My Art Library:  Sketching Before Urban Sketchers

My Art Library: Sketching Before Urban Sketchers

Before the explosion of the Urban Sketchers movement that began in 2007 there was very little published on this topic. On a recent visit to Los Angeles I stopped by my favorite art bookstore, Hennesy & Ingalls, and discovered some treasures I’d like to...
California Sketching

California Sketching

For years Venice beach has been a place for rejuvenation of my creative energies.  Life in Manhattan is perpetually stressed, leading to rigidity and stagnation.  Nothing remedied this better for me than hopping on a plane to California to chill out in Venice. I would...
Rehabilitating a Vintage Byer & Hayes Fountain Pen

Rehabilitating a Vintage Byer & Hayes Fountain Pen

About a year ago I bought a vintage Byer & Hayes fountain pen.  It was in good shape with the original clip with the B&H logo.  The main thing I liked was the super-flexible gold nib for sketching.  Unfortunately the bladder rotted and the ink dried up leaving...
Turner Watercolors at the Mystic Seaport Museum

Turner Watercolors at the Mystic Seaport Museum

I’ve long been a fan of J.M.W. Turner’s huge luminous oils that hang in many museums including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in my hometown of Manhattan. However I was unaware of his watercolors, and when I learned about the exhibit at the Mystic Seaport Museum I had...
Returning to Cow Canyon Trading Post

Returning to Cow Canyon Trading Post

My relationship with making art has been complicated, mainly because of my day job as a medical doctor in New York City.  Years ago I maintained a painting studio, but gave up the medium when I moved into a small Manhattan apartment to pursue my training.  But the...
The Thrill of Watching Paint Dry

The Thrill of Watching Paint Dry

In the heat of the southwest desert, among the towering buttes and mesas of Red Rock country, I discovered the thrill of watching paint dry.  I’ve been doing watercolor for years and found the most difficult part is waiting for each wash to dry before proceeding to...