Lower Manhattan & The Staten Island Ferry

If you need to take your mind off things, I recommend going to Governor's Island and painting the Lower Manhattan skyline. The ferry is free before 11am.

I already knew where I was going to paint before I left home, so that saved time.

This painting took 3 1/2 hours, almost exactly.

The clouds were great when I started then faded away. 

9x12 oil

The setup on this painting took some thought and planning.

I used my skewer (a wonderful thing to carry with your brushes!) to make sure my verticals stayed vertical.  I have a bad habit of making them lean, but it's also a common problem.

Easily fixed with a skewer.

When I do the skyline layout, it's easy to lose my place, I mark a few of the addresses I know. 

I marked 17 State, 28 Liberty, and 100 Wall... all places of employment.

55 Water is in the painting too but it is lower down so I didn't have to mark it.

I didn't mark the WTC because that one's obvious.

Except to the guy who came up and asked me which one it was.  

Then he started asking me other questions and I told him I'm not a tour guide.

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Overheard quote of the day:

"I almost just lost my life!

.... it's ok, I had a lot of fun."

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I have also decided that when people stick their camera in my face without asking, they get their picture taken too. Wow you should have seen how fast this guy turned around when I got my phone out! The woman with him was just nodding.

If people ASK, I'm really nice and cool about it.  I always say yes and request no close-ups.

I did have trouble with several people getting way too close to me with-- and without-- their cameras.

And I was out of the way.

Have some respect for other humans out in public please!!

I am not your entertainment!

ASK and be respectful!

We have really lost that as a society with all these damn phones.

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I also put in the Staten Island Ferry, because why not?

It is the most obnoxious yellow-orange color.

Good thing I had my cadmiums with me.

I had to wait several times until the ferry passed to paint it.

That was ok, I had plenty of other work to do in the meantime.

And here is our little neglected satellite boathouse at Pier 102.