I went to see Beth and paint in New Jersey.
We went to Jockey Hollow, which is a Revolutionary War site, I guess George Washington camped there for a while or something. It's very historical and there is a farm, a museum, and a shop..... but also lots of pretty woods.
Here is a painting I did, 8x10 oil.
(This is the pic I took at home which is a better color representation... I used cobalt turquoise (PG50) for the sky.
I might have sold the painting... I got an email from someone who stopped by to say hello.
UPDATE: he wants to buy it! SOLD!
So those new expensive Gaynor Minded pointe shoes I bought 7 weeks ago......
.........well Daya said she needs new ones.
They are supposed to last longer than other shoes, and 7 weeks is way too soon for a new pair, so we went back to the shop.
They were SO NICE and re-fitted her.
I wanted to take Simon's painting class this month at Art Students League, but I'm going to see Cathy next week so I don't want to pay for 4 classes and only take 3.
I think I'll draw with Drawing NY, which Simon runs, this month instead.
He's a really good teacher.
Friday nights are instructed sessions at the National Arts Club which in itself is just a great place to be in. I always get a lot out of instructed sessions. It's always good to get different perspective and change things up.
It's good balance too, because a lot of what I have been doing is so fast, and it's good to just slow down. And work larger. Drawing is the root of everything so you never can have too much.
Ron was our model.
Simon talked about developing the drawing- 1/3 planning, 1/3 drawing, 1/3 accenting.
How much to measure and not measure....
I worked in graphite which I haven't done for a long time, so that was nice too.
The session was 2 1/2 hours but Simon did a demo for the first 20 minute pose. So this drawing was about 2 hours. There is no possible way I could finish in that time but that's fine, that isn't really the point.
It's also really nice to see everyone's work at the end.
Being around other artists is very important.
I'm going to another session on Monday, but I don't think it is instructed and that's ok too.
I just want the practice.
16x20 (i think)
*****
I did use my graphite putty for some of the background (Simon hates that stuff lol) and it dries out quickly so I needed water.
The only water I had on-hand was seltzer so I used that to wet my putty and also to clean up.
At the end of the session I had a nice cup of Graphite Seltzer, a combination that might never have existed before!
The yearly medieval faire is still on in Ft Tryon Park.
Daya didn't come with me this year, but I met up with Jackie and Doris so we could be Sir Angus's personal cheerleaders.
I drank some mead, great stuff.
Sir Angus.... he did not win the joust this year but he will always be our champion!
The acrobats and the lady who goes inside a bubble performed too.
Just as I was getting ready to leave in the morning, Daya woke up. She woke up happy.
So happy that she was carrying me around the apartment on her back.
And she loves her cat, too.
I went painting.
I have a new friend from the NY@Nite workshop.
Her name is Hua and she is AMAZING.
Hua lives in Shanghai and has 2 daughters.
She also owns an apartment here in NYC and goes back and forth a lot.
We were meant to meet and be friends.
The day together was just perfect.
Here is my painting, 63rd st and Central Park West.
8x10 oil, and this painting kicked my butt.
Hua got there first and chose the location. I'm so glad because I never would have chosen this spot on my own.
It was great to stretch out artistically and do something new.
Usually an 8x10 takes me 2- 2 1/2 hours, and this painting took 4 hours.
The whole thing was such a learning experience.
Then we went to lunch and that was awesome too.
After lunch we went gallery-hopping in Chelsea, which is also something I don't normally do because I prefer the museums. I'm not too impressed with the NYC gallery art scene in general, and there was a LOT of junk but also some nice stuff, very interesting, and it was very worthwhile.
It's important to look at new things and expand, even if they are not all to my taste.
I liked these though:
I liked this rubble in the street:
Then we went to Blick and bought Very Fun Stuff, like GRAPHITE PUTTY!!
