Fort Tryon Park and the Cloisters

Last week I was invited to go to the Medieval Fair at Fort Tryon Park. I never went to a medieval fair, so I was curious and excited. A lot of people in costumes and lyre music, not to mention that it was at Fort Tryon Park, which in my opinion is one of the most beautiful parks in NY.
The park is in Washington Heights and has an incredible view of the Hudson, and the GW Bridge. The park is also important because inside of it is the Cloisters museum.
The Cloisters museum is part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, it was built in the 1930's. The building is enormous and it's made up of several French abbey churches and monasteries all from the gothic period. These buildings were literally taken apart brick by brick and shipped over to NY and put back together. It's incredible that we have this in New York.
 I posted a painting I did from my last visit here. This time I painted it from outside the Cloisters, in the park.

-R

The Montauk Lighthouse

Today I visited the famous Montauk lighthouse at the very end of Long Island. I went with two friends and fellow artists, we decided to head out to do some watercolor painting and sketching. As soon as we arrived I started to paint right away, while my friends went to explore. I got about 3 minutes into my painting and then the freezing cold weather didn't allow me to continue. I sat and as soon as I mixed a color it would literally freeze and turn into ice, colored ice. So, frustrated and freezing I put my watercolors away and walked around with a sketchbook and a pencil. I did about 10 quick sketches of the light house, the beach the sand bluffs..etc.
I eventually met back up with my friends and walked around a little more drawing here and there. Eventually we returned to the car and then drove to the original spot in front of the lighthouse where I started my painting. Only this time I was in the safety and warmth of a car with heat. I got to finish my painting, and here it is... The Montauk lighthouse in watercolors.. plen-air.


-R