#inktober, #inktober2015 - Day 31 & a Zentangle

Today I did my last Inktober sketch for 2015 up on the north fork of Long Island where there are many farm stands and tractors.

My art group had a entangle workshop this week. I could have used this for an Inktober sketch but I didn't. The zentangle was fun to do. You could have heard a pin drop as everyone worked on their piece. My thanks to Pauline Hazard for the workshop.

Here is the group with everyone holding their creations.

#inktober, #inktober2015 - Day 30 & Nocturnal Painting

I was out plein air painting today with my friend, Gina at a farmstead. After painting the outside we each headed inside to do an Inktober sketch of the produce.

My friends, Jeanne Salucci and Chris Taylor invited me to come nocturnal painting with them down by the marina near Jeanne's house. We got there about 5:00 and the sun was scheduled to set at 5:54. That gave us nearly an hour to get set up and sketch out the scene. I've painted sunsets before but always left once it got dark. There was supposed to be a full moon that would provide some light, but due to the clouds you couldn't see the moon at all. The plan was to use the lighting at the marina to see the view, and I brought along a book light and a small flashlight to illuminate my painting and my paints. It worked for a while, but the overhead lights in the marina never came on. All we had were small lights along the posts on the dock itself. I was able to paint but I'm not sure it looks much different from what I usually get at a sunset.

Here is a photo of my setup once it got really dark.

This shows how really dark it was. Jeanne and Chris's silhouettes can barely be seen...everything else was pretty much black. It was a fun attempt anyway.

#inktober, #inktober2015 - Day 29 & Fall Foliage

I had a busy day today but did find a bit of time to sit and sketch in Sayville for my Inktober sketch.

The trees are looking so beautiful here it is hard to not stop and pull out my paints. Enjoy!

#inktober, #inktober2015 - Day 28 & Flowered Deck

The last few days of Inktober are here but I have still been able to get a sketch done each day. Today was rainy so I sat in my car and sketched this at a local boat yard.

I don't know why I never posted this. Back in September I went to a hummingbird sanctuary. I posted the larger painting I had done there, but not this. Right now I would love to be sitting right there.

#inktober, #inktober2015 - Day 27 & World Wide SketchCrawl

I was painting at Longwood Estate today and I just had to do a sketch of the barn that is so wonky and rustic.

Saturday was the 49th World Wide SketchCrawl and the NYC Urban Sketchers met at Washington Square Park in Manhattan.  There is always a lot going on in the park but in addition to the performers, musicians, religious people trying to convert everyone, a bird lady, a bird man, and bagpipers, there was a large protest against discriminatory practices of the police towards different ethnic groups. There were lots of people with signs, megaphones, etc. and a big police presence...just your normal everyday park. lol

I've wanted to sketch the arch there for a while and finally got to do it.

From my vantage point I was able to see the Freedom Tower through the trees. There was a man writing on the sidewalk...not sketching...just writing.

I had to sketch a few of the protesters, but as soon as I started they marched off to another part of the city...but I caught a few and a police officer too.

Washington Square Park also has a lovely fountain where people congregate and do all kinds of things.

We had about 30 sketchers join us at times throughout the day. Here are a few photos of some of the sketchers at work.

#inktober, #inktober2015 - Day 26 & October Still Life

Today I had an appointment over in Nassau County, and I decided to go sketch in Bay Park in East Rockaway. It is near where I used to live. I haven't been over to the park since long before Hurricane Sandy and they are still doing a lot of repairs in that area. This was a view by the boat dock across the water.

The other evening my sketch group met at the Paper Cup Studio to work indoors. People brought all kinds of Halloween/October related items. This is what I sketched.

#inktober, #inktober2015 - Day 25 & Graveyard 2

I had to go to Bellport today to pick up paintings from a show and just had to sketch another of the many scarecrows hanging there. My Inktense Day 25 sketch is of "Fishy Tom."

Since he was decked out in a fisherman's yellow slicker I added color, but forgot that this ink is not waterproof. It bled a little but I can live with it...and I guess I have to since I can't do anything about it now.

I decided I wanted to do another painting for the October challenge to "Paint in a Graveyard."

This time the 3 colors I used were Daniel Smith quinacridone gold, Daniel Smith quinacridone burnt orange, and Winsor Newton winsor blue (red shade). This was painted at the Emmanuel Episcopal Cemetery in Oakdale.

