Biking and Sketching the Hudson in Nyack, NY

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Looking north on Haverstraw Trail, near Nyack, New York

After last weekend's successful bike-and-sketch excursion, we decided to do it again yesterday in a different locale, this time on two bikes. We drove across the Tappan Zee Bridge to Nyack, NY, and had lunch at the King and I Thai restaurant before heading to Nyack Beach State Park. (Aside: Really loved downtown Nyack -- will have to return to explore the little shops and cafes! And it's only a half-hour away! Hat tip to the Hudson Valley Painter blog for ideas on where to paint in the area.)

I toted my painting gear along in a small Tamrac camera bag -- found that it fits nicely on my bike rack with a net to hold it down. I went about 3/4 mile up the Haverstraw trail, found a flat rock to sit on, and took out my sketching materials to tackle the Hudson River view. M. went farther up the trail to explore the abandoned houses and structures.

It was warm-ish, but very, very windy as I painted -- the breeze dried the paint quickly but made it difficult to work nonetheless.

When M. got back, I took out my dip pens and ink for a quick 12-minute sketch of the view in the other direction. Yes, that's the Tappan Zee Bridge way back there in the distance.

View of Tappan Zee Bridge from Haverstraw Trail, Nyack, New York

I didn't bring along my custom drawing board this time, so handling the pen-and-ink outdoors got a bit messy. So M. had the idea of photographing/videotaping me while I work, to dissect the logistics and streamline the whole process. Can't wait to share what we find out -- and the solutions that MacGyver, I mean M., devises!

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