NYC post #3 06-29-2011 : subway back to Times Square

To end the day, we hopped on the Q line express back to Times square to pick up the car. We started from Syracuse at 10:30 am and were about to face a 6 hour drive back (unknowingly due to one missed off ramp). To end the sketching of the day...a quick sketch to capture the view of the transit car...not the strongest result...Its flattness and obvious struggle with line selection...shows how out of practice I am with the immediate sketch...but what a day, and what a time...captured here...captured in Line.

NYC post #2 06-29-2011 : MESA Grill for Dinner

After the show we took the subway down to Union Square to take in Mesa Grill (the famous restaraunt by that well know Iron Chef Bobby Flay) It was AMAZING!!! These are a little rough again...because the colors and obviously, the tastes, could not be reproduced. But for kicks its fun to attemt it!

Here is the Dinner card:

Have you ever had fried Zuchinni Blossoms? unbelievable (bottom left hand corner), spinach, Tuna, Pork loins, jalapeno bread, and a tamale. Phenomenal!

For Dessert: Cappucino and a blueberry/key lime tart.

NYC post #1 06-29-2011 : URBAN SKETCHER ON NATIONAL TV!!

My wife and I were fortunate enough to get tickets to the final studio audience of Glenn Beck (thanks Mollie). While some readers of this may not agree with his political perspective, it shouldn't take away from the challenge and joy of the urban experience...the experience of being in a TV studio and one with the exposure of Beck's broadcast! It was really something to behold. We are big fans and it was a unique opportunity to be a part of something as significant as this...and get filmed sketching!! Go Urban Sketchers!

Here I am next to my wife (bottom left hand corner) sketching on a pad of Strathmore 6x4 watercolor postcards:

Here is the sketch completed (Oscar is the Camera Man):

Fathers Day Scene ... twice

So for Mothers Day, I attempt a water colour of the flowers my boy and I gathered for my wife (see earlier post).

For Fathers day, I worked on a composition that has intrigued me for awhile. Waking up each morning, especially now that the sun is at this summer angle, the morning light strikes our new swing set in the back yard casting this displaced shadow while the greens of our view are magnified. The structure of the swing set acts as a framing device against two datums, a vertical in the ash tree, and a horizontal of the old barn wall. They are the same tone which is a very nice offset to the lush greens around.

For me what makes the composition are the punctuations of primary colors. The slide and swing set the yellow. The baby swing is a striking blue (offset by the broad sky beyond) and in the lower back ground, bold pink piannese (sp?) pattern the wall. Each morning it calls for a sketch. This weekend I had the chance. Here is the literal version:

To understand how the composition is organized...or better yet how I was actually "deliniating" the scene I also sketched analytical view...editing out textures and descriptors, leaving the page to the basic organizing linear arrangments and color fields.

It was a great Fathers day. These were done in the morning...leaving the rest of the day to play with the kids and utilize the view for its true intention: running, swinging and sliding.

Kubal Coffee Sketch

This is the latest in a series of sketches celebrating my friend, Matt's coffee shop. Cafe Kubal here in Syracuse NY. It is a common habit of mine (see earlier posts) but it is one I truly enjoy and I can share with Matt as sketches of his coffee or shop usually end up at his shop on James St. He has a new stand at the Farmers Market on Tuesday and will be opening up a few counters around town. I am really excited for him, so this one is for him.

Recent sketches

It has been noted to me, nore then once, that nothing new has been posted since Mothers Day. We are now in June and something has to go up. A small glass, a milkshake with my boy and view of Westcot street for Mike Ma.

The small glass contained an iced espresso from Cafe Express in Syracuse. SO GOOD.

The little combination of containers is just a record of a day with my 3 yr. old boy and sharing our first Milkshake. Chocolate. It was served to us at the Solvay Diner in Syracuse where the space is craving to be drawn some more.

This one is for Mike Ma, checkout his blog "booksketchin". This is a view down Westcott st. near the Syracuse Campus. I'm sitting in fromt of an amazing Latin restaurant, alto Cinqo. The sun was sharp the air hot but the shade provided just enough cover to enjoy the fare.

