uwsartist images

Sometimes I forget to post sketches. I did them, so in my head I shared them, not unlike how I respond to certain messages and emails too. Maybe it was more for me than for Instagram. I saw a post today and I knew I knew that corner of the neighborhood, but ended up with a wrong sketch. I was looking through my feed for a sketch I never posted. I'll share that story in my story so you'll see. I started doing quick sketches because I was traveling a lot when I lived in Europe. I had finished the most decadent porchetta while sitting across from the Colesseum and needed another "excuse" to stay longer. It was the Colesseum. You can't just look at it and then call it a day. I had actually been there the day before with friends, and I knew that's where I wanted to be when the group decided to split up for individual activities for a day. I always carried around a small (unruled, because there's no other way!) notebook, so I started translating what I was seeing onto the page. I only captured a corner with the different orders of columns on each level of the Colesseum. Not only did that justify the (first) exorbitant architecture degree I claimed to hold, but the process kept me focused on each and every detail of this icon I finally had the chance of marveling at. You can't just look once and draw. You have to look up, look down, look up again, forget what you are looking at, so you look back yet again, and you are only just getting the length-to-width ratio. When I'm alone, I can spend as long as I want staring at what's in front of me; sometimes there are others, and though they never complain, I can't always make them endure prolonged biting wind chills with me. Dm if you want to know where to get that porchetta. #sketchmyneighborhood #upperwestside #sketchstory #quicksketch #drawnthere #sketchbookpage #pensketch #drawing #micronart #linesketch #instaart #quickdrawing #asketchaday #sketch #sketchbook #sketchbookdrawing #upperwestsidenyc #uws #uwsartist #nycartist #newyorkcity #pendrawing #upperwestsideliving

"So, my little Amélie, you don't have bones of glass. You can take life's knocks. If you let this chance pass, eventually, your heart will become as dry and brittle as my skeleton. So, go get him, for Pete's sake!" - The Glass Man, Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain Unassuming on the outside, you may not have guessed that Amélie, or La Petite Amélie as the owners like to refer to its more intimate size compared to the other locations, is a Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant right in the neighborhood. The pizzaria next to Amélie is permanently closed, leaving behind a boarded up storefront plastered with poster that, funny enough, resembles sleepy remote French/European villages with an aging population that is a little tired of the hustle and bustle. So, go get more wine and bread, for Pete's sake! @ameliebistronyc #sketchmyneighborhood #upperwestside #quicksketch #drawnthere #sketchbookpage #pensketch #drawing #linesketch #instaart #quickdrawing #asketchaday #sketch #sketchbook #sketches #sketching #upperwestsidenyc #uws #uwsartist #nyc #nycartist #sketchonthego #pendrawing @michelinguide #michelinrestaurant #michelinbibgourmand #bibgourmand #nycrestaurants #amélie

For a recent commissioned art piece, I was looking into some establishments in the neighborhood that are no longer in operation. One of them was Café Lalo, where Tom Hanks (NY152) decides to annoy Meg Ryan (ShopGirl) as she waits with her copy of Pride and Prejudice and a red rose for her mysterious AOL blind date in "You've Got Mail". With an extensive menu and cute ambience, the café has long been a favorite among locals and visitors. Since the pandemic, however, it has been closed "for renovations". The restaurant was sued by its landlord in 2022 for back rent and water damage, to which it countersued by arguing that it does not owe the landlord rent until the restaurant reopens. While I don't know enough about the details to decide who is right or wrong in the court case, wouldn't it be a shame to have the restaurant evicted from its West 83rd Street location since 1988? I'd like to try that tiramisu that's supposed to be very good. Unlike some of the other places I researched, at least Café Lalo is still standing. The planters and lights are gone, but the signage is still there, and the bar and tables are still visible from the street. Side note: Nora Ephron, who used to live across the street from Café Lalo, chose the Upper West Side because "it feels like a small village", and I totally get why we never leave the Upper West Side in You've Got Mail. #sketchmyneighborhood @cafelalo #upperwestside #youvegotmail #quicksketch #drawnthere #sketchbookpage #pensketch #drawing #upperwestsidenyc #uws #uwsartist #nyc #nycartist #manhattan #filminglocation #cafelalo #pendrawing #upperwestsideliving #newyorkcity #citylife #newyorkbuildings #newyorkarchitecture #megryan #tomhanks #noraephron #micronart #linesketch #instaart #buildingsketch #sketchonlocation

Splash of color #2 from the set I mentioned in my previous post. I worked with the person who asked for this pair of drawings to determine how we'd incorporate a tiny bit of color to the drawings. Not too much. We don't want to distract from the details. The restaurant is the main character here, so the emphasis on the vibrancy made sense. This is The Smith's fourth location, in NoMad. Coined by the NYT in 1999, NoMad refers to "north of Madison Square Park", extending approximately from 25th St to 30th St and between 6th Ave and Lexington Ave. The boundaries defining the historic district have evolved over the decades to the neighborhood's current irregular shape, hence "approximately". While the designation is relatively new, the area has an extensive history of being the hub of entertainment, commerce, and nightlife, including its days as "Tin Pan Alley" that gave birth to American pop music at the turn of the 20th century, as well as the "ladies' mile" shopping destination during the Gilded Age. @thesmithrestaurant #nomadnyc #newyorkcity #quicksketch #sketchbookpage #pensketch #drawing #micronart #linesketch #instaart #commissionedart #commissions #nycartist #nychistory #sketchstory #flatirondistrict #manhattan #pendrawing #nyclife #artcommission #uwsartist #nyc #buildingsketch #architecturesketch #watchmesketch #watchmedraw #drawingreels #artreel #watercolor

Only slightly off topic, this is me (on the right) and my best/favorite gallery assistant/sister on the left installing the sign for my solo show at the #nypl #stagnesbranchlibrary (Amsterdam 81-82). We didn’t know this was being taken by #Jess so we didn’t have time to brush our hair or change our jeans. But isn’t it funny how our posture, bodies, and reach are soooooo similar? Sisters: sometimes look alike, sometimes don’t. Sometimes get along, sometimes don’t. Sometimes support each other, sometimes don’t. I’m very lucky b/c my sister and I share love, support, humor, and many slightly similar, moderately neurotic behaviors. (She has more, tho. Just sayin’) And mom did not love her the most. Thank u, again, @ebogdonoff . @mixdmediamashup @nansussman @ahhreeba @futurefactorynewyork @robynnhdelin @muthrofpearl @susanfrances9 @tammyamsalem #sistersrule #siblings #galleryhelp #dna #commandstrips #printasign #uwsartist #showinlibraries #artinlibraries #candidphotography

I don't usually post sketches or drawings with colors on this page. I blame the Virgo Moon for desiring things to be consistent and monochrome, which may or may not have led to the creation of too many Instagram accounts. This one is breaking a few of my rules. I was asked to do this sketch, but they wanted a little bit of color. It was part of a set of two sketches. I thought that the yellow watercolor wash could be pretty, and they were on board. I love it when people are willing to experiment with me, but I don't like to do people because we are already too full of ourselves and give ourselves too much attention. We'll let this one live as a post. Virgos are mutable, after all. Thank you for trusting me in the creation of your projects, and meeting neighbors along the way! Feel free to dm for commissions or my limited prints. @parla.pizza #sketchmyneighborhood #upperwestside #pensketch #drawing #micronart #linesketch #instaart #quickdrawing #asketchaday #sketch #sketchbook #sketches #sketching #upperwestsidenyc #uws #uwsartist #nyc #manhattan #commissionedart #commissions #instaart #sketchstory #uwsrestaurants #nycartist #watchmesketch #artreels #sketchreels #artreel #sketchreel

Last one from the filming of the Bride of Frankenstein because they wrapped up early in the morning. It was exciting because that is usually a pretty, but sleepy corner at 86 Riverside Drive. The fake lamp posts, old cars, and lighting rigs from the production in the last couple of days truly accentuated the beauty of this fine historic district on the Upper West Side I'm proud to call home. The Carroll Mansion was designed in 1898 by architect Clarence True, whose contribution to the Upper West Side I have written about in my other posts. Or if you didn't pay attention to the lecture, just remember he's the guy who had the humor to name his book "A True History of Riverside Drive". Like most architects, True started off as an apprentice to an esteemed Gothicist architect, Richard Upjohn. The corner of 81st Street and Riverside Drive was his own project, one of the first where he established himself as one of the most celebrated architects of the time. He acted as both the speculator and architect for six fancy Elizabethan Renaissance Revival style houses, with 86 Riverside Drive's signature large bay rounding the corner. (cont. in comment) #thebridemovie #thebrideoffrankenstein @wbpictures #maggiegyllenhaal #christianbale #jessiebuckley #penelopecruz #annettebening #petersarsgaard #thebride #warnerbros #moviefilming #quicksketch #drawnthere #sketchbookpage #filminglocation #film #sketchmyneighborhood #upperwestsidenyc #uws #upperwestside

