-in-wet and make them look smooth as they are deposited from the ocean on the sand - painted from observation.

Gentoo Penguins and Flower Planter:  We watched a PBS documentary on Nature called Penguin Post Office on Wed. PM and I loved seeing the Gentoo Penguins in Antartica at Port Lockroy.  These were painted from a photo.  The planter was one of 4 around the pool at the beach- painted from observation

Seagulls and Lifeguards Stand:  More seagulls and the life guard stand on Cooper's Beach - from my photos.  I painted the lifeguard stand by painting the negative space shapes.  A enormous challenge for me! 

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We were shocked to find a shark on the beach during our morning walk.  I still need to use the shark identification algorithm to figure out what type of shark it was.  The week we arrived we saw a big seal on the same beach, and we found out very quickly that it wasn't dead!  But the beach had very few shells or other interesting marine life.   

The one shell I did find was the gorgeous deep sea scallop shell - my 6th in 11 years. 

I am participating in the Urban Sketchers 30 X 30 challenge and painted this sea gull by its shapes - no lines.  I have a separate sketchbook for those daily paintings, and I will post some as the month progresses.  I think in lines, and not shapes, so this is a good learning experience for me.  

I'm still also doing really fast line of action figure drawings - pencil to make the line of action and pen for the drawing.  These were the beach type ads in the magazines I saw, love these quick sketches for figure drawing practice.  I sketched them on scrap paper and collaged them on one of my sketchbook pages.

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The NYC Weekday Urban Sketchers met at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church for the twice per semester Juilliard Concert of the Historical Performance Graduate Students who play early music.  I arrived 15 minutes before the doors opened and made a quick sketch of the building at CPW and W65th St.

I've previously sketched players and their string instruments at this concert, and wanted to sketch the harpsichord player during the concert.

This is a wonderful free concert, and it is first come, first serve seating.  Our group members met after the concert to show their drawings and there were so many different types of drawings, including the 4 big stained glass windows. 

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 I love making sketchbooks and devoted several accordion books, with 140 lb watercolor paper, to my days with the NYC Urban Sketchers.  This book took a little more than a year to fill, partly because I didn't always use it when I was sketching with the group.  This is the front of the book.

This is the back of the book.

We met at the Hans Christian Anderson Statue for the Saturday morning Storytelling Program when one of our members was performing.  I sketched the Boat Rental Building at Conservatory Water in Central Park and never posted it.

Recently our weekday USK group went to the Hamilton Grange in Manhattan, the Summer Home that Alexander Hamilton built and lived in for several years at the end of his life.  It is beautiful, and easy to access from midtown Manhattan, at 414 W 141st St.

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Morris-Jumel House:  This was another wonderful USK adventure.  The Morris-Jumel Mansion was built in 1765 and is the oldest house in Manhattan.  In the Fall of 1776 it served as a temporary headquarters for George Washington, and now it is a historical site and museum in Washington Heights.  It is very easy to reach from midtown Manhattan, and you are really transported to the country. 

Sylvan Terrace:  You approach Roger Morris Park through Sylvan Terrace, up a flight of stone steps on St. Nicholas Avenue between 161st and 162nd Street.  At the top of the stairs there is a cobblestone "street" and two parallel rows of houses. 

http://www.scoutingny.com/a-hidden-treasure-in-washington-heights/ 

The entrance to the Park is at the far-end of Sylvan Terrace.   Many of us sat on the front lawn of the house, with the Harlem River to the East, and Sylvan Terrace to the left, and it was wonderfully quiet.  This is my painting of the house.  Others sketched the garden house on the back of the Park.

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