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.
Monday, January 31, 2022
Saturday, January 29, 2022
Thursday, January 27, 2022
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.
Monday, January 17, 2022
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.
Sunday, January 16, 2022
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, January 14, 2022
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.
Thursday, January 13, 2022
The Food Concourse at GCT
Tuesday, January 11, 2022
New Year with the Family
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