It isn't like Maggie Gyllenhaal is making a movie with Christian Bale, Penélope Cruz, Jessie Buckley, Peter Sarsgaard and Annette Bening on the street next to your home every day. When that happens, the neighborhood gets very excited even if this is what people expect in NYC. They are closing a couple of blocks and several streets for two days, which seem like a big deal. They've had signs up for days, but with a fake movie name, of course. Still, subreddit had the answers: The Bride of Frankenstein, a remake. Christian Bale is Frankenstein's monster and Jessie Buckley is the bride. You go to check out one scene and its many takes, then you realize they're setting up the next one, which means you can't leave yet now that you've become invested in the giant lighting rigs that just got hoisted. You also need answers to why they're wetting the ground. Many takes later, the same thing. It's easier to get obsessed than you think. The crew member who was putting up signs while confirming that it was indeed Christian Bale curled up on the ground made my night. It could have been his double 99% of the time, but it was still very exciting! Jessie Buckley stood outside for the longest, and occasionally had a jacket on between takes. Penélope Cruz walked down the street in another scene, with Peter Sarsgaard chasing after her. I dragged myself home to review some student papers before I returned for the last scene of the night. They were saving the bigger action scenes for the small hours. Cop cars rushing to the scene and police jumping out of them with guns. Two neighbors popped in for a glance before they left. My little sketch was done super quickly when I was the last random person watching the filming, right before they wrapped for the night. It was past 3 am. I may be a little crazy. #thebridemovie #thebrideoffrankenstein @wbpictures #uppereastside #maggiegyllenhaal #christianbale #jessiebuckley #penelopecruz #annettebening #petersarsgaard #thebride #warnerbros #moviefilming #quicksketch #drawnthere #sketchbookdrawing #onset #brideoffrankenstein

Here's to the tree that is making each blossom count, the insistence on coloring my world as the petals fall. @centralparknyc #upperwestside #drawnthere #quicksketch #sketchbookpage #pensketch #drawing #micronart #linesketch #instaart #quickdrawing #asketchaday #sketch #sketchbook #sketchbookdrawing #upperwestsidenyc #uws #uwsartist #nyc #manhattan #sketchonlocation #sketchonthego #pendrawing #nycartist #newyorkcity #centralpark #cherryblossoms #centralparkmoments

Facebook is annoying on so many levels, but my local Buy Nothing Group is one of the few, if not the only, reasons to be on the social media platform. We all have stuff we don't need sitting around collecting dust, or clothes we will forever continue to dream of fitting us one of those days - the eternal maybe that nobody can justify with our overpriced square footage. While now operating separately from the original Buy Nothing Project, the concept has thrived especially in neighborhoods like mine. Most of us have tiny apartments and too many things, we all live so close together, and we love to walk everywhere. It's never about the stuff, but a community that is so willing to share and help each other. I'd ask for a random aux cable and someone would immediately offer one. I've given away 2 tablespoons of instant espresso that someone was seeking for a recipe. I try to remember the person behind the things, because I like that what gets to be mine now has a story. It gives me so much joy to look around my apartment and know that my best furniture, appliances, clothes, and random decorative objects were gifted to me from my neighbors, and that I've tried to reciprocate when I can. It was a beautiful spring day for our first outdoor swap of the year. Neighbors within 30 streets x 5 avenues brought carts and bags of stuff to offer to each other for free. We all said we were there to purge, and then probably brought home more things than we came with. Then there are the "Ohhh you are _______! I've seen your name on Facebook," "Great to finally meet you in person!" and "Ah that's the 'late-night dog'", which, by the way, is now the official title of @bootbootbloop. Thank you for getting us together this afternoon! @riversideparknyc #sketchmyneighborhood #upperwestside #buynothing #bng #quicksketch #drawnthere #sketchbookpage #pensketch #drawing #micronart #linesketch #instaart #quickdrawing #asketchaday #sketch #sketchbook #sketches #sketching #upperwestsidenyc #uws #uwsartist #nyc #manhattan #sketchonlocation #sketchonthego #pendrawing #nycartist #newyorkcity #sketchstory #instaartist

While @prohibitionnyc is a welcoming bar frequented by many on the Upper West Side for the live music and cocktails, it means so much more than just a cool speakeasy to KC and Brent. When KC shared that her fiancé surprised her with an engagement party with 100+ family and friends who showed up to celebrate them, it was important for me to find a way to capture something so special to the sweet couple. You can't actually see the speakeasy from the storefront, even without the patio seating. I love doing projects for people when they share these stories with me, and more importantly, the look on their faces when I reveal the drawing. I'm so happy you love my work, @kcemaas and Brent! Thank you for sharing your story and letting me capture the memory for you. But of course, the best review was from Cooper Her Majesty - proven by my happy squeal! #upperwestside #quicksketch

This is a reminder to take a mental health day when necessary. Take a stroll in the park and smell those happy blossoms. However long you need to breathe in all that is in front of you is exactly what you need. Pro tip: a sketch is always a good idea 😊 @riversideparknyc #upperwestside #quicksketch #drawnthere #sketchbookpage #pensketch #drawing #micronart #linesketch #instaart #quickdrawing #asketchaday #sketch #sketchbook #sketches #sketching #upperwestsidenyc #uws #uwsartist #nyc #manhattan #sketchonlocation #sketchonthego #pendrawing #upperwestsideliving #newyorkcity #citylife #riversideparknyc #takeastroll #mentalhealthmatters

If there's one reason for allowing employees to wfh, it is that they get 999% (iykyk) more productive at a dog café. Boris & Horton is definitely one of those places you want to hang around for a whole day - but make sure you purchase something to help the business! I didn't expect it to be so big. Like many other dog cafés, the actual café is separate from the main, dog-inclusive sitting area. Dogs get to be the center of attention, going from one patron to the next soliciting pets. As for the people, they're guaranteed to have delightful (my autocorrect wanted to change it to frightful. It doesn't know what it's talking about) dog barks and shrieks as the background music of their zoom calls. The US is definitely behind on dog-friendly restaurants, among many other aspects. In a way, it's understandable when a few untrained dogs by dog pawrents who do not care ruin it for many. Dogs, like kids, should be taught and trained. When the only dog café in my neighborhood decided to change their business model, the community was hugely disappointed. Now that Boris & Horton has escaped from closure, many have been suggesting that they could venture out to the Upper West Side. It's so hard for small businesses these days with insane rent increases and inflation, but if more people would support the local, small businesses and ditch Amazon, it would help so much. Hey @borisandhorton, don't keep us doggos and their humans waiting for years before you open a branch on the Upper West Side, please, we would adore you! #dogcafe #eastvillage #borisandhorton #quicksketch #drawnthere #sketchbookpage #pensketch #drawing #micronart #linesketch #instaart #quickdrawing #asketchaday #sketch #sketchbook #sketches #sketching #uwsartist #nyc #manhattan #sketchonlocation #sketchonthego #pendrawing #nycartist #newyorkcity #citylife #dogcafé #smallbusiness #dogfriendly #dogfriendlycafe

What happens when the neighbors come together with a shared goal of creating the ultimate beautiful place for the neighborhood? West Side Community Garden, located on West 89th between Columbus and Amsterdam, was founded in 1975 on a 1.25-acre trashed vacant lot. I 1983, neighbors successfully petitioned for the community garden to be a not-for-profit space, protecting it from developers. In the front you have flower planters surrounding walking paths for the public to enjoy, and in the back you get private vegetable plots that have a two-to-three-year wait list. Over the years, the WSCG has continued to win awards for beautifying the neighborhood. I came across a family of four in the garden for a photoshoot with the backdrop of the famed annual tulip festival. One of the kids kept pulling and destroying the tulips. The mother first told him to stop, then explained that the tulips are for everyone to enjoy. The child said it was funny, to which the mother, again, calmly said that while it might be the case for her son, it wouldn't be funny to others who would no longer be able to enjoy the tulips once they're pulled out. The boy stopped. I don't know if this family is a neighbor, but I thought that was really good parenting. Some would've yelled at the child, who would never understand why his behavior was not ideal; others might ignore or pretend nothing was wrong, because maybe they're tired of disciplining. Some think kids are purely society's or schools' problem and no efforts have to be made at home or by the parents or guardians. If you haven't checked out WSCG's tulips, go while they're still around and fresh! I didn't expect to spend as much time as I did there, but the urban oasis made up of colors, scents, people, and conversations was a much needed escape from the stress, noise, and real life. @westsidecommunitygarden #sketchmyneighborhood #westsidecommunitygarden #upperwestside #tulipfestival #quicksketch #drawnthere #sketchbookpage #pensketch #drawing #micronart #linesketch #instaart #quickdrawing #upperwestsidenyc #uws #uwsartist #nyc #manhattan #sketchonlocation #sketchonthego #pendrawing #upperwestsideliving #newyorkcity

