It was an exquisite day to “Sketch and Stroll” at Floyd Bennett Field (FBF), one of the many events inspired by the Jamaica Bay Festival, hosted by the Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy on City of Water Day (Saturday, July 25th).
Artists of all abilities started their stroll in front of The Nest, at 135 Aviation Road, arriving at Floyd Bennett Beach via a path that is often overlooked – located behind the parking lot to the right of the entrance to FBF.
Megan Elevado, an artist, historian and curator, led the “Jamaica Bay Sketch and Stroll.” She provided everyone with a spiral-bound sketch pad, some tracing paper and a variety of sharp-colored pencils and crayons.
Elevado taught the students how to make leaf/plant rubbings, being sure not to rip the leaves off the plant but asking its permission to take the rubbing. She warned the artists to watch out for plants with three leaves and suggested using an app to identify plants before touching.
While it was serene and quiet, individuals could be overheard asking for permission to take a leaf rubbing. “It really does seem to make them stay still, when you ask!” an excited pupil said.
Blind contouring, drawing while looking at the image, not the canvas; and value drawing, drawing forms and depths according to the lightness or darkness of the object, were difficult lessons to learn but sketching on the beach on a beautiful Saturday morning made up for the challenge. The culminating activity was using colored pencils, paintbrushes and the ocean water to create watercolor canvases.
Students became artists for the last part of the two-hour session. They found the perfect spot to fuel their creativity – whether it was on the plant and tree-led path, standing next to the water or a seat on the sand – and applied the newly acquired artistic skills to their first masterpiece.
