Lavender Bay Part 2 of 2

Thjs is a double past. Please check out both posts.

After heading down from the garden I sat near the ferry to sketch this view across the bay.

Lavender Bay Part 1 of 2

Today Ibtook the ferry over to Lavender Bay. I read about a place called Wendy Whitely’s Secret Garden. The property is in front of Wendy’s home on a steep hillside and she has taken it on herself for years to plant and tend this plot of land. She has done a beautiful job. There i

Are sculptures amid the foliage and beaches to sit on and enjoy the peace of the garden. It was a long climb up but worth it.

Sydney Sketches Part 2

Thjs is a continuation of my previous post. I couldn’t do two in

Mages in one so please view both, In the afternoon I went back to The Rocks and sketched Susannah Pkace, a histiric group of buildings.

Sydney Sketches

Today I met up with someone I contacted fro Urban Sketchers Sydney named Chris Haldane. Although the Usk Sydney didn’t have an event scheduled this weekend, Sketch Sydney did. I met Chris and the group and we headed over to The Goods Line in Haymarket where a suitcase Rummage  Sale was taking place. New and used merchandise was being sold out of suitcases. It was a great spot for sketching people. Here is what I sketched. The group that runs these events asked if they could

Take a photo of the sketches to put on their blog...so we said yes.

Someone took a group photo but I don’t have that yet. Chris and I went for coffee and a chat and then we parted ways. For some reaso today I can’t add a second image so I will try to do that in a Part 2. If it works make sure to see both posts for today.

Darling Harbour

I had hoped to sketch with a Sydney Urban Sketcher this morning but due to the weather we canceled. Instead I sketched the view out the apartment window.

The weather seemed to have cleared up so I walked to Darling Harbour. I decided to do a composite page first sketching the James Craig sailing vessel. Of course I got all set up and It started to rain. I scooted under a stairway so I was covered to work on the sketch. Then I added in the red boat that was also part of the Australian National Maritime Museum. I still had space left for a few bird sculptures that were part of the Dancing Brolga Fountain designed by Terrance Plowright. I did a double page spread.

I went over to the park to relax but there were these fountains with kids and I couldn’t resist,

Sydney Opera House

After a good night’s sleep I headed out this morning to sketch the Sydney Opera House. I waked about 25 minutes to get there and another 10 to find a decent sketch spot. Lots of young kids stopped by to watch me paint. They are always fascinated and ask questions.

Next I walked over to an area called “the rocks” and looked for a place to sit and have lunch. I saw signs for a craft and food fair that takes place there on Fridays. I went ang sat where a put was playing the guitar and singing. I also had a view of a play area with fake grass, building blocks, buckets and games. There were chairs for the adults. I sketched r

The play area first and don’t you know the musician stopped before I could sketch him, so I included some of the market vendors too.

Hyde Park

We arrived in Sydney, Australia around 7:30am. The flight from LA to Sydney was about 15 hours and I think I slept about 3 hours. I watched 2 movies and read 1 1/2 books. We had bulkhead seats and I was in the middle and had no view to sketch. But at least we could get up and stretch easily.

We came to Australia to celebrate my niece’s wedding. We have a week here in Sydney before we meet family in Perth and travel to the wedding. After the wedding we will explore the west coast a bit.

After checking into our apartment which overlooks Hyde Park, I showered and then went for a walk around the park. I did a view looking toward the tower and then one of the Sandringhan Gardens in the Park. I did a sketch at dinner but didn’t get to add color yet.

Sorry but I can’t enlarge the images today.

In Flight

Stage one...a fight to LAX. Definitely an adventure since unbeknown to us we needed a visa for our final destination. Had to do an electronic one with my sister’s help in Maine. It took about 2 1/2 hours to get that done. Meanwhile we missed the original flight to CA and were put in a later flight but with enough time to make the connection to flight 2.

Spring Colors

I was on a quest to find pink trees in bloom...success!

Hoptron

Our sketch group met at the Hoptron Brewtique on Wednesday rather than the library which had some kind of flooding problems. Hoptron always welcomes us. I sketched a few patrons and my friend Pat who was busy sketching.

