Monday, September 22, 2014
Sunday, September 21, 2014
Green-wood Cemetery
This first sketch was at the entrance. An overwelmining building to sketch!
The back of the chapel.
Lunchtime at a German beer garden in a converted auto repair shop. Our visitors from Germany didn't think it was like anything at home! A good time was had by all. I sketched my fellow sketchers , which are so much lovelier in person.
After lunch we went back and I completed a sketch of an angel, and included a few Autumn leaves from the site.
Food and a few beers makes for a happy group!
On our walk back after lunch, we passed this fabulous painting on a garage door, and some real "location sketching" on the sidewalk, in chalk, in front of it.
Green-wood
Green-wood is a designated National Historic Landmark on 478 Brooklyn acres. As Jim pointed out, it’s known locally as Greenwood Cemetery, but none of its brochures ever refer to this place as ‘cemetery’. Perhaps to some, cemeteries have a connotation far more frightening to touch upon even with the mildest delicacy, but unless it’s night and I’m alone in these rolling, rambling paths, these gothic cemeteries are to me a place of peace and comfort by bittersweet Memory and kindly Death…with perhaps just a touch of the creepy to dance along the nape of your neck.
Entering through Fifth Avenue and 25th Street, past tall iron gates, wide green spaces flanking the central car lanes, and up a sloping path are the famed arches — gateway to the gardens, gravestones, and crypts beyond. Perched on these spires are the nests of Brooklyn’s wild parakeets, mostly heard in their raucous arguments and seen only by bullet streaks of spring green, and by legend, descendants of monk parakeets escaped from a crate at JFK airport in the 1960s (thanks to Susan for the information!).
The gates open into diverging lanes leading upward, away, and into the rest of Green-wood. To the right are the Crematory, the Tranquility Gardens, and the Community Mausoleum, and even further, the Chapel, which was our first stop inside Green-wood proper. We reached the Chapel just before it opened at noon, but I’d already found a spot to sketch its exterior and had to leave a visit inside for another day.
Some of us braved the steep incline to reach Battle Hill and view a swath of Brooklyn and the Freedom Tower at World Trade Center (Lady Liberty was obscured by some persistent, enthusiastic trees). The hilltop would probably be spectacular in full autumn, and I hope my legs forgive me for a second attempt then. (They did not this time around. Hello, Salonpas, and owww.)
For lunch, the group…regrouped…and walked some distance to Greenwood Park, an outdoor beer garden. Oddly enough, the bouncer at the door asked for ID, which I did not have on me. Who knew I’d have to produce it in the middle of the day? Happily, Mark intervened and asked if I could be let in. And once we were, we found children romping around this rather adult garden. (There was some kind of kid-friendly event right before we arrived.) The group ate and sketched, chatted and sketched, and replenished energies through various preferred libation. And sketched some more.
After sharing our sketches, some of us with control of our food coma (and/or tipsy?) walked back into Green-wood for a final stretch of sketching.
And what cemetery visit would be complete without a record of a strident angel?
Also, Hurlbut. Note the full stop. Hurlbut. (I’m sorry, I am a juvenile when I am not busy aging.)
Read more about Green-wood here and here.
And a great many thanks to Allison for hosting this event. It was a lovely day made miles better by great, talented company.
Entering through Fifth Avenue and 25th Street, past tall iron gates, wide green spaces flanking the central car lanes, and up a sloping path are the famed arches — gateway to the gardens, gravestones, and crypts beyond. Perched on these spires are the nests of Brooklyn’s wild parakeets, mostly heard in their raucous arguments and seen only by bullet streaks of spring green, and by legend, descendants of monk parakeets escaped from a crate at JFK airport in the 1960s (thanks to Susan for the information!).
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| The spires. |
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| Sketch in brushpens |
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| A man and his two little girls stopped by to chat with us and a funeral procession arrived for services as we waited for other sketchers to gather and join us. |
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| Early birds are productive. |
The gates open into diverging lanes leading upward, away, and into the rest of Green-wood. To the right are the Crematory, the Tranquility Gardens, and the Community Mausoleum, and even further, the Chapel, which was our first stop inside Green-wood proper. We reached the Chapel just before it opened at noon, but I’d already found a spot to sketch its exterior and had to leave a visit inside for another day.
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| The Chapel. |
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| The Chapel in watercolor. |
Some of us braved the steep incline to reach Battle Hill and view a swath of Brooklyn and the Freedom Tower at World Trade Center (Lady Liberty was obscured by some persistent, enthusiastic trees). The hilltop would probably be spectacular in full autumn, and I hope my legs forgive me for a second attempt then. (They did not this time around. Hello, Salonpas, and owww.)
