Sketching from Norrie Point on the Hudson River

11x17" across a two page spread in a Stillman & Birn Epsilon hardbound book

Pitt Big Brush Pens

Image can be clicked for a larger, sharper view

I spent a long and productive day along the Hudson River on Tuesday, at the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation site on Norrie Point in Staatsburg, New York. I did a couple of paintings first, and sat down to sketch at the end of the day. This cute little boat was docked right outside, so it became the most convenient subject after a day of painting atmosphere and nature. Boats are trickier than they look, so that makes them great practice subjects when sketching on the river.

I'm still really liking these Pitt Big Brush Pens, and the way they handle on this Epsilon paper by Stillman and Birn. I'd like to find a similar, lightfast type of brush pen/marker that has washable properties too, so I could take a waterbrush to it even after it's dry. Suggestions welcomed! (Must be lightfast!)

Lunch Break

(Click image for a larger, clearer view.)

When my sketching group goes to Adams, we all meet in the cafe area for lunch at noon. It's a golden opportunity to catch some quick gesture sketches of customers at a nearby register, or seated in the cafe. I sketched them in with Noodler's Luxury Blue ink in a Pilot Plumix italic pen, and used the same ink for the smaller writing on the page. (The large title is watercolor, painted with a brush.) This ink washes just a tiny bit with a water-filled brush, and I supplemented that with watercolor over the top of the ink sketch.

People often ask how I select my colors for a given scene. Often my choices are inspired by one of the borders or backgrounds that I pre-painted in my book. Other times I know what colors I want to use when I look at the scene, and I look for a painted page spread that will accommodate those colors. For this scene, I really wanted a white page to sketch on. Any border colors would have worked as long as I had the white center; I'd just sketch with the colors present in the border. But I have to confess, I was really happy to come to this blue border and be able to put the Luxury Blue ink to good use! It's become one of my favorites.

Returning to Adams Fairacre Farms

I had so much fun the last time I sketched at the new Adams Fairacre Farms in Wappinger that I couldn't wait to get back there for Round 2. They must have sold a huge number of poinsettia plants, because the huge tree of them that I sketched last time was gone!

I started out the morning in their greenhouse again, sketching with Noodler's Sequoia ink and watercolors in a fine-nib fountain pen, in my Stillman & Birn Alpha 5.5x8.5" hardbound book. Because of the fairly intense color of the prepared background, I ended up switching to gouache to finish off the sketch. I always make sure to have gouache with me for emergencies like this. Since I like to travel light, I made a tiny gouache kit from a mini Altoids container and Sculpey clay.

 The holes in the clay were made with the back of a pencil. (That and the quarter should give you an idea of how tiny this is!) I was able to make 15 holes for colors. Since the Altoids tin is metal, I baked the whole thing in the oven, Sculpey, tin and all. Once it was cool, I coated the inside with a few coats of Golden GAC 100 to seal it. I'm not sure if that step was necessary or not, but since I had it on hand, I went ahead and did it. I've been using it for several months now, and it's really come in handy on a number of occasions.

The smaller text on the page was written with a 1:1 dilution of the Sequoia ink in a different, broad-nibbed pen. (A Kaweco Sport) Sometimes it just seems too saturated to me for writing, and I happen to like the more olive-like green I get when I dilute it. You can see the difference in the value and color between that green text, and the thinner, darker green of the lines for the hanging baskets of plants. The page title was written with a 2.4mm Pilot Parallel, using a red Pilot ink cartridge. Having a red calligraphy pen all set to go has turned out to be a good thing during the holiday season!

My Favorite Potter, Marilyn Price

You can click on the image above to enlarge it and read the text.

This sketch was done in my Stillman and Birn Alpha sketchbook. The page was first colored using diluted Golden Fluid Acrylics (standard colors and iridescent) and F&W Acrylic Inks, and the border painted. The sketch was then done on location, using a Kaweco Sport fountain pen with an extra-fine nib, filled with Noodler's Midnight Blue ink. Shadow areas were washed in using a waterbrush, followed by the inclusion of watercolor to finish it off. The title was written using a Brause italic dip pen, and for the smaller text, I used a smaller-nibbed italic pen (Pilot Plumix). Both were loaded with Noodler's Luxury Blue ink --- a really nice midtone blue.

People are always asking me what materials I go out sketching with. I'll have to post another peek into my current messenger bag soon. The contents do change from time to time, depending on where I'm going, what I want to work with, whether I'll be standing or sitting, and how far I'll have to walk.

RiverWinds Gallery is loaded with work by this favorite potter of mine, Marilyn Price, at very reasonable prices. I especially love using her gorgeous pitchers as flower vases. They also have quite a few of my paintings there, and other fine art, jewelry, and handmade gift items. Definitely worth a trip for holiday shopping!

Sketching at RiverWinds Gallery

RiverWinds Gallery is located in Beacon, New York. They carry a lot of my paintings as well as work by other artists. They also have fabulous handmade pottery and jewelry, framed photographs, and other handmade gift items. This varied assortment of art is beautifully set up on shelves and cases around the gallery. If you're still out there looking for holiday gifts and close enough to Beacon to make the drive, it's a great place to do holiday shopping.

Our sketching group was invited to sketch there this past week. Having sketched there before, I was very excited about another opportunity. Four of us fell in love with this setup of sunflowers and yarn bowls (by potter Marilyn Price). We pulled up chairs around it and got to work with whatever mediums we had on hand.