#sketchbook #painting #paintingonpaper #art #artist #artistsoninstagram #abstraction #abstractart #abstractpainting #contemporaryart #mjbono4 #maryjoanbono #artfortoday #inthestudio #artstudio #studio #nycart #nycaryist #nycgalleries #artcollector #artcurator #artgallery #uws #uwsnyc #uwsartist

How many care to pay attention to those little, hidden buildings in the background that make up so much of the journey? I could just be terrible at determining gains vs. losses. Certain people have criticized that I do things in an "ineffective" way, that I just have to show results. Society loves results. Work rewards results. People understand results. In college when everyone was rushing to compete course credits to get degrees to get jobs, I was changing my major and then my schools. It wouldn't have been the same journey for me if I had majored in something I didn't care about, or graduated from a school I didn't like. Then everybody was working on their license in the same city we went to school and I moved to three different countries. I wasn't getting hours toward my licensure or buying a property or getting married or having babies because I was too busy moving, exploring, and growing. Processes and journeys don't pay money. People don't understand and don't care, or they think you're "lost" because you're finding your way. But why shouldn't people be finding their way? At no one particular age? And so what if you do fail a million times along the way? I think this is what education should be about - the process, journey, and growth, not winning or losing. I don't know why so many claim to be educators or work for institutions but don't get this at all. It's sad how those who claim to work in education have such a fixed mindset and refuse to invest and believe more in the journey and not the outcome. It's extremely frustrating that some will never understand education should be student-centric and not about the ego of the institution or an individual. You know what would be great to represent the school? The growth and learning in a student, not the protection of the so-called reputation. So many teachable moments, except some never care to teach. #sketchrant #sketchmyneighborhood #drawnthere

I can't get enough of the bright pink canopy formed by the little blossoms under which I get to walk under every time I head out. The blossom trees are only on one side of the symmetrical pair of stoops that curve up to the entryway, and that's the side I pick every day these days. The blossoms are never shy about their need for attention, and even an occasional misstep would be worth the prolonged stare. This time of the year in NYC you get a giant palette of colors highlighting the various corners of the city. What would otherwise have been similar to the next street now has its special color and fragrance. The splash of Barbie pink at the corner of West End and 85th, the paler, sweet yellow on 84th between West End and Riverside, and the sweet purplish red along Riverside. Have you looked? The enchantment is already there if you believe it, and it's a very good excuse to wander around. #sketchmyneighborhood #upperwestside #drawnthere #quicksketch #sketchbookpage #pensketch #drawing #micronart #linesketch #instaart #quickdrawing #asketchaday #sketch #sketchbook #sketches #sketching #upperwestsidenyc #uws #uwsartist #nyc #manhattan #sketchonlocation #sketchonthego #pendrawing #nycartist #newyorkcity #citylife #newyorkbuildings #newyorkarchitecture @micronart @moleskine @moleskine_arts #sketchbookdrawing

I passed by this brownstone around Easter when it had cute rabbits and eggs. I meant to go back to do a sketch, but the weather and my schedule couldn't find a way to cooperate, so when I finally made it back, I could only recreate the Easter decor from memory. If you remember my other sketches of a building that always has cute seasonal themes, this is a different one. Thank you to the neighbors who take the time to make their buildings pretty to benefit the eyeballs of the neighborhood! With the recreation of the Easter bunnies from memory/imagination, I had to look into their origin. According to some sources, Easter bunnies, without anything to do with the Bible, were introduced in the 1700s by the German immigrants in Pennsylvania who brought along their traditions of egg-laying hares called "Oschter Haws". Not getting too bogged down by technicalities, the hare eventually became the rabbit. Side note: I'm also just learning that Passover feels much later following Easter this year because this is a Jewish leap year, which is built on the lunar calendar. #sketchmyneighborhood #upperwestside #drawnthere #quicksketch

My absolute favorite body of water in the middle Manhattan, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir was completed in 1862 as the world's largest man-made aquatic feature to supply emergency water source to New York City. While no longer supplied to the people, the water provides the perfect reflection and backdrop of the skyline enveloping Central Park. I love the 1.5-mile loop. The one-way, continuous trail makes you lose yourself sometimes, in the best way possible, and forces you to rely on the architecture to reorient yourself. The sun was hiding behind the clouds for a large part of the day, and when it finally emerged, everyone just seemed a little happier. The cherry blossoms are your stars of the show at the moment. I was in the East Side looking westward, where the buildings were back lit and in the shade, but that made the sakura pop. @centralparknyc #quicksketch #drawnthere #sketchbookpage #pensketch #drawing #micronart #linesketch #instaart #quickdrawing #asketchaday #sketch #sketchbook #sketchbookdrawing #pensketch #upperwestsidenyc #uws #uwsartist #nyc #manhattan #sketchonlocation #sketchonthego #upperwestside #uppereastside #centralpark

Everyone is talking about the earthquake today. I felt I was hallucinating for a second, trying to remember which city and state and even country I was in. I knew immediately it was an earthquake from the years I spent first in California, then Tokyo. I just never expected that I'd been experiencing this in NYC. Funny enough, given the many issues my 100-year-old brownstone has been experiencing, I was imagining the walls crumbling down at that very moment, even before "earthquake" came to mind. You know what's funnier? My next door neighbor, whose walls have been falling apart due to water damage, texted me the same idea only 10 seconds later. Oh, such little faith we have in the management company. I'm tired. The floods, mercury retrograde, the earthquake, and the eclipse. People are crazier too. I'll spare you my rant today or you'll all run away in no time. That's a story for another day. Let's just look at the flowers, shall we? 🌸 @centralparknyc #quicksketch #drawnthere #quickdrawing #asketchaday #sketch #sketchbook #sketches #sketching #upperwestsidenyc #uws #uwsartist #nyc #manhattan #sketchonlocation #sketchonthego #pendrawing #upperwestsideliving #newyorkcity #nyc #nycartist #upperwestside #cherryblossoms

Looking back on the @affordableartfairnyc in March. A dynamic team gathered around @insightartspace and @art_020amsterdam. A beautiful moment of sharing, many wonderful encounters, and new collectors against a blue backdrop. #concentration #sculpture #feminity #blue #bluesculpture #blueart #sculptor #steelart #aaf #newyork #uwsartist #contemporarysculpture #frenchwomansculptor

I was at a work event today. I was assigned to be the microphone runner with some so-called reasoning being that I'm used to facilitating workshops with students, or that it's along the lines of "creativity" in which I supposedly specialize. The creative mic runner. Two colleagues asked me during and after the event why I was the microphone runner. Of the two, the one I never really thought would bother to talk to me said "you're too important to be running around with the microphone." I was really touched because she cared, and whether or not she meant it, she didn't have to talk to me, let alone say anything at all. After I ran around with the microphone, one of the guests came up to me at reception to mention the lack of alcoholic drinks, another talked to me only to ask me where the bathroom was, and one asked if it was okay to grab a box to get food to go. I responded with what I knew, even though it wasn't my "job". Some guests did end up talking to me, and how their faces did the "oh!" when they learned that I taught and was perhaps quite interesting too. It's funny because people are funny. It doesn't matter if I agreed with the bs reason I was given when tasked, but the assumptions people make just because they've known you for about an hour as the mic runner are wild. There are embedded prejudice around the "statuses" that come with roles. I didn't think it was a shameful job, or that anyone is "too important" to be a mic runner. I think it's a tiring job that nobody wants. How we love to determine the "importance" of a person based on so little that we know about them. Running around a micropjone couldn't decrease my value or self-worth. Joke's on you. #upperwestside @riversideparknyc #sketchrant #quicksketch #drawnthere #sketchbookpage #pensketch #drawing #micronart #linesketch #instaart #quickdrawing #asketchaday #sketch #sketchbook #sketches #sketching #upperwestsidenyc #uws #uwsartist #nyc #manhattan #sketchonlocation #sketchonthego #pendrawing #upperwestsideliving #newyorkcity #citylife #riversideparknyc @micronart @moleskine @moleskine_arts #sketchbookdrawing

