Watercolor – Page 32 – A SKETCHBOOK ODYSSEY

Times Square – NYC

August 28, 2015August 30, 2015waynejacques1 Comment

Times Square is a major commercial intersection and neighborhood in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, at the junction of Broadway and Seventy Avenue, and stretching from West 42nd Street to West 47th Street. Brightly adorned with billboards and advertisements, Times Square is sometimes referred to as The Crossroads of the World, The Center of the Universe, the heart of The Great White Way, and the “heart of the world”. One of the world’s busiest pedestrian intersections, it is also the hub of the Broadway Theater District and a major center of the world’s entertainment industry.

1913 Lewisohn Building – New York CIty

August 27, 2015August 30, 2015waynejacques1 Comment

A detailed view of the building that our client is moving into the ground floor. In 1893 the Mendelssohn Glee Club, a group of all-male singers, moved into their grand new concert venue, Mendelssohn Hall at 119 West 40th Street. Lewisohn had received a building loan of $1.1 million from the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company to erect a skyscraper on the site of the Hall. The proposed 22-story structure that would stretch through the block from West 40th Street to 41st Street. While the architects refrained from over-embellishing the bulk of the structure, they added Gothic touches to the upper-most and lower floors; most striking being the carved figures along the fourth story cornice. The sculptures, dressed in medieval garb, all sit with their ankles crossed under Gothic terra cotta canopies. Each is a detailed allegory – Exploration holds a globe and compass, Industry has a large gear and Learning reads an open book, for instance. Faber-Castell Pitt black pens with Holbein watercolors in a Stillman and Birn Sketchbook.

Bryant Park – New York City

August 26, 2015August 29, 2015waynejacques3 Comments

More work travel and it is to New York City this time. A beautiful morning sitting in the Paris bistro chairs watching people on their way to work and a Tai Chi group A beautiful shaded oasis in the city. Bryant Park is a 9.6-acre privately managed public park located in the New York City located between Fifth and Sixth Avenues and between 40th and 42nd In Midtown. Although technically the Main Branch of the New York Public Library is located within the park, effectively it forms the park’s functional eastern boundary, making Sixth Avenue the park’s primary entrance. Bryant Park is located entirely over an underground structure that houses the library’s stacks. Pilot Namiki Falcon fountain pen with Noodler’s Black ink and Pelikan watercolors in a Stillman and Birn Sketchbook.

Main Street Bridge Pawtucket

August 25, 2015August 26, 2015waynejacques3 Comments

The Main Street Bridge in Pawtucket, Rhode Island is an historic bridge carrying Main Street over the Pawtucket Falls. The oldest portion of this bridge consists of two flattened-arch spans, each about 40 feet (12 m) in length, with a total bridge length of 110 feet (34 m). The bridge has been widened twice to accommodate increased traffic. The bridge, built in 1858, is believed to be the oldest highway bridge in active use in the state and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This was a very tricky perspective looking down the falls that are under the bridge. Moving water is always difficult to portray and I am off on the top of the bridge that was actually close to eye level. Pitt black pens with Holbein and Daniel Smith watercolors in a Stillman and Birn sketchbook.

Stone Quarry

August 23, 2015August 24, 2015waynejacques6 Comments

The Simeone Quarry is located just behind the Wrentham Outlets in Wrentham, Massachusetts. The equipment is so complex in a quarry like this with all of the conveyors, machines, ladders and sheds. Crushed Stone Aggregates and Sand/Gravel are generated from a variety of natural deposits – limestone, granite, trap rock, and other durable mineral resources. Production of these products requires blasting and excavating the broken stone from quarries followed by progressive stages of crushing, screening, washing and blending. The aggregate products range in size from Rip-Rap, where each stone may weigh several tons, to manufactured sand for use in concrete and asphalt products. Faber-Castell Pitt Art pens with Holbein and Daniel Smith watercolors in a Stillman and Birn Sketchbook.

Rock and Roll Carnival

August 22, 2015August 23, 2015waynejacques3 Comments

This is a sketch from a photo that I snapped on Friday across the street from our summer party at Iggy’s. The small town carnivals are a rite of summer with all of sounds, smells and sights. I think that the Ferris Wheel at this location is the same one I sketched in April in Pawtucket. Faber-Castell Pit pens with Holbein and Daniel Smith Watercolors in a Stillman & Birn Alpha Sketchbook.

Iggy’s Doughboys and Chowder House

August 21, 2015August 22, 2015waynejacques2 Comments

Today we had our company summer party at Iggy’s Doughboys and Chowder House at Oakland Beach in Warwick, Rhode Island. We recently designed a new structure adjacent to the classic beach stand. Iggy’s Doughboys and Chowder house is one of Rhode Island’s famous landmarks as well as the oldest beach stand in RI. It was built in 1924. The building has survived two major hurricanes and was standing on its original structure until it was renovated in 2008. The beach stand was originally called Gus’s. Gaetano Gravino worked at Gus’s and in 1989 he purchased the beach stand. Great time, camaraderie and plenty of food. Pilot Namiki Falcon fountain pen with Noodler’s ink and Holbein watercolors in an Alpha series Stillman and Birn Sketchbook.

Hardy Hibiscus

August 20, 2015August 21, 2015waynejacques3 Comments

Overnight this beautiful Hardy Hibiscus flower opened up in our yard to full bloom, the others are still buds. The color is Cranberry Crush and the flower is about 7″ across. This was difficult to paint in that it is a very flat flower, almost like a disk with very little depth. I should have added some background color to add depth. Still a favorite of ours during the late summer. Holbein watercolors in a Stillman and Birn Alpha Sketchbook.

Ridgewood Avenue School

August 19, 2015August 20, 2015waynejacques1 Comment

A little free time prior to another country club meeting. Ridgewood Avenue School is an upper elementary school with approximately 600 students in Grades 3-6. The school builds on the foundation skills learned in the primary schools, and through an authentic and hands-on approach, encourages students to love and take responsibility for their own learning. The building itself is located in the heart of the Borough and is a tan brick with carved limestone details and a beautiful red clay tile roof. The school is listed on the State Historic Register. This charming turn of the century building houses the only auditorium in the district.

Garden Tomatoes

August 17, 2015waynejacques2 Comments

Our first full size tomatoes of the year. Our tomato plants are in pots on our front porch and these 2 beauties are “Jet Star” variety. Enjoying the garden tonight, savoring some nice wine while grilling salmon and a small lobster tail. Great evening. Holbein and Mission watercolors in a 5″ x 8″ Moleskine watercolor book.