Hello Sailor! Which is what I always want to say to these boys and girls who are in town for Fleet Week. I also want to break out into the Village People song “In the Navy”. I’m sure they would think I was a kook. It wouldn’t be the first time.
They stand out in their blindingly white uniforms against New Yorkers who are mostly clothed in the City’s official color of black. (We are allowed, in the summer, to accent the black with white or gray and maybe just a soupçon of a different accent color for the more adventurous of us.)
Navy, Marines and Coast Guard personnel have taken to the streets to enjoy our fair city. You can’t miss them due to the above mentioned blindingly white uniforms. How do they keep them so white and clean and crisp? It’s a mystery.
It’s also Memorial Day weekend, the unofficial start of summer. Summer is not a season I am a fan of. Too hot. Too humid. Too sticky. Too smelly. I already miss the polar vortex!!!!!
I completed this month’s classes of figure painting in watercolor at the Art Student’s League. This week we had a woman pose for us instead of a man. Unclothed, a bit chubby and bottom heavy. What a difference from painting a muscular man in a tank top and shorts. She was all curves. It was great to have this change, to have to study her figure and her curves and (dare I say it) the flab in her belly and thighs. Once again we started off with quick thumbnail sketches of just two minute poses or so. This time when I started the thumbnails I was told I was getting too fussy. JUST PAINT THE SHAPES! Don’t outline, don’t draw. And then on to the longer poses. We sort of got cheated out of a 4th class because Monday is Memorial Day but the teacher, Naomi Campbell, will be back in September and so will I. In the meantime I found a figure drawing class (no instruction, but a model) close to my apartment, so I may continue there.
I hope you have a wonderful holiday weekend. I am really looking forward to having 3 days off! Enjoy and remember that Monday is also a day to remember the men and women who died while serving our country.
Carol King: drawing, painting, complaining 
14 comments
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May 23, 2014 at 12:09 pm
mysketchbookproject
Beautiful work!
May 23, 2014 at 12:11 pm
kk2n777
I like your seated figures alot. You should look into Spring Studio in Soho where there are day and evening sessions with models. I don’t think there is a limitation on your selected medium, as long as it is not oil. Maybe we can find an evening to go together?
May 24, 2014 at 12:42 am
jimmyboi2
Do you know why New Yorkers wear black? No, but it will do until something darker comes along… HA!!
Your figures are nice and natural- I look forward to seeing what you learn in class.
xoxox
May 24, 2014 at 6:26 am
judylobo
My favorite line in this post ‘just a soupçon of a different accent color for the more adventurous of us’ – wonderful (oh, and I loved the figure drawings).
May 24, 2014 at 12:25 pm
lesliepaints
I would have loved to draw or paint the above model. I also liked painting the real skinny figure and the elderly form. We got young and beautiful most of the time, but our lady that ran the co-op would go in search of the older more normal body types and be able to talk them into a few sessions every once in awhile. You did great! …and I have enjoyed following this with you. Letterman said it was Fleet Week and made a joke that it made other men feel like they should go get their old sailor suits on… Ha!
May 24, 2014 at 11:58 pm
thepurpledogpaintingblog
Wonderful work, so beautifully loose! Those quick sketches are such a great learning too. Have a wonderful holiday.
May 25, 2014 at 3:14 am
Padmaja
Your figure drawings have been very interesting Carol, love the life you caught in them. Look forward to what you will share from the new class!
I will keep the color of NY in mind in case when I visit I will keep away from my colorful Indian clothes to avoid attention :-))
May 25, 2014 at 10:33 am
elenacaravela
Wow, really terrific work Carol! Keep going!
May 25, 2014 at 11:39 am
w1kkp
Carol! Water Towers of NYC Carol! Yoo hoo! Just because I don’t write my blog anymore doesn’t mean I have to deprive myself of your work and humor! I love that you captured this large model’s confidence in posing nude. I’ve been fat and thin and in neither state would I have the confidence. But, opening my mouth in any circumstances whatsoever…I’m blowing people out of the room with confidence. Maybe I’ll come to NYC and yell “Hey, Sailor” and see what happens!
May 25, 2014 at 5:35 pm
nicsearth
These are great life studies Carol. I imagine a woman with some meat in her bones would be more interesting to draw as well?
The sailors in new York event sounds interesting. I wonder the same thing when I see a news story on people in developing countries who wash their clothes in a river yet they always seem so bright and clean-my whites never look that white!
Happy memorial weekend. X
May 25, 2014 at 6:04 pm
Joan T
Good job on the figures! She looks a bit zaftig (sp?)! I recently sketched a nude model that was in such an unusual position standing on one leg. I wouldn’t have been able to get into the position never mind hold it for any length of time. Missed fleet week which always brings a smile to my face…I love men in uniforms. lol I don’t understand how they keep their whites white either. I have my own washing machine and can’t figure out how to do it. lol
Hope your weekend is great!
June 3, 2014 at 5:58 pm
doronart
Carol love the water colours lifes sketches… I tried them also and it is fun… nothing we can do when they start dripping.. that is what water colours is all about.. I put them on my other blog link is via my main one. Keep practicing they get better… OK some do.
June 13, 2014 at 1:00 pm
Stephen
Hey Carol your art is just growing so much. I love these figures. They have the feel of real mastery – I guess that is what happens when you get yourself a good teacher. Good on you. You are an inspiration to me.
June 14, 2014 at 2:05 pm
Mi Amigo and what’s up with all those Facebook quizzes? | Carol King: drawing, painting, complaining
[…] shape of the man in one color similar to the technique I learned at the ASL like the ones here: https://carolking.wordpress.com/2014/05/23/fleet-week-final-figures. After the shape was right I was able to go back in and work on […]