Once again at Harding’s Beach in Chatham, MA on Cape Cod. While Lisa went for a walk, I did a quick sketch at the end of the parking lot of this sign and surrounding dunes with beach grass. Pilot Falcon Fountain pen with Noodlers bulletproof black ink in a Stillman and Birn sketchbook.
sketch
Beach Find
Walking on Harding Beach in Chatham, MA on Cape Cod, I came across a Horseshoe Crab washed up on shore. Horseshoe Crabs are invertebrates, meaning that they lack a spine and they live primarily in and around shallow ocean waters on soft sandy or muddy bottoms. The entire body of the horseshoe crab is protected by a hard carapace. Behind its legs, the horseshoe crab has book gills, which exchange respiratory gases, and are also occasionally used for swimming. As in other arthropods, a true endoskeleton is absent, but the body does have an endoskeletal structure made up of cartilaginous plates that support the book gills. They are more often found on the ocean floor searching for worms and mollusks, which are their main food. They may also feed on crustaceans and even small fish. Pilot Falcon Fountain Pen with Noodlers Bulletproof Black ink in a Stillman and Birn Beta Sketchbook.
Manhattan Bridge
Another quick sketch from New York City. This is the view from the DUMBO neighborhood in Brooklyn. The bridge is framed by the old warehouses that are going through a renaissance. Pilot Falcon fountain pen with Noodler’s Bulletproof black ink and Holbein watercolors in a Stillman and Birn Alpha sketchbook.
The Plaza
Another quick sketch from New York City of the entrance to The Plaza Hotel. Pilot Falcon fountain pen with Noodler’s Bulletproof black ink and Holbein watercolors in a Stillman and Birn Alpha sketchbook.
Central Park South
A weekend getaway with friends to New York City. Difficult to find time to sketch. Very busy. This is a quick sketch of Central Park using a Pilot Falcon fountain pen with Noodler’s Bulletproof black ink in a Stillman and Birn Alpha sketchbook.
Fishing Pulley II
Another studio sketch from a photograph that I took at the New Bedford harbor of vignettes of fishing boats. It was too cold to do a live sketch since I could not get my car in good location. Pilot Falcon fountain pen with Noodler’s Bulletproof black ink and Holbein watercolors in a Stillman and Birn Beta sketchbook.
Fishing Pulley I
A studio sketch from a photograph that I took at the New Bedford harbor of vignettes of fishing boats. It was too cold to do a live sketch since I could not get my car in good location. Pilot Falcon fountain pen with Noodler’s Bulletproof black ink and Holbein watercolors in a Stillman and Birn Beta sketchbook.
Chives
I miss our chive plants that have gone dormant for the winter and have been buried in snow for the past week. The name of the species derives from the Greek σχοίνος, skhoínos (sedge) and πράσον, práson (leek). Its English name, chives, derives from the French word cive, from cepa, the Latin word for onion. Chives are a commonly used herb and can be found in grocery stores or grown in home gardens. In culinary use, the scapes and the unopened, immature flower buds are diced and used as an ingredient for seasoning dishes. Chives have insect-repelling properties that can be used in gardens to control pests. The flowers area pale purple and star-shaped with six petals 1/2″ – 3/4″ wide, and produced in a dense inflorescence of 10 – 30 together. Before opening, the inflorescence is surrounded by a papery bract. Holbein watercolors on 140# Fluid 100 cold press watercolor paper.
Poinsettia
The poinsettia is a commercially important plant species of the diverse spurge family. The species is indigenous to Mexico. It is particularly well known for its red and green foliage and is widely used in Christmas floral displays. It derives its common English name from Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first United States Minister to Mexico, who introduced the plant to the US in 1825. Holbein and Daniel Smith watercolors in a Stillman and Birn Beta sketchbook. Merry Christmas.
Christmas Card Studies
Christmas Card Studies for 2016. Quick pencil sketches in a Stillman and Birn sketchbook. I was going to select the bottom left and print the cards and then add watercolor by hand. Change of direction when Staples cannot print onto the watercolor cards. Time to re-think.