Forsythia

I love when the forsythia starts to bloom and there is yellow everywhere! Welcome spring!!

On Saturday morning I did a few sketches in Union Square Park. There was a Saturday market going on too.

Once again I couldn't change the size of the images on the iPad, so when my trip starts I will probably  have to upload the smaller images. I hope you don't mind.

Glad to see some of you respond with your favorites of the alcohol ink tiles I posted yesterday. Debi loved them and took all of them for the shop. I promised her more sunflower tiles when I get back.

Sea Tiles

I decided this had too many images to try and post them on my iPad, so I went straight to my laptop. I have some of my alcohol ink tiles at a gift shop/gallery called, "The Catbird Seat" in Sayville, the next town over from me. The owner suggested that I do some sea themed ones for the upcoming summer season. I will be taking these over to the shop before I leave on my trip next Tuesday. These were a bit harder to do than the flowers I've posted before because they need to pretty much resemble the creature I was aiming for. The flowers can be a bit more abstract. I like the way these came out. Do you have a favorite?

Draw-a-Thon

On Saturday after sketching in Union Square I headed uptown to the High School of Art & Design which was having a Draw-a-Thon fundraiser. Several of the NYC Urban Sketchers were already there since it had started at 10 am. I didn't get  there until about 3:30. I did a few warmup sketches and then did two of the models in their setting in the room. This was the second Draw-a-Thon I've gone to and I didn't get a chance to sketch any of the costumed models since the event winds down at 6 pm when pizza is served and raffles are drawn. It was a fun event!

Crab Meadow

We finally had a warm, sunny day last week so I headed to Crab Meadow Beach in Northport. This is a Long Island treasure that once the summer season starts I can’t go to because I am not a resident. It was a perfect day to sit and paint so I did two sketches, one in watercolor and one in watercolor and ink. It was a perfect day.

Today's posting from my iPad showed me I can post two images, but I can't change the size or go back and edit the post. I went back to my laptop to do both...but I won't be able to do that next week. You may have to adjust to seeing the sketches and photos as smaller images. :(

Daffs

This this was painted last week in my friend, Susan’s garden. She is so good at sharing her flowers with me.

I have been trying to post to my blog lately using my iPad rather than my computer. I will be traveling starting next week and my computer isn't coming with me. I tried a few test posts only to find out that whatever program I had that allowed me to post to blogspot.com from my iPad no longer existed and it wouldn't work. So  I researched and it seems that if I use Chrome rather than Safari to post it works. It isn't quite as easy as it was before, but at least it seems to be working. (This part I'm typing on my computer.) Maybe if I practice a few times I'll remember how to do it when I am in...

Stay tuned next week and maybe you'll find out where I am going.

Mugs

Our sketch group had mugs as our theme last week. We also included things that can be put into a mug. It was fun to see the different mugs and things that were brought in for this theme.

Still Life

On Wednesday our portrait model cancelled. She went to Cuba instead. So our organizer brought in a bowl of fruit to do a still life. I happened to have a vase with artificial flowers in it that I was holding for someone who forgot it at our sketch night the week before, so I went out and grabbed that and two colorful scarves that I had in my car. I think it worked fairly well together.

Briermere Farm

Out on the North Fork of Long Island is Briermere Farm in Riverhead. Mention the name locally and people start salivating thinking about their pies. I was passing by and noticed that they were set up with veggies and flowers outside so I stopped and parked across from the front door (the pies are inside) and sat in my car to sketch the scene. Usually I don't get such a front-facing spot...I lucked out since it is still off-season out there.

First Robotics - Part 2

After lunch I decided I needed to get down on the track floor and check out a view closer. Visitors were allowed down on the floor but they needed to wear goggles in order to enter. I walked around the area where they were competing but I had already sketched that so I kept walking. Each team had a "pit" area where they had all their equipment and supplies to work on their robots before competing. Some teams competed several times as the teams narrowed down. I found a spot all the way in the back where team 3760 was making adjustments to their robot. I didn't have my chair with me so I ended up sitting on the edge of the track to do the sketch...not a very comfortable spot but it had a good view.