#inktober, #inktober2015 - Day 24 & Riley

I was on my way into NYC on the subway today and did my Inktober Day 24 sketch of some of the commuters. Most of them are either on their phones or asleep, so they make good models.

This week I finally got back to the portrait sketching group. Riley was our model.

#inktober, #inktober2015 - Day 23 & Longwood Estate

With all the pumpkins at the farmstands around here it was hard not to sketch on for my Inktober Day 23. It was cold and windy so I sat in my portable studio.

This week my plein air group painted at Longwood Estate in Ridge. The colors are just starting to pop here...not quite the color we usually have at this time. This is 8 x 10.

And here I am painting, courtesy of my friend, Donna Howard.

#inktober, #inktober2015 - Day 22 & Pumpkin Field

I cheated a bit with this Inktober sketch because I did it last night. My sketch group met indoors at a studio and we set up an October still life to sketch. I did the still life and then did an ink sketch of some of the other sketchers at work.

This painting was done at the beginning of this week...and it was cold out. I just barely finished the painting before I would have quit and went in to the car. lol I did like this field full of pumpkins and that fun scarecrow. It is such a fun time to ride around and find spots like this.

#inktober, #inktober2015 - Day 21 & Lakeview Cemetery

Inspiration came to me when I saw this crane down at the East Islip Marina, so it became my Inktober sketch for today. I figured it would be safe and stay put, but lo and behold just as I was finishing, I heard a motor start and the entire platform moved all the way up to the dock I was sitting on. lol

There was an October challenge posted by James Gurney to "paint a graveyard" using only 3 colors plus white. Here is a link to the other paintings for the challenge if you would like to check them out.

https://www.facebook.com/events/885666864816481/

This was painted at Lakeview Cemetery in Patchogue using only yellow ochre, ultramarine blue, burnt umber, and a little white.

#inktober, #inktober2015 - Day 20 & Fort Tryon Park

My Inktober sketch today was done outside the restaurant where I had lunch with my plein air group after painting today.

The NYC Urban Sketchers met at Fort Tryon Park in NYC at about W 192 St overlooking the Hudson River on Saturday. The forecast was for much colder temperatures and wind, so I made sure to dress warmly in my winter gear.  In certain spots you could see the George Washington Bridge peeking between the trees. This was sketched from the herb garden. Luckily I was sitting in the sun.

Then I moved down to an area that had a wider view of the GWB and some of the traffic below. By this time it had warmed up a bit and I was standing in full sun...so I was comfortably warm.

A fall festival was taking place in the park with lots of activities for children. These people were watching a dance performance. This was used as one of my Inktober sketches.

There were several tunnels going under the overpasses. This one was slightly uphill from the spot I was sitting to sketch.

I think this was a nice location, although not an easy place to go to by car since there were very limited parking places inside the park.

#inktober, #inktober2015 - Day 19 & Scarecrow #2

I was driving around in the Stony Brook/Setauket area today and decided to sketch this building with the marsh grasses behind it in the harbor as my Inktober Day 19.

I couldn't resist doing another scarecrow when I was in Bellport the other day. I may have to go back and do a few more.

#inktober, #inktober2015 - Day 18 & Pizza Man Scarecrow

Day 18 for Inktober took me to an antique store in Oakdale. It was cold and windy out today so I sat in the car to sketch.

The other day I sketched this scarecrow in Bellport for Inktober.

I decided he needed color. Different businesses in Bellport sponsor the scarecrows and the public gets to vote on their favorite. This one is "Pizza Man."

#inktober, #inktober2015 - Day 17 & Panera Sketch

Today I sketched in Fort Tryon Park in NYC. There was a festival going on with people sitting on hay bales watching a show...perfect to sketch.

The Patchogue Sketch Club met at the new Panera Bread in Patchogue on Wednesday. This one isn't really good for sketching. There are only 2 tables where you have any kind of view of the counter.

#inktober, #inktober2015 - Day 16 & Cape Cod Part 4

Today I went to the Patchogue Cemetery to do a painting for another project, so while I was there I did my Day 16 Inktober sketch.

The morning we were leaving Cape Cod I went downstairs and sat on the patio of the resort to paint this.

And of course I sketched on the return trip on the ferry. This was one of my Inktober sketches posted previously.

Remember the Damariscotta Pumpkin Regatta? Here's a video I took.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUjbMVc7OdY&feature=em-upload_owner