A Different Commute

I had to dig into some of my old sketchbooks to find a post this week, all my current ones are still in progress.  This is a view from an Amtrak train along the Eastern Connecticut shoreline in early spring when everything is still shades of ochre and brown.  For some people, this may be part of what their commute to work entails - taking Amtrak between New York and Boston.  The tracks run parrallel and straight through the salt marshes and beaches bordering Eastern Long Island Sound.  Enjoy!

People People People!

You can tell it's finally spring - everyone has finally shed their black for some color on the train!

Nermin and Howard were my seatmates on the train home with me on Thursday night.

Springtime has brought the tourists out and about mixing around with the commuters.  Passing through Grand Central accents from all around the world can be heard among the din of voices echoing against the ceiling.  And everyone needs something to eat downstairs in the cafeteria!

Survivor!!!

The Challenge:  Safely make it across the dangerous alligator infested abyss between the train car and the platform at the end of the workday - one wrong step and you're gone!

OK the Backstory.....
The northbound local track between Rye and Stamford has been out of service for the past few weeks while the MTA replaces rail ties.  The trains stop on the middle express track and bridge plates are in use for people to walk over the local track to the platform.  But, the bridge plates are narrow, sometimes unsteady, and there's a good size gap between the train car and the metal plate.  So really it's a Survivor Challenge at the end of a long workday - just pretend it's an old rope ladder and there's seven or eight hungry alligators just waiting for someone to make a bad step - who says commuting couldn't be the next reality TV program?

We're Being Watched!

The train travels below grade through parts of the Bronx so mostly there's only old stone walls and tops of buildings to catch a glimpse of on the way by.  But, on top of those buildings, there are feathered creatures who stare down at us from their lofty perch - the pigeons!  That's right, from their rooftop vantage points the pigeons rule all they can see, including all of us commuters who pass in the shadows below.

A quick watercolor sketch.  It's supposed to have a Edward Hopper feel to it - the lonely American landscape with a solitary figure.  In this case, a commuter walking down the platform under pools of lamp light after coming home from work.

Animal Attraction

On the way into the city the trains pass along the edge of the Botanical Gardens, and not far from the Bronx Zoo.  When you think about it, not far from the tracks are hundreds of animal species from around the world.  Furthermore, we might think they're interesting to look at, but they probably think we're pretty crazy too.  They'd probably be thinking something like, "All those humans keep speeding by in big electric metal cages all day long, it's much better here just relaxing."

"Evenings Out"

I realized as I got out of the office this week there was still a hint of daylight in the western sky.  I'm looking forward to the summer monthes when it's still light out late in the day and I can still take a walk down to Binney Park (above) or Todd's Point.

For Those Who Come Home Late...

I have devised a simple map that illustrates the potential states of sleepiness someone could go through on their commute home from the city (especially if you're on the local to Stamford like me.)  The further out your stop is from Grand Central, the more likely you're going to fall asleep and miss your train.  Remember, the later it gets, the more likely you'll achieve maximum sleep potential: YOU MISSED YOUR STOP.

This is Anthony, I sat down next to him one evening and tried to start sketching him without him knowing.  About halfway through he figured it out, and immediately he did his best to sit still and be a great model.  I did it in pencil and added a little watercolor to it over the weekend. 

A Walk Above Ground

Now that the weather is getting a little better, I sometimes opt to walk above ground across town on 42nd street to the Times Square Station rather than taking the shuttle underground.  With the return to daylight savings the sun has been a little lower in the sky and it's been catching the side of the newly cleaned stone of the New York Public Library.  Here's a painting from a recent morning inspired by famous watercolorists like John Singer Sargent.

The New Haven Line Local

As an alternate to the sterile maps of station stops found in the ticket windows and schedule packets, here's my (much more fun to look at) version.  Perfect for anyone who thinks visually!

I know I owe you a sketch....

I know I owe you a sketch.

Actually, I owe you a few.

But I've been really busy,

So forgive me for not giving you something to view.

There are lots of works in progress,

Don't worry I haven't forgot.

You're just going to have to trust me when I say,

They'll be a lot a lot A LOT.

I know this poem is cheesy.

But please cut me some slack.

The'll be new pictures up soon,

So please do come back....

                          (maybe in a few days?)

                                 - Teek

Works in Progress

After two very busy weeks, and a few days in bed with a stomach virus, I'm on the mend.  I have two works "in progress" for you to see.  Both of them were done piecemeal - a little bit at a time.  In fact, doing a sketch in "sections" is actually moredifficult then doing it all at once, because I still have to consider how to draw everything to make it appear as if it's lining up and coming from the same view.  Bearing this in mind, here they are, and remember to check back to compare to see what they look like when they're finished.

Due to the reduced train schedule over the last few weeks, I needed to take an earlier train in during the morning rush.  It gave me ten or fifteen minutes of leeway in the downstairs cafeteria of Grand Central to linger and watch people pause to get their morning coffee or snack.  Can you guess what table I always sat at to get this view?  Check back next week to see if finished with color.

By luck, there were several nights over the past week, that I ended up sitting in a bar car on the train ride home.  Each night I tried to find one or two people to add to this collection.