When I was a student, even as a grad student, I didn't quite understand how faculty and administrators worked. You'd think professors only have to show up to class and are otherwise quite free, other than the "research" they constantly seem to be doing. Administrators are even more predictable with their 9 to 5. They're all part of this well-oiled, systematized machine with teams and teams of people behind each small detail or task. During grad school, I remember being amazed at an administrator who'd send out emails as late as 3 am. Us students would talk about how hardworking and responsive she was. Within a year, she transferred to another department. Years later when we became friends and I was much less naïve, she told me how extremely u health it was and no one should be expected to do that. Except we all were, especially during Covid. We still are. Most of the time it is, in fact, just one or two people behind a "team" or even an "entity". There's no system or chain of commands or going up the ladder, so if an email is sent out past 5 pm, someone is working late (unless they scheduled it wrong). That's for the administrators. When it comes to faculty, if it's a question on the assignment that you ignored, you could say that you're letting them figure it out on their own. If it's a request for an extension due to (insert very valid reason), making them wait till 9 am Monday would only cause unnecessary anxiety, and more mental health issues nobody has actually given educators resources to handle. It didn't take me long to realize that with this career, gone are the days when I had the freedom of turning off my emails, notifications, and even brain when I'm "off". There's no more showing up to work at 9 am Monday to "deal with it". I'm still learning to set boundaries and I'm getting better, but sometimes you can't ignore an "I'm in the hospital and can I please get an extra day for the assignment or I'd have to pull an all-nighter right here" email. #drawnthere #upperwestside #quicksketch @centralparknyc

"So let me get this straight. You find yourself in the kitchen. You see an éclair in the receptacle... and you think to yourself: 'What the hell, I'll just eat some trash.'" - Seinfeld, Season 6, episode 6. I had not realized that I lived so close to Jerry, sort of, until I was asked by a lady to take some pictures of her at this address. I took a hundred photos for her before she happily took off to Monk's Café. So while the building's exterior might be "incorrect" from what you see on the screen (filmed in LA), was George in the wrong to eat the "trash" éclair? The amount of food waste in this city (you could very well replace that with state, country, many parts of the world) is absurd. Perfectly good bread being thrown out nightly within the 1-mile radius alone could feed the entire Upper West Side, and we haven't counted the other edible, clean, and unexpired food being discarded on a daily basis. Obviously some food is thrown out for valid reasons, and mostly because food producers don't want to be sued. Some estimates claim that a third of all produce is wasted. That's so much food, and so many could've been fed. Eating the éclair from the trash bin probably wouldn't kill George, but it's social and cultural norms that determined eating food out of the garbage as unacceptable, gross, and unhygienic. So many don't even want to look at trash, and witnessing people go through dumpsters and bins and the immediate reaction is disgust - the act reeks of desperation and destitution. Or maybe it reminds them of how wasteful they are. It's always important to be cautious, and you don't have to start eating out of the bins, but the next time you throw out that perfectly fine loaf, jacket, or ottoman, just remember that so many could only dream. It would take you 5 minutes out of your life to drop these off at a church, a donation bin, or to a homeless person. #upperwestside #seinfeld @jerryseinfeld @seinfeldtv @seinfeldepisodes

You can't get a more NYC moment than this. 🌸🎶 I heard Brooke and Jeremy before I got to my usual spot. I've been here for the beautiful Okame every day this past week, but today there was music. You just can't make up this kind of perfect Sunday afternoon. During my sketch, the other lady in the picture went up to the duo and asked to jam with them - loved what they did with Superstition, and what was the other one I forgot? At some point, the lady even shared a snack with them. How can you not love the city? You don't get this kind serendipity in the burbs where everyone lives in their cars. Thank you so much for at least an hour of your lovely music, Brooke @brookeazzaro and Jeremy @jeremyr327! This sketch is for you because you made so many random strangers happy today with your talents. #upperwestside @centralparknyc

I'm loving this whole week. It's warm enough to loiter under the trees for longer than you'd expect, yet you immediately feel the chills once the sun is down. I used to always prefer the fall, but this week-long hanami might have convinced me to reconsider. Fall is melancholy and nostalgic. Spring is renewal and colorful. Colors make people happy, no? No wonder the older people get, the more colors they want to wear. Maybe I'm getting old too. I didn't come to the park for the blooms last year. I think I was busy packing, moving, and unpacking, or maybe it was raining nonstop. I don't remember anymore. I'm so glad I'm here now. In 3 days we're entering aries season, the official start of the astrological new year. Perhaps it's time to write your verse. 🌸 #初春來時彼此閉著眼渴望未來 #upperwestside @centralparknyc #hanami #quicksketch #drawnthere #sketchbookpage #pensketch #drawing #micronart #linesketch #instaart #quickdrawing #asketchaday #sketch #sketchbook #sketches #sketching #upperwestsidenyc #uws #uwsartist #nyc #manhattan #sketchonlocation #sketchonthego #pendrawing #upperwestsideliving #newyorkcity #nyc #pendrawing #nycartist #centralpark #centralparkmoments

Okame blossoms are very showy. They can't wait to announce the arrive of spring, never with words, but with their vibrant blooms that shake you out of your winter dreariness. They say the blooms came early this year. What a treat to be alive beneath these beauties in the past few days, facilitated by the longer days and rain that was supposed to come but decided not to. Everything blooms in it's own time. Nature knows it, but sometimes humans don't. Everything also fades when its job is done. It is inevitable, yet incredibly healing. There's no need to hang onto the good times - you can't anyway. Be happy that you bloomed while you can, in the same unapologetic manner the sakura does. 🌸 @centralparknyc #upperwestside #hanami #quicksketch #drawnthere #sketchbookpage #pensketch #drawing #micronart #linesketch #instaart #quickdrawing #asketchaday #sketch #sketchbook #sketches #sketching #upperwestsidenyc #uws #uwsartist #nyc #manhattan #sketchonlocation #sketchonthego #pendrawing #upperwestsideliving #newyorkcity #citylife #nycartist #centralpark #centralparkmoments

Now that spring has sprung and daylight is saved, it is once again possible to catch some of those beautiful rays after work. The early Okame sakura are visible on the west side of the park along the Bridle Path. They bring about that pop of color which precedes even the first green leaves, in such unapologetic vibrancy we either didn't know we need, or had almost convinced ourselves we didn't. The Okames always blossom first, followed by Kwanzan, Higan, and Yoshino. Such eager bearers of the message that spring has official arrived, and just as quickly they will be on their way out to make room for others to bloom. It is never a competition. It is their time and they are giving it all, then sayonara 🌸 #upperwestside @centralparknyc

I love me some wisteria-covered brownstones. In the winter when the luscious blooms are gone, you see that there's no trellis, but the vines simply, seamlessly hug building's façade. Still elegant, even when they're bare. Climbing vines can be very fast growing, and take 3-5 years to flower, as long as they get the support they need. Did this begin with an ambitious vine that yearned to climb, or a building that saw huge potential in the young vine and offered help? How satisfied is the building with this layer of seasonality that has now become an expectation from everyone? How does the vine feel about its reliance on the building to be magnificent? Is the old masonry better protected because of the added layer, or is the plant creeping into cracks and damaging the structure over time? What do the vine and building talk about? I did a sketch of this building back in the summer during full bloom. I stood there to sketch and watched as people passed by, stopped in their tracks, marveled at the sight, and moved on. I'll repost that sketch in my story. #upperwestside

I had the urge to capture the rain. Turned out the hardest part had nothing to do with lines or shadows or reflections, but to be able to hold up the sketch (while keeping it dry from the rain) with my umbrella and capture the #drawnthere moment. I'm only two pages into this new sketchbook and I almost dropped it into a puddle. I really like this @micronart brush pen I got a while back. It's black without the unforgiving intensity, so it is still possible to layer. I used to only do one line weight for these sketches, then somewhere along the way I wanted to be able to incorporate the differentiation of densities. Aren't we all just trying to see what feels right? #upperwestside

Are you fascinated by the unpredictability as well? For some, springtime is the best. The snow is gone. The days are longer and warmer. New lives emerge after the dead of winter. Hope, the prospect of new life, and old lives waking up from hibernation. For me, it is the unpredictability. Some days you get the most beautiful springest of spring weather, only to be immediately followed by the relentless drizzle that drags on. It is blue sky for miles and you are caught in unforgiving winds that chill you to the core. The same goes for people you meet in life. One day they are the kindest of the souls you have met, only to turn around and display the strangest of behaviors. I pride myself in being perceptive, but I, too, have met the occasional unpredictable one on whom I can't quite put a finger. I don't mean it in a way that people are fake or layered, but more so that the unpredictability is intended as a defense mechanism. Of course, some might just be pure evil. I am intrigued by spring. All that surprise drizzles, fluctuating temperatures, and the false promises of the seasonal closet swap. Some of us will just decide to stay home. I'm just glad to have yet another day to light my fireplace. #upperwestside @centralparknyc

