Friday, May 28, 2010

Travel Sketches

"McReynold's Road"
Watercolor sketch
6" x 8"

"A Room with a View"
New York City
Watercolor sketch
6" x 8"

Very little time to do any painting the past few weeks as we traveled to Vermont, Maine, and New York City. McReynold's Road is one of 5 dirt roads radiating out from the main road through North Danville, Vermont where my son Jeff's family lives. Every morning I choose from one of the five to take a very early morning walk in place of my daily workout at the gym. Ala Stephen Quiller, I did a landscape using one note of pure color (yellow) against it's complement blue and the various mixtures in between. The quality isn't great -- I did this one using my Japanese water brush and the tiny Koi pan paint set I take on trips with little time for art. North Danville is perched in the hills rising above the Connecticut River. I could look across that unseen meandering state line to the President Range in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Early morning mists added quiet drama. I did this piece from memory after my walk the very first day while sitting on the tiny patio in the rare sunshine we experienced that first week.

"A Room with a View" was done our final morning in New York City after Bob's daughter graduated from Fordham Law School in a ceremony held at Madison Square Garden. We usually find reasonable rates (well, reasonable for New York City) at the Radisson Lexington and it's well situated to walk to the subways, Grand Central Station, and Broadway shows. I was fascinated by the structures on the rooftops that you get to see from the 22nd floor. The dark blob in the lower right is a water tower, required on all buildings over 6 stories. Water is pumped up to the water tower and held until needed. The small structure with the blue-green roof was a very pretty Asian patio. There were a couple other Asian patios on the building .

I am off to my monthly critique group. I promise all my blog friends that I will visit your blog very soon.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

I just love painting places I've been too...it's so much better than simply using a camera....

each time I look back, and I'm sure the same is true of you...esp. on 'a room with a view'...i feel as though I'm right back there again..hearing the sounds...and remembering the scents....

ahhh..the bliss of being an artist!

well done....thanks for sharing!

ciao bella
creative carmelina

Mary Paquet said...

Carmelina, thanks so much for joining my blog and offering encouragement. I agree that the memories are much stronger and more satisfying when captured in my art!

Anonymous said...

Welcome back Mary!! And thanks for rejoining me on my blog- much appreciated.
It sounds like you had a fabulous time and both of your pieces are wonderful! The "Room with a View" is especially striking. And your written words are artful as well.
Your spirit always shines through!
Pam

hw (hallie) farber said...

Welcome back, Mary. I like both of these paintings--A Room with a View is terrific. I saw that play on Broadway many, many years ago. I don't remember the actors--Anthony Quinn maybe? I always liked Georgia O'Keefe's Manhattan paintings.

Christiane Kingsley said...

Mary, it's nice to have you back! You know that I love painting buildings, so you won't be surprised that my favorite of your two sketches is your "Room with a View":-) It would look so stunning in a larger format!

Autumn Leaves said...

These are both so cool, Mary! I especially love McReynolds Road. I've always had a hankering to live in either Maine or Vermont so always appreciate scenes from those states!

Anonymous said...

You should have lots of material for future paintings from your wonderful trip. Room With A View is lovely. Wouldn't have though of using yellow but it really works.
Jean

Charlene Brown said...

It's great to have you back, and I loved your sketches and the accompanying stories. Please show us some more!

Anonymous said...

Hi Mary, It's neat that you took time to paint while traveling! I particularly like the New York piece. The colors in both are wonderful!

Margaret said...

The NY "orange" room with a view is stunning. Interesting learning about the water tower on top of each 6 story building. Also, might use your tip on hotels someday as it looks like I have a "Broadway Bound" son in the family! :)