Painting with Winslow, and Urban Sketchers Too!

When I learned that the NY Urban Sketchers were meeting in the Hudson Valley in the town of Cold Spring in the peak of the foliage season I decided to make a weekend of it. So I grabbed my dog Winslow and headed into the Catskills for some solitude among the mountains, streams, and leaves. Here is man's best friend enjoying the view of the Esopus River in front of my pleine air setup.

Here is my painting, almost done. I used a wonderful hand made paper that I got upstairs at New York Central that really takes a beating with watercolor.  The fisherman came by just at the right time when I needed some scale.

I found this Buddhist temple abandoned for the winter season back in the woods. There were several statues that made good subjects, and here is the evolution of a sketch done with walnut ink, india ink, and watercolor:

Just outside the town of Woodstock I found this lovely lake surrounded by blazing orange and yellow trees. It was just me, my dog, and the crisp fresh air.

Winslow liked the painting, but generally he prefers to get his belly rubbed over looking at art. He's only five months old and still learning art appreciation.

So I drove down to Cold Spring and managed to catch a few hours with the Sketchers late in the afternoon along the Hudson River as the sun was low on the horizon.

After the sketching we met in John Dunn's backyard to enjoy bourbon, cookies, and each other's work for the day.

Thanks John for hosting, and thanks Mark for planning the day.  It was a great weekend to enjoy the fall leaves, weather, sunshine, and friends (including the furry ones)!

Jeff Levine