Sketching at the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens

Susan and I arrived about an hour before the gardens opened, so we sat outside the entrance to sketch. All these people were riding their bikes and parking them. I'm not good with ellipses but I gave sketching those bike tires a whirl. I liked the one bike by the pot of tulips.

Once inside we headed for the Japanese pond because we know how crowded it gets. I tucked myself almost into a bush to give me a little protection from the crowd...at least on one side.

We headed over to the tulips by the Lily Pool Terrace but it was packed. We ended up on the grass side looking at the flowers and visitors from there. I think everyone was taking photos, so I captured a few of them.

Turning about 90 degrees to the left there was a good view of some of the trees in bloom and a few hundred more people including Shawne and a woman from the other sketching group. 

My last stop in the park was at the Cherry Tree Esplanade. There were so many blossoms it was as if the sky was pink.  I got Marie, Mark, and Ben in this sketch.

We adjourned to do our show and tell at Lincoln Station nearby. There was a big table in the center with some interesting customers.

And as my last sketch I did one of Marie who was sitting across from me.

Here are a few photos from our day.

Sketching in the Brooklyn Botanical Garden Conservatory

Sketching in the Brooklyn Botanical Garden is like taking a mini trip to different areas of the world.

You have to stop and admire the Japanese pond no matter the weather...a little snow and ice just add to the beauty of it. I love the icy white against the red!

Entering the Conservatory I made a right and headed into the Aquatic House, home to ponds, a bog, orchids, waterlilies, and tropical plants en masse. It is a challenge to figure out what to include and what to leave out...all the while dodging the drops of water falling from the condensation on the ceiling and the plants. It was cold outside but tropically warm in there.

I needed a dry climate next so I headed downstairs to the Desert Pavillion. Michael kindly shared the steps he was occupying so I could sketch some of the cacti and succulents near us.

Lunchtime is always a good time to sketch people and get in a "mandatory Jim" sketch. 

I had a few other cooperative models too.

I walked around all the different areas but each of them felt too hot (Did I really say that?) so I went upstairs to the Bonsai Museum where I knew it would be colder. I had to put my coat back on to sketch in there, but I love the grace and elegance of the plants there so I happily put up with the colder temperatures.

The entryway had some nicely landscaped areas and I tried to capture the little waterfall over the rocks.

Around 3:30 we headed over to Tooker Alley to share a drink and our sketches. It is always such a pleasure to see all the work that everyone did during the day. What a perfect time to get acquainted with Florian who was visiting from Berlin, as well as today's new members...and to catch up with our regular members. It is also a perfect opportunity for another sketch, so I zeroed in on the couple sitting at the bar nearby.