Can we agree that this is the first spring day of the year? A day like this makes you feel guilty for staying in. You head to the park and apparently the entire city had the same idea. Every person, dog, and even a few cats (yes, they're on a leash in Central Park) are out soaking in the spring sun. I am really enjoying this spot in the shade where you are slightly away from the crowd, sort of right in the middle between the two edges of Manhattan, with a wide angle view of Bethesda Fountain and Terrace, and entertained by a pastiche of musical concoction from all directions. Most of the trees are still bare, so you still get the distinct outline of the buildings overlooking the park. In a few weeks the Fountain will be barely visible behind a freshly grown canopy, as life continues. Can you believe it is March already? @centralparknyc #quicksketch #drawnthere #sketchbookpage #pensketch #drawing #micronart #linesketch #instaart #quickdrawing #asketchaday #sketch #sketchbook #sketches #sketching #upperwestsidenyc #uws #uwsartist #nyc #manhattan #sketchonlocation #sketchonthego #pendrawing #upperwestsideliving #newyorkcity #citylife #centralparkmoments #centralpark #upperwestside #uppereastside

Everyone likes to complain about the rain. When I lived in LA, granted that I was delusional from all the architecture school all-nighters, I remember being so annoyed with the bright, happy sun that was always in my face. What with all the "happy" people and the piercing sunshine. It was boring and monotonous, and emphasized the sense of fake/Hollywood (American) positivity that I could never understand. Then I moved to London. One morning I found myself lamenting to my colleagues in the kitchen that everything was grey. "The sky is grey, the walls are grey, the ceiling is grey, the people are grey and even you and I are in various tones of grey!" Everything is grey from October to April in London. My British colleagues thought I was funny. I actually like the rain, and even the occasional yucky days. They break up the monotony and make you appreciate the sunny days more. When it's a good day, everyone is on the same page about what a nice day it is. It's still raining out there, but Little Red Riding Boot makes it just a little bit better. And tomorrow we are getting a good day. #quicksketch #drawnthere #sketchbookpage #pensketch #drawing #micronart #linesketch #instaart #quickdrawing #asketchaday #sketch #sketchbook #sketches #sketching #upperwestsidenyc #uws #uwsartist #nyc #manhattan #sketchonlocation #sketchonthego #pendrawing #upperwestsideliving #newyorkcity #citylife #dogdrawing #petart #petartist #petartwork #dogart

How did you spend your bonus day? I love the fact that I teach a two-semester long course, which is one-of-kind not only in my department, but the institution. With classes and schedules following the academic calendar, taking out midterms, fall, winter, and spring breaks, and finals, a semester goes by really in just a blink of the eye. Students often start off the Fall thinking that they have a "whole year", only to quickly realize that we'd have 5 weeks left when we return from Spring break. When it comes to designing for social impact, a 13-week semester is definitely enough for scraping the surface of the problem and creating a semi-convincing final solution or intervention that is at least presentable, but that's not even remotely close to the real practice and implementation of a design. Undoubtedly, still, I get students who see the elongated timeline as extra time for procrastination, only to realize too late that true design implementation is not something they could achieve by pulling an all-nighter, or talking their way, eloquently, out of having nothing to show. On the other hand, I also get occasional critiques from those have never understood the realities of actual design implementation that my students' tangible output is not as impressive as what they'd have expected for a two-semester involvement. I do consider myself lucky to have a bonus semester. When you get a student you didn't imagine could come around does a 180, only because you and them have had the time to be immersed in the process together, there's no shortcut. When it comes to experiential learning, it is often about intangible, internalized processes and an inherent grasp of a certain mindset. Every second you put in is an investment toward the craft. It takes time and can't be forced, not even with theoretical innovation or discursiveness design. #upperwestside #quicksketch #drawnthere #sketchbookpage #pensketch #drawing #micronart #linesketch #instaart #quickdrawing #asketchaday #sketch #sketchbook #sketches #sketching #upperwestsidenyc #uws #uwsartist #nyc #manhattan #sketchonlocation #sketchonthego #pendrawing #upperwestsideliving #newyorkcity #newyorkbuildings

Don't you want to curl up with a book by the fireplace on a dreary day like this? 🌧️ Tucked between a giant Staples and other flashy stores on the bustling Broadway, you could easily have rushed past Westsider Books between West 80th and 81st. If you had the time to stop, to look up from your phone, however, your eyes are met with books that lined the walls and bookshelves that touched the ceiling. The floors creak as you find yourself going deeper into a bookshop that would have looked almost exactly the same some decades ago. There are step stools and ladders for you to dig into the shelves via the sometimes printed, sometimes handwritten alphabets on cardboard pieces of different sizes, shapes and floors. You'd be better off asking a staff member if it's something specific. With an inventory of 40,000 books in a prime Manhattan retail location, the overflowing of books on the floor, stacked on one side of the stairs, and even scattered in top of the towering bookshelves is just part of the aesthetics. Opened on the Upper West Side in 1984, the small rare and used bookstore almost closed for good in 2019. Following a sad announcement, loyal customers and followers flocked overnight to a GoFundMe campaign that kept the store going, at least for now. We could blame Amazon or other online retailers all we want, but how many of us are still able to "find time", slow down, and spend an afternoon in a store among physical books and old dusty smell? Truth be told, this was the first time for me to step foot in this magical place even if I've passed by every day. #upperwestside @westsiderbooks #quicksketch #drawnthere #sketchbookpage #pensketch #drawing #micronart #linesketch #instaart #quickdrawing #asketchaday #sketch #sketchbook #sketches #sketching #upperwestsidenyc #uws #uwsartist #nyc #manhattan #sketchonlocation #sketchonthego #pendrawing #upperwestsideliving #newyorkcity #citylife #bookstore #westsiderbooks

Architect-developer Clarence True did not hold back when he likened his transformation of Manhattan's westernmost thoroughfare to a sort of savior "[who covered the river front] with beautiful dwellings, insured a most promising future for the Drive" in his 1899 book titled "A True History of Riverside Drive", pun presumably (hopefully) intended. At the turn of the century, the Upper West Side, supplemented with the new Ninth Ave (Columbus Avenue today) and Riverside Park development, offered a fresh playground for architects and developers who felt a call to public duty to cherry pick from a myriad of popular architectural styles, features, materials, and languages to create a new kind of "enjoyable home-life" that would be more than "passably endurable". True, being an integral part of the movement, saw the approach as both a critique and response to the monotonous, lookalike row houses on the Upper East Side. Between 1890 and 1901, True built about 270 houses on the Upper West Side. Emboldened by his fame and success, True attempted to challenge the law with his design of undulating façades offered sweeping views of Riverside Park for the group of row houses at 102 to 107-109 Riverside Dr in the sketch. It was not the protest from the DoB that stopped True, but a neighbor's lawsuit against him for view obstruction which devalued her property. As such, the homeowners had to hire new architects to trim the protruding façades. Today, the only trace remaining is the partial curved bay window that wraps around the corner of West 83 and Riverside Drive. Granted, the foresight that individual homeowners would want to distinguish themselves from each other with unique designs gave the neighborhood a defining aesthetics where no brownstone or street is quite the same as the next. The diverse mix of styles was indeed something I noticed as soon as I began sketching around the neighborhood. I joked that the neighbors couldn't agree on one shape, color, or style, so "why not both/all". I am, however, extremely thankful that the owners of these townhouses had refused to sell when many got demolished to make way for larger buildings. #upperwestside

A great example of neo-Georgian and Beaux-Arts architecture aside, I want to tell the story of the woman after whom this beautiful mansion on West 89th and Riverside was first named. When Isaac L. Rice purchased a lot in 1899 on Riverside Dr, the "Fifth Ave" of the Upper West Side supplemented with the majestic views of the Hudson River and rolling palisades, he promised "one of the city's finest mansions". The clause stated that his new build must “be a high class private dwelling house, not less than four stories, and designed for the use of one family only.” Built by theater designers Herts & Tallant, Villa Julia, named after Rice's wife, did not disappoint. The incessant whistling and horns from the Hudson, however, were huge nuisance to Julia B. Rice. With a medical degree from Women's Medical College of the NY Infirmary and connections in the field, Julia collected hundreds of signature from residents and hospitals to rally against the noise from the river that "shattered nerves". After winning her battle against "unnecessary tooting", which became unlawful in 1906, she took her crusade against noise further by advocating for less noise around hospitals, for the loud sound of commerce "drove patients insane". Today we must thank Julia Rice for the quiet zones around hospitals. Apparently Mark Twain was a supporter. Today, the Isaac L. Rice Mansion is one of two surviving freestanding mansions on Riverside Dr. For the architecture, my favorite part is the marble bas relief, thankfully remained, that depicts the Rice's 6 children, raised by a mom who relentlessly campaigned against noise pollutionas early as at the turn of the 20th century - was she a little much? Could be, but I may be a fan now. #upperwestside #quicksketch #drawnthere #sketchbookpage #pensketch #drawing #micronart #linesketch #instaart #quickdrawing #asketchaday #sketch #sketchbook #sketches #sketching #upperwestsidenyc #uws #uwsartist #nyc #manhattan #sketchonlocation #sketchonthego #pendrawing #upperwestsideliving #newyorkcity #citylife #newyorkbuildings #newyorkarchitecture #riversideparknyc @riversideparknyc #nyclandmark @nyc.landmarks

