Last Sunday at Fort Tryon Park: the dulcet sounds of the Scandia Symphony, an expansive view across the Hudson, threatening clouds giving way to late afternoon sun. If you're up there in upper Manhattan, don't just scurry to and from the Cloisters. Stop and look around on the way. The Heather Garden is bursting with blooms, a dense patchwork of perennials to revel in on an afternoon.

I finally broke out the Stillman & Birn Delta Series 7"x7" sketchbook for these sketches. I'm still getting used to the paper, but so far I like how it holds up to both ink puddles and watercolor washes.