New York Sketchbook, 2007, Part Two
Continued from: New York Sketchbook 2007, Part One
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)
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.
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
Related Topics: Interiors, Landscapes, New York, Travel Sketching
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August 30th, 2007 at 8:40 am
Wow I live in NYC and somehow through another person’s eye you can get a great new perspective on your own town. I pass by some of the places you drew daily and never realized how great they were, but remembering your sketches made me stop ( hard for a New Yorker) and look around. lol. Also the drug dealing thing, it happens to all of us here, lol just go on with your business and beautiful sketches =D
August 24th, 2007 at 6:31 am
BEAUTIFUL!!!!! So fresh despite the rain and heat!
August 5th, 2007 at 2:28 pm
These are fantastic. i really love your street scenes!
August 5th, 2007 at 7:18 am
Martha–
Beautiful artwork. You have a nice, soothing style about all your work. I also enjoy all of your narratives.
August 3rd, 2007 at 4:02 pm
I love the idea of the solo sketchcrawl — and the results are so darn great. There is something Sempé-esque about your Grand Central sketch that i find irresistible. Bravo!
August 1st, 2007 at 6:11 pm
Absolutely amazing sketches. I’ve always dreamed of sketching during my travels, but am still so slow that I don’t feel I have the time to do it. Such a wonderful way to remember a place!
July 31st, 2007 at 4:03 am
I love the sense of height in this one and the tiny little people. I would comment on some of the other posts too but your blog is loading very slowly this evening.
July 30th, 2007 at 10:24 pm
I’m so jealous of your new york trip (though not the weather!). I used to work in the building formerly known as the Pan Am Building atop the Grand Central Station and I marveled everyday as I walked through the station to the subway. Your sketches really convey the feeling of heat and mugginess with their very warm liquidy colors. Congratulations on filling another journal. I work in so many at the same time, picking the one I want depending on size and shape that it takes a while to fill any one of them but I do love that feeling.
July 30th, 2007 at 11:19 am
I think it’s time for me to make another sketchbook. I love the one I rebound a few months back but only have a few pages left. Time to make a new sketchbook and these NYC sketches are such an inspiration. I agree that I’ve never seen NYC look so refreshing and romantic. Brava!
July 29th, 2007 at 8:55 pm
Beautiful sketches. I remember what August is like in NYC and it , thankfully, doesn’t come across in these refreshing images. ; )
July 29th, 2007 at 4:27 am
I love your NY sketches. Funny how the city never looked that romantic when I lived there ;D
July 29th, 2007 at 1:52 am
Beautiful, especially like Tudor City Greens
July 29th, 2007 at 1:18 am
Hi Martha – I’ve very much enjoyed this series of blogposts from your trip and as a result you’ve been “blogged” for my weekly round-up post this Sunday
July 28th, 2007 at 10:32 pm
the new york sketches are great.