I selected this page spread in my sketchbook that I'd previously prepared with lavender, pink, and blue shiny iridescent acrylics, and started out by sketching with a fountain pen filled with Noodler's Black Swan in Australian Roses. I used a waterbrush to create an ink and wash, and then splashed on some color near the end of the process. The writing was done with the same ink, which tied the color harmony together quite nicely.

Barns at Riga Farm

Riga Farm Paintout
Once again, LHVPAP member Melissa Fischer hosted a paintout at her parents' beautiful farm in Millerton, New York. There is always so much to paint here. Vic is on vacation and also joined us with his camera. I didn't know how long we'd end up staying and wanted to capture as many scenes as I could, so I decided to just do sketches today. I also wanted to test drive my new sketching setup in the field. (It worked out great.)

This sketch is pen and ink with watercolors. The ink in the sketch is Noodler's Lexington Gray in a Lamy Safari "F" fountain pen. The ink used for the writing is Noodler's Purple Wampum (a fabulous muted, very dark violet) in a Platinum Preppy 0.5 fountain pen. Watercolors were Winsor Newton and Holbein.

The Hudson River from the Vanderbilt Mansion

This sketch was painted on location behind the Vanderbilt Mansion in Hyde Park, New York. It is watercolor and gouache, done in the sketchbook provided for The Sketchbook Project 2012, so it will be part of my book that will go on tour and reside in the Brooklyn Art Library.

The Vanderbilt Mansion sits high above the shoreline, overlooking the Hudson River, and is a favorite painting location for many artists in the Hudson Valley. After doing this sketch, I went down to the riverfront to do an oil painting. You can see that painting here. 

Entertainment for Seagulls

 

Did you ever feel like you were just entertainment for seagulls? I was painting along the Hudson Riverfront in Newburgh, New York one day. These seagulls found me to be the most entertaining thing they'd seen for quite some time! They all lined up and watched me while I painted the river. I took a few photos of them before I left and sketched this tonight from one of the photos.

The Old Tioronda Hat Works Factory

Yesterday I went back to Madam Brett Park in Beacon, NY and sketched the old, abandoned Tioronda Hat Works factory buildings. Built in the 1800s, this factory was powered by the creek and waterfall that I sketched and painted the day before. I really didn't have time yesterday to pull out my oil paints, so that gave me a chance to test drive this Noodler's Nightshade fountain pen ink. I thought I'd find it too strong in color, but I think I like it for some monochrome work! It seemed to suit these old brick buildings.

Tioronda Falls Ink and Wash

9x12" across a two page spread in my Fabriano Venezia book

I'm still working on my ink and wash ideas. I did this with a Platinum Preppy fountain pen with a .5 nib and Private Reserve Velvet Black ink. I can't even say what a fun time it was doing this sketch! Going out for plein air work with just a sketchbook, pen, and waterbrush is extremely liberating! No easels, paints, brushes, solvents, and umbrellas to cart around. I could get used to this! I have a couple of technical issues that I need to resolve in terms of getting this medium to do what I want it to do, but each time I sketch with it, I learn something.

Around the Corner from Main Street

I went out to paint with my friend Virginia the other day. It was supposed to be 50 degrees and sunny, so we were pretty excited about having a nice day for some plein air work. Well, foiled again! It was freezing cold and overcast. We pulled off onto a side street where there was room to park, and did sketches from the warm comfort of our cars!

This is across a two page spread in my Fabriano Venezia book. It’s getting really difficult to keep this book opened fully enough to sketch and paint across the center. I might have to ditch it for a different journal. I love the paper, but this binding could be a dealbreaker. I’ve cut a piece of foamcore to the width of the open book, and I can clip each side of the journal to the foamcore back to keep it open. I’ll see if this works out over the long run, or if I’ll have to make a change.

I’m also starting to think that I should separate these sketches from my artwork for sale, and post them to a different blog. More on that if and when I get the other blog up and running!

More Bannerman Island Sketches

These sketches were done on October 21, along with the one I posted that day, although they are displayed out of order. The sketch posted on the 21st is #1. The post above is #3. Below is #2, and the last is #4–my last one of the day and a real quickie.

I didn’t get a chance to finish up the writing and take the pictures until today. Normally I also type out what I’ve handwritten, but with my hand/arm in a cast, it is a long and painful process to do either (not to mention drawing and painting!) Once I’m out of the cast, I’ll edit this post to include all the text.

Sketching on Bannerman Island

10×10″, gouache in my kraft paper sketchbook

I had the good fortune to spend today out in the middle of the Hudson River on Bannerman Island, sketching the castle ruins. Because of my recent hand surgery, I couldn’t carry much gear. I just brought my sketchbook and some gouache. This was my first sketch of the day. The tide was very low, and the boat captain told us it was still going out. So, I walked out on a spit of land that jutted out into the river, and provided a great view looking back at the castle. Apparently the captain was wrong; the tide was coming in, not going out! It wasn’t long before my friend Laura called out to me, “Oh my gosh, Jamie, you’d better move right away!” I’d been so focused on my sketch that I didn’t notice my pathway of land had nearly vanished! I quickly threw my gear into my bag and walked back to land. I had to wade part of the way. When I’d reached shore, the spur of land was entirely underwater. I didn’t get to finish my sketch, but it’s a good thing I left the spot before it was done!

Afternoon at RiverWinds

Click sketch for a larger, sharper image:

10×10″, gouache in my kraft paper sketchbook