When first I moved from Manhattan to Brooklyn in 1998 I was struck by the differences in park lamps between those in Central Park (Manhattan) and those in Prospect Park (Brooklyn). The Manhattan lamps were ornate with beautiful details - really gorgeous. The lamps in Prospect Park were cheap, shitty imitations of the nicer Manhattan lamps. Today, 19 years later, I saw (and drew both here) many of the shitty Prospect Park lamps were replaced with the nicer (though not quite as “genuine” looking as the ones in Central Park, if my memory is correct) with better versions. Notice how on the shitty lamps the metal strips on the sides (swipe to the image to the left) don’t even bother to reach the bottom metal ring holding the glass in place. It used to infuriate me, but I’m glad there are nicer lamps in Brooklyn now - so - happy days.
Star Island sketchbook for the week
Sketchbook stuff from Star Island (NH) last week, part of the Isle of Shoals
Old Sketchbook Sunday
I can't stand sitting around doing nothing so when our family went to the beach I decided to bring a shitty old notebook and broken-down brush pen along with me. I don't want to get sand in my current sketchbook and I thought it'd be nice to do quick sketched where nothing was too precious. I need practice anyway. Now it seems it's the perfect thing to carry with me anywhere I go since I'd much rather pass the time sketching than searching Twitter hoping to see that impeachment proceedings have begun.
Sketchbook activity
True story: we found an old reel to reel tape recorder in the basement of a log cabin in the Catskills this week. It was lying on a table next to a human skin-bound copy of the Necronomicon but the power was out and we can't read whatever that weird blood-ink language was written in. Probably for the best.
The Log Cabin
240 Centre Street, SOHO, NYC
3-8-17 sketchbook
I've recently become more interested in drawing from life. Too early for an appointment in SOHO and with unseasonably warm temperatures, I found a great bench to sit on overlooking Lafayette and Broome street with a view of 240 Centre Street: the former Police HQ where I quickly sketched this page. Built from 1905-1909, it was used by New York's Finest until 1978. In 1988 it was converted to luxury condominiums because, of course it was.
Watercolors from Star Island, Isle of Shoals, NH
Feel free to download hi res images for personal use (click on the thumbnail of the first two)
Brooklyn Botanic Garden
121 yr old bonsai - afterschool sketchbook outing with Willy