Have you been able to check out the polar bears @polarbearfest on the Great Lawn in Central Park? What a creative initiate to raise awareness on climate issues. Within a day, 80% of the snow blanketing the city overnight is gone. Part of me wants spring, especially when you begin see the first of the refreshing pink cherry and plum blossoms rushing to bloom. A larger part of me, however, wishes that we'd get just one more snow day before winter is over. Everything blooms in it's own time. I have a student who is a freshman. At times, they are so mature beyond their age, thanks to their upbringing and gap years abroad. Yet often you look at them and wished they would just stop regurgitating the same "correct" answers they assume you want to hear, or they would stop parroting a tone that probably resembles the style of conversations around the dinner table at home. They've been stressed because they don't know how to be successful in the class, and repeatedly tried to redirect the focus onto the professor by making it like they are concerned about helping my course succeed instead. Arrogant much? More like insecurity and inexperience. My course is more than fine, thank you. I see that a lot, especially in the brilliant, young students in my environment. They can't wait to grow up and be viewed as someone mature, to be taken seriously, yet they aren't even allowing themselves time to grow and experience life with an open mind. So many timelines and plans and there's no budging. Yet some things you just can't rush. You try to do it all but you're not really in any of them. And when you tell them this they think you're inefficient and wasting time. If I'm lucky, they will come back to me in a few years and tell me that they're finally getting it. I'm lucky because some do get it. #upperwestside @centralparknyc #quicksketch #drawnthere #sketchbookpage #pensketch #drawing #micronart #linesketch #instaart #quickdrawing #asketchaday #sketch #sketchbook #sketchbookdrawing #pensketch #upperwestsidenyc #uws #uwsartist #nyc #manhattan #pendrawing #upperwestsideliving #newyorkcity #citylife #centralparkmoments #centralpark #snowinnyc #nycartist #smallsketch

I like this lingering remnants of snow. No longer snowcapped, the city is now contoured by clusters and bits of irregular white shapes in a way that you normally do not pay attention to. Snow that got plowed and moved out of the way to ensure the normal functioning of the everyday. The top of scaffolding platforms where you never look at, the grassy parts of the park where you do not walk, or over canopies of stores that are just there. There, melt at your own pace. It could be a week, or it could be a month. Doesn't matter because we just keep going. I like this lingering remnants of snow because it is ugly and beautiful, and it is just there for as long as it needs to take. Do we trust this impending snow forecast for tonight? #upperwestside @riversideparknyc #quicksketch #drawnthere #sketchbookpage #pensketch #drawing #micronart #linesketch #instaart #quickdrawing #asketchaday #sketch #sketchbook #sketchbookdrawing #upperwestsidenyc #uws #uwsartist #nyc #manhattan #sketchonlocation #sketchonthego #pendrawing #upperwestsideliving #newyorkcity #citylife #riversideparknyc #newyorkcityartist

Some ephemeral snow days must be given a memory, a walkie, and a sketch. It's only been a day, and most of the snow is already gone. Give it another day and it will be as if we never had the one snow day between the very spring-like weekend and this wintry, sunny day. We like to have plans, and things planned for, but many occurrences in life just can't be planned. As much as we have faith in weather forecast, we were quite skeptical about the predicted snow day, the promised however many inches of snow, and no idea that it'd come with a sunny afternoon that highlighted the frosty blossoms we typically overlooked. Then it happened when we least expected it. What I teach in "design" isn't about how to draw, the steps and methodologies, or ways to tackle societal problems. It's always about the internalizing of a design mindset that not only prepares you to expect the unexpected, but to be excited for the unexpected. A brilliant graduating senior whom I've known since the summer before her sophomore year recently won a prestigious fellowship. When asked about her future plans, law school came up, like in all the conversations we've had over the years, but only briefly in a way that you're supposed to give the standard answer "I'm good" to the question "how are you". What she'll do, she told me, is to keep her options very open, "because you never know". She'll be spending at least a year halfway across the world, why limit herself to the US, to law school? Everyone says life happens when you least expect it, yet everyone also wants to plan ahead and know all the answers before the questions are asked. We even advise each other to do that. Why not just enjoy the snow day and the inevitable slush when it happens? We love to contradict ourselves, but hey, it's not like we get this everyday anyway. #upperwestside #happyvalentinesday @riversideparknyc @bootbootbloop #quicksketch #drawnthere #sketchbookpage #pensketch #drawing #micronart #linesketch #instaart #quickdrawing #asketchaday #sketch #sketchbook #sketchbookdrawing #pensketch #upperwestsidenyc #uws #uwsartist #nyc #instaart #instaartist #instasketching #riversideparknyc #snowinnyc #snowday

Day 30 of 30 #sketchmyneighborhood: And that's a red packet! 🧧 When I started my 30-day sketch challenge, it was pure spontaneity. I did not realize that the last day would fall on the first day of the lunar New Year. Talk about serendipity and magic. Being on the Upper West Side, I didn't expect big festivities. What I didn't expect was the almost complete lack of acknowledgement for a holiday that is easily the most important one for many Asian cultures. Valentine's and Super Bowl, yes, but no dragon, no lanterns, no Fai Chun - not that I'd expect them to be everywhere. This isn't Chinatown, but I thought Asian restaurants and shops would make a little effort. It's a joyous holiday after all, and gives people something to celebrate. One Asian person got that Boot was a red packet and thought it was fun. Another non-Asian lady asked if he was trying to look like some Chinese food and looked really confused when I explained. Quite a few Asians were inconspicuously wearing some red. Many of those glanced over at us, also in red, and smiled. Red is good and it'll be a good year. I discussed something only sort of related last week in class with my students who are addressing intergenerational trauma among East Asians, between Gen-X and Boomer parents, many were immigrants to this country, and Gen-Z children with little to no connection to the parents' culture and even language. Some intentionally keep their children from their own mother tongues so that they could just be "Americans". And what about traditions? How much do you want to keep and pass on, and how much would you rather not, because we should move on from the past? I don't know either. So, with Boot, we did the New Year walk-around for luck and to spread joy. Even if people didn't get the red packet reference, most people are happy to see a cute dog strolling in the neighborhood. And that's a wrap! #upperwestside #quicksketch #drawnthere #sketchbookpage #pensketch #drawing #micronart #linesketch #instaart #quickdrawing #asketchaday #sketch #sketchbook #sketches #sketching #upperwestsidenyc #uws #uwsartist #nyc #instaart #instaartist #instasketching #dogsketch #quickdrawing #asketchaday

Day 29 of 30 #sketchmyneighborhood: @barneygreengrassnyc supposedly received the "Sturgeon King" title from NY State senator James Frawley in 1938, and a year later, it shipped 10 pounds of smoked sturgeon to the-US President Franklin D. Roosevelt for Thanksgiving. Anthony Bourdain proclaimed it "the best breakfast in the world!" Founded in Harlem in 1908 and moved to it's current location on Amsterdam Avenue in 1929, Barney Greengrass is one of the eateries that you'll always find on, if not topping, the lists of oldest restaurants on the Upper West Side. Today, it is a third-generation family run business. In Manhattan, there's no lack of high quality lox and smoked fish, thanks to immigrants especially from Eastern Europe. On any day you pass by the store, you're likely to see a line. While I haven't yet had a sit down breakfast there, I've treated myself to the silky nova at my neighbors' recommendations. Pricier than some other options you can get in the neighborhood or downtown, but so good. They say you can taste the older flavors of Upper West Side. Note: lox is not smoked salmon. #upperwestside #quicksketch #drawnthere #sketchbookpage #pensketch #drawing #micronart #linesketch #instaart #quickdrawing #asketchaday #sketch #sketchbook #sketchbookdrawing #pensketch #upperwestsidenyc #uws #uwsartist #nyc #manhattan #pendrawing #upperwestsideliving #newyorkcity #nyc #sturgeonking #barneygreengrass #nyceats #nyceatery #nycfood #smokedfish