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| Brooklyn below. |
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| The gates behind the trees. |
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| Mark setting up to sketch. |
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| Sketchers make really great, unsuspecting models. And they don't get offended (much) when they realize they've been painted. |
For lunch, the group…regrouped…and walked some distance to Greenwood Park, an outdoor beer garden. Oddly enough, the bouncer at the door asked for ID, which I did not have on me. Who knew I’d have to produce it in the middle of the day? Happily, Mark intervened and asked if I could be let in. And once we were, we found children romping around this rather adult garden. (There was some kind of kid-friendly event right before we arrived.) The group ate and sketched, chatted and sketched, and replenished energies through various preferred libation. And sketched some more.
 |
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After sharing our sketches, some of us with control of our food coma (and/or tipsy?) walked back into Green-wood for a final stretch of sketching.
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| Walking back slowly. |
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| Sketchers in a row. |
And what cemetery visit would be complete without a record of a strident angel?
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| Said strident angel in stone... |
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| ...and in watercolor. |
Also, Hurlbut. Note the full stop. Hurlbut. (I’m sorry, I am a juvenile when I am not busy aging.)
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| Yup. |
Read more about Green-wood here and here.
And a great many thanks to Allison for hosting this event. It was a lovely day made miles better by great, talented company.
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Greenwood Cemetery(9/20/14)
Come meet and sketch in Greenwood Cemetery in Brooklyn!
Where we will meet: 10:30am at cemetery main entrance at 25th street and 5th ave. To get there take the R to 25th street and walk up from 4th Ave to 5th ave and you will see the entrance. You can also take the F train to 4th ave and 9th street and transfer there as well. I believe there are 2 entrances on 5th ave, just look for the arches(you can't miss them), it's also across from Brooklyn Bread.
Our main stops will be the arches(at the main entrance), the historic chapel, Valley water and Sylvan water and everything along the way(it's a very small area to cover). There will be lots of interesting things to sketch.
We will stay close to the entrance because it is such a large place it would definitely require more than one trip to sketch all of it. I see a few benches but if you have a portable bench/chair you might want to bring it.
Please come even if you are running late! There are no fees or attendance taken. All drawing skill levels are welcome.
If you can't find us text me(Allison) 516-581-4739.
or
Mark Leibowitz 973-809-9128
Come meet and sketch in Greenwood Cemetery in Brooklyn!
Where we will meet: 10:30am at cemetery main entrance at 25th street and 5th ave. To get there take the R to 25th street and walk up from 4th Ave to 5th ave and you will see the entrance. You can also take the F train to 4th ave and 9th street and transfer there as well. I believe there are 2 entrances on 5th ave, just look for the arches(you can't miss them), it's also across from Brooklyn Bread.
Our main stops will be the arches(at the main entrance), the historic chapel, Valley water and Sylvan water and everything along the way(it's a very small area to cover). There will be lots of interesting things to sketch.
We will stay close to the entrance because it is such a large place it would definitely require more than one trip to sketch all of it. I see a few benches but if you have a portable bench/chair you might want to bring it.
Please come even if you are running late! There are no fees or attendance taken. All drawing skill levels are welcome.
If you can't find us text me(Allison) 516-581-4739.
or
Mark Leibowitz 973-809-9128
Monday, September 15, 2014
Remembrance
On Sunday, with another anniversary of World Trade Center events fresh on my mind, I visited the 911 Memorial in my town. I live in Wayne, NJ, and like many many neighborhoods and towns in the Greater New York area we were touched very directly by the tragedy thirteen years ago.
We created a sad memorial next to our library called Remembrance Plaza. I'm sure there are many similar places throughout the area. Sunday was a sunny day and the spot is partially shaded by some old trees. There are nine stone markers that form a ring around two large shapes that evoke the twin towers. The markers look and feel like headstones in a cemetery. Neighbors had placed flowers beside the markers and small stones on top.
Seven of the markers have laser portraits of the people we lost. I had only a slightest connection to any of the Wayne residents who died that day. One was my friend Frank's cousin, a guy I never met. But the fact that they were neighbors made the whole thing all the more real.
The people in my town that died in the World Trade Center were:
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| Remembrance Plaza |
We created a sad memorial next to our library called Remembrance Plaza. I'm sure there are many similar places throughout the area. Sunday was a sunny day and the spot is partially shaded by some old trees. There are nine stone markers that form a ring around two large shapes that evoke the twin towers. The markers look and feel like headstones in a cemetery. Neighbors had placed flowers beside the markers and small stones on top.
Seven of the markers have laser portraits of the people we lost. I had only a slightest connection to any of the Wayne residents who died that day. One was my friend Frank's cousin, a guy I never met. But the fact that they were neighbors made the whole thing all the more real.
The people in my town that died in the World Trade Center were:
- Leo Roberts
- Barry Glick
- Greg John Froehner
- Robert J Deraney
- Jean Caviasco DePalma
- Daniel T. Afflitto
- Paul Acquaviva
As I sketched, I thought about what we all lost on that day.
Sketching in Wave Hill - 9/13/14
After
one month break I finally got to join the Urban Sketchers again! We
sketched in Wave Hill, about half an hour north by train. I always
wanted to capture our day by video, so I did a quick summary of the day
and hope to record more in the future:
My sketches:
A quite cooperative butterfly and the greenhouse entrance from the inside!
All in all a great day!
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