SPHERE NUMBER 6

During the 39th Sketchcrawl I started working on this sketch but I came back 2 more times in order to get it done. This is the Sphere Number 6 by the famous Sculptor Arnaldo Pomodoro located at the Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden Smithsonian at the Mall. This sunk garden even when it's in the mall most of their amazing sculptures are hiding from street level view. It's a fantastic space to visit and explore at the same time relaxing. I admire Pomodoro's work and I would love to sketch more of his sculptures around the world. The sphere is made out of metal and it has this great cut outs with amazing details that are things of beauty. Many people that walked by called it the death star, well I call it the great detail sphere. Those 3 times that I came the weather was warm and sunny. It took me a total of 5 hrs adding all the 3 visits. I used black ink.

MLK MEMORIAL VIEW FROM THE TIDAL BASIN, WASHINGTON DC

MLK Memorial view from the Tidal Basin. During the 39th world wide SKetchcrawl we went to the Cherry Blossom Festival here in Washington DC. This is an annual event where the city celebrates the beginning of Spring. The Cherry Blossom trees came from Japan during 1912 and it has become a symbol of this city. It's also a symbol of friendship between the U.S.A. and Japan. From this view you can see the Tidal Basin, the MLK Memorial and in the back the Lincoln Memorial. It was a warm windy sunny spring day in DC. This sketch took me almost 2hrs and I did it with pink, purple, red, orange, brown, and black ink in order to catch the warm spring colors of the Cherry Blossoms.

Sketchcrawl at the Tidal Basin / Mall

For the 39th World Wide Sketchcrawl, the D.C. sketchers met at the Tidal Basin near The Mall. Since this was the prime week for the famous cherry blossom blooms, the entire area was packed, but our sketchers finally got situated and did their thing. The weather was great, and since I've missed the last few Sketchcrawls I was happy to be able to attend this one.

First up, my sketch of the Jefferson Memorial from across the Tidal Basin. I think I was the only sketcher who did not use any color, but I still included a few cherry blossoms in this one:

Here is a photo of my view while sketching!

While I was there waiting for the rest of the group to head back toward The Mall, I did some blind contour drawings of the MLK Memorial which was right behind me while I made the last sketch:

We walked around for quite a bit, but ended up at the Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden, where I drew this bronze statue (Seated Yucatán Woman by Francisco Zúñiga):

It was a fun day, and I'm looking forward to the next one!

Tidal Basin

For the 39th World Wide Sketchcrawl, the D.C. sketchers met at the Tidal Basin, because the cherry trees are (finally) in bloom this week. As usual when the famous trees are blooming, there was a large crowd (and a few fishermen).

At the FDR memorial on the Tidal Basin, there are a number of sculptures representing scenes from the Great Depression. This sculpture by George Segal shows men standing in line for bread. Tourists like to pose for pictures as if they're part of the line of bronze statues.

After lunch, we went over to the Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden, where we found more subjects to draw. You can see the rest of my sketches on Flickr, or at the Sketchcrawl Forum. We had seven sketchers in all this time, and I enjoyed seeing the takes the others had on the same subjects. It's always fun to draw with other sketchers.

DULLES INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

Dulles International Airport is located few miles away from Washington DC. This fantastic Airport in the DC Metro Area was designed during the Jet/Space age in the 1960's by the Architect Eero Saarinen. This Modern Architecture style building looks like a combination between a Greek temple meets aircraft carrier/air plane wings/space station/Glass cathedral. The interior is very elegant keeping with the tradition of that era and the views are impressive. For my taste this is one of the most beautiful airport in the world and every time I go I really want to stay there. The people that comes to the Airport tend to enjoy and admire the architecture. I did this during a warm Spring day in Northern Virginia State which was very enjoyable. It took me 1.5 hrs and Used black ink.

Smithsonian and National Gallery

I've been experimenting with adding a brown ink wash to my pen-and-ink sketches lately, and thought the red sandstone Smithsonian Castle would be a fun test subject. So I headed in to the District this weekend to try it. The West Wing of the National Gallery of Art, across the mall, is also easier to see in the wintertime without all the leaves on the trees in front of it.
I also went over to the Dupont Circle in the afternoon to sketch the crowd that usually gathers there to hang out on sunny days. There is a statue of Gandhi a few blocks west on Massachusetts Avenue that I had seen on a recent visit to the Phillipps Collection, so I made my way over there too.