Day 28 of 30 #sketchmyneighborhood: Quoting some locals, NYT described West End Avenue "the stepchild of the Upper West Side", in an article in 2013. It's less picturesque than Riverside, less bustling than Broadway, and less grand and fancy than Central Park West, but its calmness and stability is what makes it charming. Especially in the evening, I like to stroll along West End for the peace and quiet - not as quiet as Riverside, but not so rowdy as Broadway. With the efforts to preserve its architecture through historic and landmark statuses, West End Avenue boasts the longest stretch of pre-war architecture in Manhattan. Big Beaux-Arts co-ops are interspersed with brownstone, churches, and synagogue, the newest from the very beginning of the 20th century. There are only a handful of buildings built within the last 50 years. I really don't even like new things. I like things with stories and a past. I like that we have the invitation to extend the history and become a part of it, rather than erasing everything and starting from scratch. There's something about western/entrepreneurial cultures that believes in the creation of something from nothing, the idea of a sole founder or creator as if nothing came before this or that they even got inspired by anything other than their own iconoclastic brains. You always want to be the genius who didn't just improve on something. But I digress. I'm glad there are efforts and organizations to preserve this street and the neighborhood. It's sad when people only want to bulldoze the past and replace with shiny new objects. Buildings, furniture, things. So many embedded stories, potential, and histories that somehow end up in landfills, and yet we continue to produce and buy. #upperwestside #westendpreservationsociety #quicksketch #drawnthere #sketchbookpage #pensketch #drawing #micronart #linesketch #instaart #quickdrawing #asketchaday #sketch #sketchbook #sketches #sketching #upperwestsidenyc #uws #uwsartist #nyc #manhattan #pendrawing #upperwestsideliving #newyorkcity #citylife #newyorkbuildings #newyorkarchitecture #riversideparknyc #westendavenue

Day 27 of 30 #sketchmyneighborhood: How do you feel about these "streeteries"? Outdoor dining exploded during the summer after Covid, when the city had to shut down a lot of restaurants. Many credit these "sidewalk" cafés and "roadside" dining for saving livelihoods and jobs; however, many have criticized the lack of legal enforcement and application and inspection processes, causing chaos, irregularities, and annoyance. In August 2023, the City Council voted to have outdoor dining become a permanent aspect of New York City's dining culture, except for road sheds in the winter when they have to be removed. It is winter and it is cold. Nobody wants to sit outside even with heaters, and these structures collect rain and snow and go into desrepair. I love these dining sheds. They offer the option to enjoy your food while people watch. You're outside and inside at the same time. I also acknowledge that I have the luxury to say so simply because I live a block or two away from the majority of these restaurants in my neighborhood, so the drunks, noise, and lack of sidewalk clearance were never a problem for me personally. The roadside sheds also take up lanes on the thoroughfare, which, in a way, limits traffic. Being a non-driver on most days, this is something I'm not complaining about. #upperwestside #quicksketch #drawnthere #sketchbookpage #pensketch #drawing #micronart #linesketch #instaart #quickdrawing #asketchaday #sketch #sketchbook #sketchbookdrawing #upperwestsidenyc #uws #uwsartist #nyc #manhattan #sketchonlocation #sketchonthego #pendrawing #upperwestsideliving #newyorkcity #citylife #newyorkbuildings #newyorkarchitecture #outdoordining #outdoordiningnyc

Day 26 of 30 #sketchmyneighborhood: Give me your cross streets. The grid system of streets and avenues makes New York one of the most walkable cities in the world, and major reason why I chose to live here. The existing system comes from the Commissioner's Plan of 1811, with the goal of uniting "regularity and order with public convenience". Rotated at 29°, streets run East-West, and avenues North-South. 5th Avenue sits right in between East Side and West Side. The avenues, like the streets, are numbered in the larger part of Manhattan. However, starting at the southern border of Central Park (59th Street) and where Upper West Side begins, the avenues became names like Riverside, West End, Amsterdam, Columbus, Central Park West. At 110th Street, where Harlem begins, the avenues take on the names of significant African-American leaders. Pictured/sketched here is the special Broadway, which was called Wicksquasgeck by Native American. Unlike the avenues and streets, Broadway runs diagonally due to its pre-colonial history of being a trail before becoming a thoroughfare. It runs 13 miles in NYC from Lower Manhattan to the Bronx. When Broadway intersects both a street and an avenue in NYC, you're likely to find a green space like Madison Square and Union Square. For an undistracted person with an average walking speed, it's about 1 minute to get through a block. Because of the funny positioning of Broadway, an Upper West Sider would tell you how it feels much more of a hike to go from Broadway to Columbus in the high 70s and low 80s than in the low 70s. Hope you enjoyed the little bit of history and information. If you ever, somehow, find yourself lost in the city, look to an intersection to reorient yourself. #upperwestside #quicksketch #drawnthere #sketchbookpage #pensketch #drawing #micronart #linesketch #instaart #quickdrawing #asketchaday #sketch #sketchbook #sketchbookdrawing #upperwestsidenyc #uws #uwsartist #nyc #manhattan #sketchonlocation #sketchonthego #pendrawing #upperwestsideliving #newyorkcity #citylife #newyorkbuildings #newyorkarchitecture #broadway #broadwaynyc

Day 25 of 30 #sketchmyneighborhood: Is the reverse-reverse commute too much? As New Yorkers would tell you, there's no real "reverse commute", as people are commuting from everywhere to everywhere at all times. The real reverse commute would be to leave the city. Here along Riverside Park is where you see New Jersey, just separated from New York by the Hudson. People would tell you that housing prices are (slightly) cheaper, you get more space, and since you're only 15 minute from Manhattan, you're basically in the city. It's pretty nice, and you get the best view of Manhattan. Lots of people do that everyday, professionally, socially. Well, "basically" in the city just isn't "in the city", and when this city girl said she was to live in the city, that's literally no half-assing it. You're either in New Jersey, or you're in New York, just like there are no cusps in astrology. My work commute is 2 hours each way, door to door, via NJ Transit. In a couple of months, I'd have been doing this for 2 years straight. No regrets. I'd pick this view over the "better" one from the other side in a heartbeat. Authenticity. How's that for some real reverse commute? #upperwestside #quicksketch #drawnthere #sketchbookpage #pensketch #drawing #micronart #sketchchallenge #upperwestsidenyc #uws #uwsartist #nyc #instaart #instaartist #instasketching @riversideparknyc #riversideparknyc #hudsonriver #jerseycity #sketchbookdrawing #sketchonlocation #sketchonthego #newyorkcity #nyc #manhattan #pendrawing #upperwestsideliving #citylife

Day 24 of 30 #sketchmyneighborhood: I like being closer to Riverside than Central Park. You're not just next to the park, you're next to the river, with New Jersey on the other side. My favorite stretch of Riverside Drive has to be where it begins to curve, so you have buildings hugging one side of the meandering road, and trees and the park lining the other side. What was called Riverside Avenue then was made up of “deep valleys, marshy wastes and high, precipitous rocks” (NYT). The original plan was for the thoroughfare to run in a straight line, but was too much of a technological bother at the moment - a blessing in disguise. At the turn of the 20th century, with the hopes of overtaking Fifth Avenue, Riverside Drive saw the boom of Beaux-Arts mansions that would make up the new "millionaire's colony". Thankfully it never did, or I would not be living here now. You can't find a single shop on this road. It's just you, pre-war architecture and the park. #upperwestside #quicksketch #drawnthere #sketchbookpage #pensketch #drawing #micronart #linesketch #instaart #quickdrawing #asketchaday #sketch #sketchbook #sketches #sketching #upperwestsidenyc #uws #uwsartist #nyc #manhattan #sketchonlocation #sketchonthego #pendrawing #upperwestsideliving #newyorkcity #citylife #newyorkbuildings #newyorkarchitecture #riversideparknyc @riversideparknyc

Day 23 of 30 #sketchmyneighborhood: With every one of the eight new cities spanning four countries I've moved to in the last 17.5 years, it was almost always inevitable that my first home would be some unimpressive but at least tolerable situation where my goal was to settle first. It was better than just a roof above my head and a door that locked, but it'd be a sixth-floor walk-up via a spiral staircase, a bathroom where the toilet will get wet every time you shower, or a room above the kitchen of a fried chicken shop that seasoned the entirety of my belongings. No wonder I moved 20 times in 17.5 years. It was a rushed decision to move to New York. It was like I woke up one day, couldn't stand living where I had been, and had to get the hell out. The rental market is brutal. A viewing and an application have to be done within 30 minutes of each other. Take longer than that and sorry, good luck. This must have been number 18/19 of the 20 viewings I had scheduled, and I never made it to the ones after. This, too, wasn't perfect. Landlords don't care, we all know. But this little West 75 studio was a good enough NYC first home. It was funny because no one actually visited my place until I was literally moving out. Too many stairs, with a buzzer that was purely decorative. #upperwestside #quicksketch #drawnthere #sketchbookpage #pensketch #drawing #micronart #linesketch #instaart #quickdrawing #asketchaday #sketch #sketchbook #sketchbookdrawing #pensketch #upperwestsidenyc #uws #uwsartist #nyc #manhattan #pendrawing #upperwestsideliving #newyorkcity #citylife #newyorkbuildings #newyorkarchitecture #newyorkstories