Mother's Day Flowers

Our Mother's day tradition is for my son and I to wake up early, walk to our neighborhood park and pick flowers, branches, leaves, etc...and have them on the table before my wife wakes up. She gave me the stipulation 3 years ago that she did not want me buying flowers for Mothers day...BUT as all sons know, flowers must be present on Mothers day. So the resolution to the dilemma is to "discover" flowers. So our morning quest begins and this is what we found. I really don't know what they are. Four pointed yellow petals from a thin branched bush; tiny white petaled clusters from a blooming shrub; oval leafed sprigs, and what I think are the arching collection of 5 petaled bradford pear bundels. Not sure on the last one...all I know is I recommend not picking these for your other. They smell terrible. Other then that my boy was so excited to bring these in the house and shout "SURPRISE MOM!" and no matter the olfactory offense of the flowers, she loved them anyhow and gave him a huge hug! and he beamed.

Some Recent and Some Past

I want to thank Urban Sketchers for promotoing this Blog on their Facebook page. I am excited to be a part of their on-line forum and I look forward to contributing more. As we are wrapping up school it has been difficult to get the pen to the page, but these entries offer some interesting views into my obsession with dining, coffee and containers.

This weekend I was on a review at Carnegie Mellon University and the critics Dinner was held at E2 in the Highpark neighborhood. Amazing little space with a giant chalkboard and wonderful food. This sketch was taken at the end of the meal when the small dining room was bustling with activity.

One of the traditions my wife and I have is to have sketches on postcards of cafes and diners that we frequent (a habit we picked up while teaching in Florence). I sketch, she usually writes what happened, and then we post it from the town we ate in. This is a wonderful restaurant I took her to on Valentines day in Skaneateles NY. It was a little rushed but I did enjoy the quick textures and swift reflections that in very easy strokes provide a suitable sense of surface.

Following this theme of eating...weekend mornings are always a bit slower and relaxed. This Sunday morning the small cup of cocoa for my son and a fork and a glass of Orange Juice make the composition. small reflections of color and minimal construction lines provide a logic for the composition and a qualitative sense of the material. The rectangle, implying a table surface, unifies the composition. I really enjoy the fork which is the linear element among the bulkish forms.

Cafe Express in Little Italy

By far one of the best little caffinated treasures in Syracuse, Paolo serves an amazing espresso and cappuccino. His mother makes the canolli and cream puffs and the conversation some how always turns to Futbol. This sketch was a "thank you" sketch to Paolo for treating me and my family so well last Sunday.

By now, if you are following this blog, these drawings are probably getting redundant. I understand completely. but the practice in this repetition of form and identifying place has as much to do with establishing a record, a memory, as it does in the exercise of the pen and wash. These postcards are akin to graphic or compositional push-ups or jumping jacks.
They are quick, repeptive, pretty easy in the beginning, but more difficult near the end. It allows the hand and eye to remain in dialogue over one of my most enjoyable distractions.

Three lunch sketches

While waiting, dining, or just getting my mind off the days work, these sketches explore some of the spaces I inhabit during lunch on any given day. The line, the field, and the use of the square or centering to balance each piece are involved in the lay-out and composition.

Komachi's is a departure from the usual perspective. It is a planar play of edges and surfaces. This little Japanese restaurant off of Marshall street by Syaracuse U. has a great atmosphere and the interior design has several more sketches to capture.

Stopping by The italian Chef for a slice of Pizza and then to Cafe Moca for some of the best espresso in the city, I go from the mss produced image of Italy, to the most authentic Italian atmosphere I have experienced in the states.

These two were done when I was breaking in the new sketchbook. So they remain on the literal side. It seems after I attempt the literal lines of sight, the analytical come much easier. And there is always that quiet intimidation of the new book of blank pages.

In this case it is a 6 1/2" x 7 1/2"Kunst and papier No. 1004 16. The German paper is fantastic and the binding lays flat. The only awkward thing is the not quite square proportion. Otherwise I am looking forward to filling it up!

A very quick sketch on St. Patricks day at Ilario's Tattoria in Little Italy. Notice how the square saves this bit. oh And I got scolded for composing the view with the pepepr mill...wasn't mine to touch I found out. ha!