Red Hoodie Cafe

Take a break. I remember it was around the convention center. Someone tried to get talkin bout politics and another was not havin it. Two more were all about getting paid. On the clock. Flirt with the females that went and came so quickly upon my vision field like birds.

Art Deco in Key West, FL, U.S.A.

Art Deco in Key West. Well Florida is well known for their Art Deco Architecture and Key West has very few buildings with this style. It was a sunny afternoon and the sun was going down. The trees protected me from the sun and the tropical vegetation was amazing. This is a very pedestrian Island and many times during the day you will not see that many cars around which is perfect/relaxing. I did this during the honeymoon back in October 2012 and it was a very great month in the tropics. It took me 2hrs and I used black ink.

Outside/Inside

IMPROV

Paddy-wagon

Outside the AIPAC Washington Convention Center

Sunday March 3rd. i got my ass out of bed and wandered around the city with my sketchbook. Seeing conflicts of interests, dancing, music, and some hostility; I made a few drawings and saw cool people. 


AIPAC - AMERICA'S PRO-ISRAEL LOBBY

EXPOSE AIPAC

Event at the Washington Convention Center

SETTLEMENTS

9/11 MEMORIAL NYC

The story of my Mother's family in the U.S.A. started in NYC Just before WWII. NYC had always been for us the soul of the states where many immigrants come to create a better nation as the Perla's had been doing since we came to the U.S.A.

9/11 was a traumatic event for all of us, we saw the city that welcomed the family attacked by an evil force. I was in the twin towers a year early on September 2000 just viewing the architecture. I remember a man who was very friendly that worked in the towers that helped me to get to the elevators so I can see the city from the top of the building. I will never know if he survived or not, I hope he did.

In 2009 I went to see the beginning of the reconstruction of the site. On February 18th 2013 I went to see the memorial. I came with my wife and I realized that this was the battle site of a war that still continues and we do not know when it will end. I came with my wife a person that went twice to Afghanistan in order to bring justice for what was done. Also people like my brother who also became part of the U.S. Air Force in order to protect this nation. I saw a lot of people going to war and some did not come back. The site feels like a place for hope where the nation is been rebuild and where the diverse spirit of this nation will grow stronger. It is also a sad place because years after this terrible day you can still see pictures all over the area of the people and the heroes that die; which bring tears when you see how many were taken away from their families. I am thankful for the fire fighters that serve us by rescuing others and from the men/women that serve in our military.

Now it's time to bring the troops home and end these wars.....in honor of peace there are many ways to end conflicts that does not required weapons. Lets say more books, more libraries, more Urban Sketching and we will save this world ;)

The Memorial is a beautiful peaceful area full of trees and full of hope. There is a lot of construction going on around it and most likely the entire project will be done in 7 years from now. The tower symbolizes the beginning of a new era and the spirit of a nation that still keeps going which will always be under construction/changing/developing/advancing towards greatness.

I was bless to sketch the memorial with the tower under construction because it will show a stage in the project that many will not see when everything is complete. It was a very very very very cold afternoon and to get there you need to go to several security check points just like an airport. I got question for what I was doing but the security was more friendly towards me than people with cameras. They did not bug me as much they actually love the work that I was doing that several tourist took pics of me. It took me 4.5 hours in the cold but I got used to it. Just drink a lot of hot coffee. I used black ink and a lot of hand warmers ;)

700 Delaware

Sometime late last year street artist Hense came to DC to work on a former church south of the Capitol area.  The project had some minor controversy over whether this was respectful to the history of this particular site, but nonetheless it's pretty awesome and fun to see up close.  [You can check out more about the project at Design Boom.]

I certainly couldn't sketch this without involving all these great marks and colors, so it took me a little while longer than usual to finish the drawing.  I sketched the basic structure and a little of the surroundings on site, but had to color it at home... after running to the art store for a few more markers...