Plein-Air Painting Central Park Dalehead Arch

Plein-air painting Dalehead Arch, Central Park, New York City.

One of my favorite spots in New York City is painting at Central Park. I did this last summer almost everyday and I loved it.  What I like best is that there are many spots to paint. You can almost set up anywhere to paint a scene and there's a lot of shade from trees.

When I visit Central Park to paint, I'm able to relax and just paint. People walking, biking, picnicking, and all the open space, trees and scenery just makes a nice peaceful environment. I'm looking forward to going back to finish this piece.

Plein Air Painting in Lower Manhattan

Plein-Air Painting in Lower Manhattan, Battery Park, 13x50, oil on Canvas

I've been wanting to paint at this location for a while. Located in lower Manhattan, Battery Park. This is a nice area; they have a bike path and a wide pedestrian path. I found a good spot.  

I'm fascinated with these new construction buildings in the city. There are so many new buildings going up. I took a long canvas with me, 13x50. I need to create longer ones. I'm looking forward to going back out soon. Keep an eye out for me.

Fourth of July Painting in Manhattan

4th of July, Plein-Air Painting in Lower Manhattan, Oil on Canvas

I had a nice Fourth of July. I spent a cool afternoon painting a cityscape scene I've been wanting to visit for a long time. Located in lower Manhattan. I found a nice spot with low people traffic. It's located on the corner of Park and Broadway, next to City Hall. I like that section of downtown. It's not far from Wall Street and Brooklyn Bridge.

Playmats Arch Central Park, New York, New York

Playmates Arch, Color Study, Oil on Canvas, 16x20

Here's a recent Plein Air painting I created. I visit Central Park several times a week to create paintings of the bridges and arches. This spot had its challenges. The first challenge was that I started painting on a cloudy day then, half way through the painting, the sun came out. So I had to make color changes. The forecast said cloudy all day and I wanted to study the light on a cloudy day.

The 2nd challenge was the perspective. There was an optical illusion that was driving me crazy. When I stood there, the angle of the path visually went from the tunnel up towards the right side because the path goes down hill. But optically, I had to do the opposite. It looked one way but I had to draw it the opposite way. You can kinda see it on this image.

Regardless of the challenges, I learned a lot. I'm looking forward to the next one.

Landscape Painting at Central Park New York

Dipway Arch, Central Park, New York, Oil on Canvas, 16x20

This summer, I've been going to Central Park in the mornings to paint landscapes. The experience has been rewarding. I've gotten to know Central Park well and my painting has improved a lot.

Central Park has a lot of beautiful bridges. This one is located on the south side of the park, called Dipway Arch. I painted this one on a cloudy day so it was challenging for me. On sunny days, I can easily paint the lights and shadows, but on cloudy days, there is little contrast and more color range between the lights and darks.