Brooklyn Botanical Garden

We were at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden last weekend to sketch the peak blooms.  Although the day started cold and dreary, the weather later opened up to one gorgeous day to enjoy the beautiful flowers all around us.  I sketched the cherry blossoms from atop the hill looking down to the far end of the lawn.

After lunch, I found the Torii at the Japanese garden and the tulips near the Shakespeare Garden.  Here I sketched them from some left over pre-marked pages I've been keeping for a while.

After the Show & Tell, some of us went to see the Hiroshige's 100 Famous Views of Edo woodblock prints at the nearby Brooklyn Museum.  Here are some of my favorites.

Sketches at the Bryant Park

The last couple of evenings after work, I made a stop to sketch the fountain at Bryant Park.  The weather has turned cold again the last two days but people still gather and mingle there if only for a short while.  Maybe to take a selfie and also admire the transformed beauty of the grass lawn.

 

Sketching People in the City Workshop

On Friday 4/13, I did a workshop at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library in collaboration with the NYC Urban Sketchers and the New York Public Library.  The workshop was about sketching people on the move and at rest.  It was an hour and a half long presentation and I believe it went well.  The materials include a ballpoint pen and a sketchbook which we asked the participants to bring one for themselves.  Before I went through my presentation, I asked the participants to say their name, their skill level of drawing a figure on a scale of 1-5 (beginner to intermediate), and their goal coming into this class.  I saw a mixed set of skill levels but in the end, they were able to get a grasp of what I discussed. And boy they did shine based on the results of what they produced in such a short time.  Am very happy with the results and proud of what they did!

My workshop schedule.

Introduction to the workshop.  (Thanks Aaron for the pic!)

Well done and beautiful work!

Participants hard at work doing the first exercise.

Another view of the participants hard at work.

New Art Materials

I recently received a new set of Sharpie Creative Markers (Acrylic) which I really like. I put them to a test after seeing an inspirational exhibit by Patricia Abad at MoMA PS1 in Astoria, Queens. 

My sketch of Nadina

Patricia Abad's Artwork

The Central Synagogue

On March 16, 2024, the NYC Urban Sketchers group got a special permission to sketch inside the Central Synagogue on Lexington Ave for about two hours after their morning Sabbath service.  This was the second time I've been inside a Synagogue because of the Urban Sketchers connection.  Up on the balcony, I sketched what was before me using a recycled brown stock paper we normally discard in the office.  I think this experiment turned out well.

Enroute to JFK from EDI

Thankfully, my flight out to LHR from EDI wasn't until noon and the tram ride to the airport was just a little half an hour.  There were a few other spots in Edinburgh I hadn't seen like Calton Hill and the Holyrood Palace so I did it in a hurry before my departure for the airport.  A decent walk from where I was staying but the weather was nice and it wasn't that cold and the sun even came out briefly.  

At the Holyrood Palace

The magnificent view of the city from atop the Calton Hill.

Of course, I had to sketch the tram ride and the airplane view at the airport.

In the short few days of stay in Edinburgh, I walk away richer in experience and feeling grateful and happy to see such a beautiful city filled with rich and interesting history.  Glad I was able to visit and do a "sketching holiday" in Edinburgh, Scotland.

A Vacation in Scotland: Part VI: Day 5

On my last day in Scotland, I took a day trip by Rabbie's Tour called "The Loch Ness, Glencoe and the Highlands Tour".  To get to the Loch Ness, we traveled about three hours one way including a couple of stops along the way.  We first stopped at Callander, Scotland for a quick breakfast of coffee and pastry before the bus made the ascent to the Glencoe Scottish Highlands.

At Callander, Scotland for a quick breakfast stop.

The landscape views and the mountains are breathtakingly beautiful!  I made some quick sketch impressions of what I saw but it will never be the same as what visually stunning natural treasures these are.

The majestic Highland Mountains.

Spectacular views of the mountains.

Fresh air and rejuvenating sights!

Then we got to Loch Ness where I took the one hour boat tour on the lake, hoping to see "Nessie", but just the same, "Nessie" was a no show!  

A boat trip to see "Nessie".  

The closest "sighting" of Nessie.

At a little waterfalls area that's so peaceful and nice.

The trip was long but seeing the country side was a refreshing break from the familiar modern city sights we are all accustomed to seeing.  It was a long day and I thought I'd get myself a nice dinner before leaving this magical city of Edinburgh the following morning.

I enjoyed that last dinner in Scotland at a Whiski Bar and this interesting view.