Continued from: New York Sketchbook 2008, Part Two

Madison Avenue Shop Window (larger)

After I got back from my New York trip I decided to try making some additional sketches from photographs. Here are the results. I like these sketches, although they are not as loose as those I did on site.

The shop window is an Italian children’s clothing stop on Madison Avenue. It was the low key color palette that attracted my eye.

Whitney Museum, Biennial (larger)

W. 58th Street Firehouse (larger)

The Whitney Museum is having their well known contemporary art exhibition, the Biennial, and I happened by as the line was forming for an evening event.

This year one of the art pieces is on the outside of the museum: a giant Eagle’s Nest, by Fritz Haeg, perched above the entryway.

The firehouse is on 58th Street, and is the home of Engine Company 23. I walked right by the front if it, did a double take, and knew I had to record it!

More Sketches from New York
More Sketches of Shop Windows

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Continued from: New York Sketchbook 2008, Part One

Koons Balloon Dog at the Met (larger)

Continuing on with my recent New York Trip, I had a great day walking through Central Park and visiting one of my (well, everyone’s) favorite museums, the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This summer’s rooftop sculpture exhibit features three Jeff Koons sculptures including this one: Balloon Dog, Yellow. The day was rather chilly, yet with only a cappuccino to sustain me I braved the elements to get my sketch. Suffering for art, you know!

Because of the cold weather I generally did more indoor sketching in New York than planned. Here are a couple of favorite cafes, and a quick sketch of the Lincoln Center.

Le Pain Quotidien, 65th Street (larger)

Payard on Lexington Avenue (larger)

Lincoln Center (larger)

I also attended the New York City Ballet at the Lincoln Center, a program featuring Jerome Robbins choreography and Leonard Bernstein music. As I often do, I tried to sketch blind, in the dark. Here is a montage of some of the more readable scribbles done during the three dances: Fancy Free, Dybbuk, and West Side Story.

At the NYCB (larger)

More Sketches from New York

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Christie’s Spring Auction Preview (larger)

I’ve just returned from a short trip to Manhattan for a couple of days of sketchcrawling. The highlight of my trip was getting to meet fellow sketchblogger Shirley and her husband. We spent a lovely day making and looking at art.

We visited the Spring Previews for upcoming Impressionist and Modern auctions at Christie’s and Sotheby’s, where we saw quite a few memorable pieces on their way from one private collection to another. Shirley and I sketched details of some of our favorites. We had a lovely lunch too, and ended the day with a glass of wine and sketch talk while finishing up our pages.

Shirley has quite a number of completed sketchbooks filled with wonderful work. Looking through them was a pure delight and so inspiring! Isn’t it fun to peer into the sketchbooks of other artists?

Sotheby’s Spring Auction Preview (larger)

More Sketches from New York

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Continued from: New York Sketchbook 2007, Part One

Columbus Circle (larger)

I spent three days in New York on a solo SketchCrawl, following my nose and travel sketching all the way. It was unseasonably hot, and so muggy that even the locals were whining :). The weather somewhat curtailed my extensive walking plans but I still got quite a bit of exploring in.

I am especially enamored with Central Park. I drew the Columbus Circle scene while enjoying a scrumptious lunch (and air conditioning) at Bouchon Café, located in the Times Warner Building, suspended in an atrium with a huge glass wall looking down on the scene. Later, a barbershop quartet serenaded me as I sat in dappled shade and sketched the Model Boat Pond.

The Tudor City Greens is a small park near the World Trade Center that reminded me of small parks I saw on my Paris trip last year. On a wet, warm night I came across the “Second Avenue Farm”, a corner produce shop (2nd Ave & 50th) and couldn’t resist a quick sketch, even though I was being rained on 🙂 . (continued below)

Model Boat House, Central Park (larger)

Tudor City Greens (larger)

Second Avenue Farm (2nd Ave & 51st) (larger)

Grand Central Station is buzzing, with way more people than I managed to get into my sketch! It is a beautifully restored Beaux Arts building, and features a gorgeous blue-green ceiling with astronomical constellations in gold. While I was sketching two well dressed business men, clearly strangers, conducting a discreet drug deal right next to me!

I enjoy creating illustrated journals on my travels. Doing so gives purpose to my trips, and also helps allay any guilt I might have about the expenses involved 🙂 . These days I am doing the sketches from the front of the books and some writing backwards from the end of the book. When they meet, it’s on to the next book! On this trip, with only four days for sketching, I managed to completely fill one of my sketchbook journals. This pleases me greatly. I start a new book at the beginning of each year and am now into Volume 4 for 2007.

Grand Central Station (larger)

Other posts from this Trip:
     Planes and Trains
     Washington DC Sketchbook, Part One
     Washington DC Sketchbook, Part Two
     New York Sketchbook 2007, Part One
     New York Sketchbook 2007, Part Two

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Poiret Show at the Met

Bouclier Day Dress, 1925 (larger)

Dress Costume, 1911 (larger)

One of the highlights of my trip was the exhibition of Art Deco designer Paul Poiret’s fashions and illustrations at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It continues through August 5th and if you have the opportunity to go I highly recommend it.

The show is artfully staged which to my mind is half of its appeal. Stylized manikins in evocative poses convey the playful yet chic appeal of the clothing and stunning hand painted backdrops provide the context for the designs.

Manteau d’Auto Coat, 1912 (larger)

The rooms themselves are dark (to protect the fabrics?) which makes sketching somewhat challenging but does allow for dramatic lighting. No ink is allowed so I penciled these illustrations into my little Moleskine notebook and added my ink and color later in the evening. I decided I really liked my color notes, so went ahead and inked them in too! [cont. below]

Le Butard & La Rosière Day Dresses (larger)

Homage à Rousseau, 1910 (larger)

Téâtre Champs Elysées, 1913 (larger)

Opera Hat (larger)

Mademoiselle Day Dress, 1923 (larger)

Sorbet Evening Ensemble, 1913 (larger)

You don’t have to be into fashion to appreciate this show. It is about clothing, yes, but also about the graphics, shape, line, and color of the Art Deco era in which Poiret flourished.

Next up: New York Sketchbook 2007, Part Two, Out and About in New York.

All posts from this Trip:
     Planes and Trains
     Washington DC Sketchbook, Part One
     Washington DC Sketchbook 2007, Part Two
     New York Sketchbook 2007, Part One
     New York Sketchbook, Part Two

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