When I got back up to the stands I did a few more sketches of the people waiting. The guy with the dreadlocks was in charge of the group in yellow.

There were only a few sketchers left when we headed out to a restaurant to have a snack and share our sketches. Robotics is tiring!

First Robotics at the Armory - Part I

This past Saturday the NYC Urban Sketchers met at The Armory Track and Field Center in Upper Manhattan to sketch at the First Robotics Competition. New York City hosts 51 Robotics teams from the NY area, Turkey, the UK, Brazil, and China. Winning teams advanced from this competition to the global competition.

We selected seats in the upper stands because that made it possible to see over the heads of the people standing on the floor watching. The competition took place in the center of the tracks. The problem was it was very hard to narrow your focus when you are seeing the entire event at once...but we had comfortable seats.
 The idea was for the teams to use the robot they created to lift up the yellow cubes and place them on the platforms on the ends of the balance in the center of the sketch. Whichever team had the most cubes on their platform won the round. I used artistic license to eliminate about 75% of the people who were in my range of sight. This sketch probably took me close to 1 1/2 hours to do.

Then I sketched some of the people watching the competition and waiting for their team to appear.

At this point some of us took a break and headed out to get lunch. More tomorrow...

Starbucks

Rainy days are always good for sketching in Starbucks. This on was inside a Barnes & Noble.

Sayville House

When I can't think of anyplace to go I ride around Sayville until a house catches my eye like this one did.

Bottles and Glasses

On Wednesday the Patchogue Sketch Club met and our theme was Glass Bottles, Glasses, Jars and Objectss Made of Glass. I sketched a variety of items that people brought. the perfume bottle and the cruet on the top left were items I brought. The brown bottle with the glass in front was found by a clammer in the bay. The glass was made of what looked to be Venetian glass. I don't have stories for the other bottles, but it was a fun night.

Fresh Snow

On Monday we had another snowstorm. We had a total of about 4 inches here and it looked really pretty. I rushed out to paint it before the snow fell off the trees. I sat in my car in a parking lot to paint this scene and by the time I finished the snow had almost all fallen off. It was warm enough that the snow didn't last long on the streets.

Easter Bouquet

This Easter my husband brought me a lovely bouquet of flowers. This time I painted them before they started to droop.

Susan's Studio

Last week I went over to my friend, Susan's house with the intention of painting some of her crocuses and hellebores that were sprouting. Susan's business is creating designer custom window treatments and bedding. She has a large studio at the back of her property where she does all her work. I went in the studio and we started talking and talking while she was hemming some drapes. So instead of going out and sketching flowers I pulled out my sketchbook and sketched her at work. She's been telling me I could come and sketch her studio but this was the first time I took her up on the invitation. I think she enjoyed having company while she worked, since it is such a solitary type of work most of the time. She has huge bolts of fabric, a huge worktable, and lots of work literally hanging from the rafters. It was a fun challenge to narrow down my focus and only sketch some of what was there. Some day I'll sketch a few of her sewing machines too.

Spring Planting

Last Wednesday my sketch group met at the library and brought along items related to Spring and spring planting. I think we must have jinxed it since Spring has been nowhere to be found here lately. It even snowed again since then. lol I've enjoyed these nights when our members bring all sorts of treasures that go with the theme.

Gerri

Lately I haven't had much practice doing portraits. My one art group lost our meeting place back in January when the pipes froze and then burst in the building where our sketch nights were held. I don't know if they even started the repairs...you know how long it takes if repairs have to be made to a town building. Then the other art group has cancelled a few sessions. It was good to get in a sketch session last week when Gerri posed for us. 

Water and Skyscapes

I trust that everyone who was celebrating had a wonderful holiday weekend. I was lucky enough to spend one day with friends celebrating Passover and then spend a day with my husband's family yesterday to celebrate Easter.

I am still catching up on posting some previous work. One day we had showers, snowshowers, and  then just cloudy skies. I headed down to the Smith Point Marina and painted two views over the water. For each I faced in a slightly different direction.

This one below was painted looking across the bay to Fire Island.