Weimin Mo - Artist of Sunshine: June 2015

Friday, June 26, 2015

Thursday, June 18, 2015

Plein-Air Oil Sketch: Yakov (12 x 9)

I had a strong craving for painting people this morning, so I planned to go to small street parks nearby to look for models. First I went to Forest Gardens. I saw an old man reading there. When I asked if I could used him as a subject in my painting, he smiled and said he was leaving soon. So I continued to walk to Queens Blvd. and then along it toward Manhattan. I tried to recall where I could find street parks on the thoroughfare. I remembered I used to see elderly people sitting at 67th Ave. corner, on benches which formed a big triangle at the intersection. It was quite a walk.

When I got there, I was a little disappointed to see only a middle-aged woman sitting there reading. Luckily, I saw an old man coming slowly toward the area with a limp. He had a stick in his hand. Eventually he found a bench and sat down. It was around 9 AM. I went over and offered to paint him. His name was Yakov, very friendly. Obviously like many old people there, he was a recently immigrated Jew from Russia. He told me that he had a doctor's appointment across the street at 11 AM. I immediately set up to paint him. I didn't take it for granted that I could have exactly two hours. With my past experiences, I knew anything could happen to disrupt my painting anytime with those casual models. As usual, I rushed through the painting. In an hour, he asked about my painting. I showed him what I had accomplished. Then he said he wanted to go to bathroom at the clinic and after that he would not come out back to the park again. I patted myself on the back and was glad I had grabbed his image on my canvas paper, at least for the major part. I missed painting his pants' suspenders but think that is OK.

Monday, June 15, 2015

Sketches at Charles Turner Jazz Trio Concert

I went this evening to the Charles Turner Jazz Trio concert at Queens Central Library. It was great. I made sketches of them all. Unfortunately I missed the pianist who was a short lady but was totally out of my sight with the grand piano's lid poked open. Of course, I sketched, too, on subway.

Thursday, June 11, 2015

En Plein Air: Cuthbert Road (Oil, 12 x 9)

I went down Lefferts Blvd this morning. When I came to the intersection of Cuthbert Rd. ( Is it a strange name?), I was impressed by the reflected light from windows in the shade -- building windows and car windows. Therefore, I stopped to set up by the bus stop and made this painting.

Sketches at the Concert and on Subway

Yesterday evening I went to Carnegie Hall to the recital concert of Brazilian pianist Ericka Vilela and her students. Before the performance began, there was a pretty and graceful lady who happened to sit sideways at the right distance for me to draw. Before and after the concert, I also drew a few sketches on subway. I selected two here. One is a guy with a pony-tail and sun-glasses dozing off but holding his bag really tight. The other is two young people chatting happily on subway.