Made in the Shade
| It's really helpful to find a shady spot to stand in when you're painting outdoors. Not only is the summer sun way too hot, but it also puts a powerful glare on your painting and palette, making it hard to see what the heck you're doing. And painting is tough enough, even when you can see! Some artists make their own shade by clipping an umbrella to their easel, but as a car-less New Yorker I don't want to schlep anything extra. My painting gear is heavy enough, thank you very much! So this means I gotta find shade. |  Painting at East River, Carl Schurz Park, NYC. Thanks to Lihi Marom for the photo! |
Evening at Carl Schurz Park
Which is why I like to paint in the late afternoon and early evening at Carl Schurz Park. It's the only time of day when you can stand near the East River without the sun's full fury beating down on you. I especially love the time just before sunset when our nearest star pours a magical butterscotch glow over everything in its path. It's what photographers call the golden, or magic hour. (Unfortunately you wouldn't know it from the photo above, because the sun got cranky and hid behind a cloud.)
East River View
 East River View, Oil on Board, 8x10 in | Just like all good things, the magic hour ends, and in this case, it goes pretty doggone quick. I always invite the sun to linger just a little while longer, but sadly it never does. Since I'm not a particularly fast painter I had to come back for a few days at the same time to finish this painting. It's a view overlooking the East River from Carl Schurz Park. Queens and Roosevelt Island are on the far shore and the 59th Street Bridge is way in the distance. You can click on the picture to see a larger version. |
