The Vanderbilt Place exit doors

Countless times I've entered and exited through these Grand Central doors by the Vanderbilt Place but I hadn't pay attention to the beauty of its design, until last week. The metal frames and rivets adorning those exits suddenly came into view. I had to sketch it before catching my train home one evening. Two days later, I was back at it for some more lines before finishing it with some light watercolor wash at home. But something was missing. It needed some figures of commuters passing along these doors. Last night, using a magic color pencil, I added some figures based on that fleeting moment I saw them pass through these doors.

Near the Grand Central Market

Friday sketch. Found these two young men by the Grand Central Market and escalator to the Dining Concourse. They stayed long enough that I got their gestures right but left just before I took this picture. Added a bit of shading at home.

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No smoking on the train!

"STAY AMAZING" was the tag line on this poster ad found on Car 9157, 8:07am train to GCT. A lady sat ahead of my row. Her head covering attracted my attention. What a nice "model" to include in my sketch. I was so absorbed into my sketch activity that I didn't noticed what was going on until a conductor came and said to the man seated one row up across, "Do not smoke. No smoking on the train!" The guy was a bum! No wonder it smelled like cigarettes in the car. At that point, just like the other passenger on my row, I got up and walked toward the next car up.

At the Jazz Forum in Tarrytown, NY

On Sunday, we went to see a show at the Jazz Forum in Tarrytown, NY featuring the Stephen Guerra Quintet.  The crowd was small and in a sense, it's nice.  They played nice music that we enjoyed all evening.  During the pre-show I sketched the stage in ink.  Once they started playing, I chose a water soluble sepia pencil to capture the gestures of the musicians.  Toward the end of the show, I sketched another version in ink that I used for obtaining the names in Stephen's band.

Senza titolo

We were in Magazzino Italian Art Museum in Cold Springs, NY last month (12/5/21). An Italian speaking docent was leading a group ahead of us and discussing each installation on exhibit. They seem to have spent a decent amount of time at each Gallery. Once they got to this "Senza titolo" (Steel, burlap sacks, charcoal, coat, and metal hooks) by the artist, Jannis Kounellis (1936 - 2017) at Gallery 3, I made a quick sketch of the docent on the left, a lady on the right, and the partial outline of the man in the middle as they admired this artwork. I finished adding the dark borders on the frame and hatching on the burlap sacks today.

Friday evening sketch

Although I got to the Grand Central Terminal much earlier than usual, I didn't start sketching until it was 6:25pm.  My train departs at 6:39pm on Track 26.  I started this sketch with the two MTA employees on the left, then the arches, and then the group of figures near the bottom of the stairs (to the right).  They seem to stagger the number of visitors at the Apple Store showroom at any given time.  I guess maybe due to the pandemic health guidelines.  Once I got home, I defined and darken some of the lines.  Added a few other details, too.

The Food Concourse at GCT

Done in the last three evenings. Spent a short sketching time (10-15 minutes) inside the Grand Central Terminal before catching my train ride home. I was looking for a fresh vantage point to sketch so that led me to the East Wing stairs leading down to the Food Concourse.

A few minutes into my sketching and an MTA services guy noticed me on the stairs. I agree that I was standing at a blind spot. He nicely asked me to get off the stairs.

Me: "I'm just sketching this scene."

Him: "I admire the artistry but you have to come off the stairs. Sir, you have to come off the stairs though."

That made me come down a few steps short of the landing but it wasn't enough for him. Now he asked me to come over to his side ( bottom right corner) of this sketch scene.

While pointing to the direction of the column that he thought I was keenly interested in sketching, he asked.

Him: "Can you get it from this angle?, I think you can."

Me: "Ok, I know but it's a different angle."

Him: "I really think you can."

Suffice it to say, I had to catch my 6:39pm train that Monday evening, so I left our conversation with that excuse. Which led me thinking that I can spend a minute or two on that same spot next time, then leave, without attracting so much attention. So that was what I did the following two evenings to complete this sketch.

New Year with the Family

It was nice to celebrate and welcome the New Year in Harvard, MA with the family coming from different parts of the country.  Sophie came from LA, Marie and Franklin from San Diego, Aaron and Lauren from Brooklyn, and myself from Westchester.  On the morning of the first day of the year, I sketched all the shoes gathered by the kitchen door.  It call this sketch the "Family".  Once I was done adding some watercolor to the sketch, I gifted it to our hosts, Jesse and Jill.  We hope to get together again in the near future.  Such a great time we had!