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 ;)