Lights, Camera, Commuting

It's as if I've been walking straight through a movie set this past week - waiting in the golden sunlight at a train station at the start of my day, and then walking amongst the silhouettes of thousands in Grand Central Terminal.

 I quickly sketched out where I was standing in Grand Central for this work, but the main piece had to be done at home on a piece of watercolor paper so I could get the correct size to show the light streaming in.

The view from the platform at the station this past week with the late autumn sun rising behind.

Tuesday Evening on the Local Train Home

The bar car bench seat on the train home. Make sure you click on this image to get a better view!

Welcome Fall

The junction of the Harlem and New Haven Lines in Mount Vernon

After a Day of Exploring



A Sketch for a Song

When I listen to songs on my ipod while I'm sitting on the train, my mind always starts thinking of scenes and images that could match the lyrics or the beat.  The sketches I did this past week reflect some of the music I've heard on listening to my ipod or the radio recently.


First, this image references "Manic Monday" written by the Bangles in 1990 - singing about trying to make it through a busy Monday.  The small snippets of conversation I hear, especially in the morning while commuting into work are included in the speech bubbles in this sketch.  It kind of makes you stop and think about all the ideas and thoughts that are going through people's heads as they walk off the train. Make sure you click on this image to a get view of what everyone says as they walk off the train on the platforms in the basement of Grand Central.

I noticed this past week while walking through the main concourse at Grand Central that there was a red Maserati convertible sitting under a huge spotlight being admired by passersby.  Alanis Morisette's "Ironic" immediately came to mind since in the very heart of a mass transit hub in New York City, there was this beautiful (but impractical) machine being viewed by tens of thousands of people who take mass transit to work instead.

Finally, this playful sketch recalls Gene Kelly "Singing in the Rain."  If you look closely New Yorkers do have some pretty cool boots and umbrellas that they haul out for the torrential rain running to and from the office.

Have a great week!

A Watery Week

Well after  months of drought, the weather decided to make up for it in a matter of a few days.  Everyone on the train looked a little more tired after spending a week trying to stay dry during the stormy weather.  I too ended up doing less sketches as I didn't want my moleskin sketchbook to get soaked .  Still, here are some observations from the past week.

Taking a snooze still huddled in the rain jacket.

The order as follows: I-listen, I-write (and chew pen), I-read, I-doze, I-look at you.