Wednesday, May 31, 2017

NYC Sketchbook







The view from our hotel. One of the buildings looks like Batman's head--or maybe a pussy hat.

The Cooper Hewitt

Imagine this with diamonds




This screen also had a golden Josephine Baker playing the violin, but that was too much for me to draw!


We both loved the Jawlensky exhibit at the Neue Galerie.

a postcard

Oops--upside down sketchbook when I drew the silverware.

There was a long line and we were tired and hungry and then surprised by the bill!

Selfie while watching a video installation in Chelsea

A lovely coffeeshop with outdoor tables and umbrellas in Chelsea.



View from the Highline
One of the main reasons I wanted to come to NYC and see the Whitney Biennial.
 


I really wanted her glass of wine, but I knew I wouldn't make it through the hot afternoon if I had one.
Our lovely lunches at the Whitney

Foodtrucks out the window

felt pigeons in Washington Square Park
This young man stormed off, leaving his backpack,  after shouting this to his parents. They  just looked at the pack and then at  eachother and rolled their eyes.
Metropolitan Museum of Art













MoMA


Here and There in Portland

 Waiting for the Climate March...


After the Climate March....



Jamison Square


Drinking coffee and sketching...




Listening to music and sketching audiences...




and always, flowers...




Monday, May 8, 2017

Learning

We've had lots of terrible weather this winter and spring, so outdoor sketching has been pretty limited until now. That left me to mostly draw in the house or in coffeeshops. Somehow, that's never as inspiring as being outside, so I took the opportunity to take an online class and follow a book of watercolor instructions so keep up my creative spirits. I decided that it was time to actually try to learn how to paint with watercolors, instead of just messing around.

Here are some of the direct copies of Will Freeborn's examples in 'Learn to Paint Watercolor with 50 Paintings. I took some liberties and added a few things of my own (for example, the tattooed arm got a political message), but most are similar to his examples.





After this flower, I wanted to try some on my own, which I did with mixed results. I'm not pleased with the smudgy dark backgrounds.




I also took an online Craftsy class by Anna Mason. She gave excellent, detailed, exacting directions which I did my best to follow. This rose (approximately 10" x14") was a test of my patience and persistence. It was drawn and painted from a photograph and it has numerous layers.  I learned a lot and I'm glad I finished it, but I won't be doing more of these. I call it 'Never Again.'