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!

The "Trocks"

We watched the "Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo" show at the Joyce Theater in Manhattan, NY last weekend.  Fun show! 

Got there earlier than the 8:00 PM showtime so I had time to sketch the theater goers.  Our upper level seats were the nearest to the aisle section which was great to move in and out, in case we need to.  Sketching kept me busy before the theater dimmed the lights and curtains drawn up.  I also tried sketching blind contour in the dark except that they move so quickly on stage,  I abandoned that idea.  The original group was started in the 1970's so it's now 5 decades old and still running.  Who knew men can dance well en pointe?

 

A Collab with Ming

My work colleague, Ming, patiently waited for weeks ever since he marked these pages for me.  Actually, he explained it was his signature with a star on it.  I kept looking for an appropriate scene to work on his page and I found one not too far from work.  It was done this week on two different after work hours.  Last night, I finished working on the sketch.  This morning, I made a video of it.

Commuter Sketch on Car 9568

Last week, on the return home that evening in an almost empty coach, I closed my left eye and sketched what my right eye could see. I noticed my right eye immediately drawn inward to the left lens view.  There appears a parallax effect between what my right eye could partially see from my left eyeglass lens and the full view of my right eyeglass lens.  As noted on the page, I slouched into my seat to get this perspective of looking up the overhead rack shelf.