Day 22 of 30 #sketchmyneighborhood: Awww, aren't you just so cuuuute 💕 This stretch of West 82 shortly past Amsterdam never disappoints. From Halloween to Christmas to Valentine's, this little brownstone manages to stay adorable. Look to your right if you're there and you'll see that they even decorated the planter a little further away. Thank you for making us happy. #upperwestside #quicksketch #drawnthere #sketchbookpage #pensketch #drawing #micronart #sketchchallenge #brownstone #upperwestsidenyc #uws #uwsartist #nyc #manhattan #sketchonlocation #sketchonthego #pendrawing #upperwestsideliving #newyorkcity #citylife #newyorkbuildings #newyorkarchitecture #sketchbookdrawing #pensketch #drawing #neighbors

Day 21 of 30 #sketchmyneighborhood: Do a little crop and maybe you could transport yourself to a Parisian café for a moment all the way from West 85 @frenchroastnyc . Enjoy the croque madame and people watching from the patio, you might find yourself missing l'impolitesse des Parisiens 😜 #upperwestside #quicksketch #drawnthere #sketchbookpage #pensketch #drawing #micronart #linesketch #instaart #quickdrawing #asketchaday #sketch #sketchbook #sketchbookdrawing #upperwestsidenyc #uws #uwsartist #nyc #manhattan #pendrawing #upperwestsideliving #newyorkcity #citylife #newyorkbuildings #newyorkarchitecture @micronart @moleskine @moleskine_arts #sketchbookdrawing #upperbestside

Day 20 of 30 #sketchmyneighborhood: I've only just noticed how these two trees canopy West 85 between West End and Riverside. Very impressive. Also, I exaggerate because I'm the artist. Don't you just love these charming and quiet side streets? #upperwestside #quicksketch #drawnthere #sketchbookpage #pensketch #drawing #micronart #linesketch #instaart #quickdrawing #asketchaday #sketch #sketchbook #sketches #sketching #upperwestsidenyc #uws #uwsartist #nyc #manhattan #sketchonlocation #sketchonthego #pendrawing #upperwestsideliving #newyorkcity #citylife #newyorkbuildings #newyorkarchitecture #riversideparknyc @riversideparknyc

Day 19 of 30 #sketchmyneighborhood: A 100% accurate portrayal of me wedged between two normal-size humans on the 8.45 am 2/3 trains. #upperwestside #quicksketch #drawnthere #sketchbookpage #pensketch #drawing #micronart #linesketch #instaart #quickdrawing #asketchaday #sketch #sketchbook #sketches #sketching #upperwestsidenyc #uws #uwsartist #nyc #manhattan #sketchonlocation #sketchonthego #pendrawing #upperwestsideliving #newyorkcity #citylife #newyorkbuildings #newyorkarchitecture @micronart @moleskine @moleskine_arts #westendavenue

Day 18 of 30 #sketchmyneighborhood: I don't blame our neighbors on West 93 for not being able to come to a concensus on the one shape, color, and size, so why don't we include all of them. It's diversity, after all. #upperwestside #quicksketch #drawnthere #sketchbookpage #pensketch #drawing #micronart #linesketch #instaart #quickdrawing #asketchaday #sketch #sketchbook #sketches #sketching #upperwestsidenyc #uws #uwsartist #nyc #manhattan #pendrawing #upperwestsideliving #newyorkcity #citylife #newyorkbuildings #newyorkarchitecture @micronart @moleskine @moleskine_arts @fabercastellglobal #sketchbookdrawing

Day 16 of 30 #sketchmyneighborhood: Is your fruit guy better than mine? This is one of my go-to's right outside the West 86th subway station. The sidewalk is wider, and they take venmo. Fruit vendors are tough. They're here 24 hours, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Be it sweltering weather or freezing snow, you know you could always get your bananas, even when you can't get milk from the store. When you're roaming the NYC streets in the middle of the night, you feel safer thinking that the fruit guy is just a few steps away, and they really don't take naps like doormen sometimes (ahem) do. Just crossed the halfway point in this self-imposed challenge of inundating your feed with sketches of my pretty neighborhood. You'll get me for at least 2 more weeks. You're welcome. #upperwestside #quicksketch #drawnthere #sketchbookpage #pensketch #drawing #micronart #linesketch #instaart #quickdrawing #asketchaday #sketch #sketchbook #sketches #sketching #upperwestsidenyc #uws #uwsartist #nyc #manhattan #sketchonthego #pendrawing #upperwestsideliving #newyorkcity #citylife #newyorkbuildings #newyorkarchitecture #fruitguy #fruitvendor

Day 15 of 30 #sketchmyneighborhood: Can you imagine when West 84th, from Riverside to Broadway, was a rural farmland, with swarms of "ebony birds" circling above, that inspired Edgar Allan Poe to write The Raven in 1844? Even back then, Poe moved to the UWS from Washington Square to escape high rents. @edgarscafe closed its 84th street location more than 10 years ago, but the uptown location remains. I learned that a flock of ravens is called an unkindness. Nevermore? #upperwestside #quicksketch #drawnthere #sketchbookpage #pensketch #drawing #micronart #linesketch #instaart #quickdrawing #asketchaday #sketch #sketchbook #sketches #sketching #upperwestsidenyc #uws #uwsartist #nyc #manhattan #instaartist #instasketching #edgarscafe #uwsarchitecture #nycstreets #streetscape

Day 14 of 30 #sketchmyneighborhood: @poppie_toys Poppie Pop Up on West 83rd and Broadway was the perfect example of how neighbors in my local Buy Nothing came together. From the faux fireplace to the wallpaper to the light fixtures, donations and help from the neighbors helped turn a vacant Bank of America ATM into a cute store for high quality, ethically-sourced kids' toys and furniture. I'm keeping the scaffolding because it's here whether you want it or not, but you can learn to live with it. #upperwestside #quicksketch #drawnthere #sketchbookpage #pensketch #drawing #micronart #linesketch #instaart #quickdrawing #asketchaday #sketch #sketchbook #nycsketch #nycstreets #upperwestsidenyc #uws #uwsartist #nyc #manhattan #pendrawing #nycstreetscenes #popupstore #storefront #citylife #newyorkbuildings #newyorkarchitecture

Day 13 of 30 #sketchmyneighborhood: Even if these iconic fire escapes were born out of cheap and easy solutions (that aren't actually effective) to skirt the rapidly changing codes and regulations at the time, many see the chunky rusty metal accessories as certain flawed beauty quintessential to NYC's cultural and historic identity. #upperwestside #quicksketch #drawnthere #sketchbookpage #pensketch #drawing #micronart #linesketch #instaart #quickdrawing #asketchaday #sketch #sketchbook #sketchbookdrawing #upperwestsidenyc #uws #uwsartist #nyc #manhattan #pendrawing #upperwestsideliving #newyorkcity #citylife #newyorkbuildings #newyorkarchitecture #newyorkcitylife #uwsnyc

Bob’s Your Art Show is coming up Sat February 3rd. We’re opening early 12-2 pm so you can grab a drink 🥃 and support local artists 🎨 @ashleysartmanhattan @meralfeltman @jimmyjuice106 . . . . . . . #bobsyouruncleny #localbar #uwsbars #neighborhoodbar #morningsideheights #ilovetheupperwestside #ilovetheuws #columbiauniversity #nycbars #uwsbar #thingstodoinnyc #nycevents #nycfree #paintandsip #drinkanddraw #UWSartist #upperwestsideart #artshownyc #thingstodoinnyc

Day 12 of 30 #sketchmyneighborhood: When you get to this part of West 85th, you are confronted with this building that is slightly taller and strange looking compared to its neighbors. It broke what used to be an ABAB configuration, designed by architect and developer John G. Prague in 1890, where a pair of buildings would share a split stoop. Upon changing hands a couple of times, the residential unit was drastically converted into a four-story funeral chapel, which included an elevator, in 1933. This became the Midtown Memorial Chapel, which combined neo-Gothic ans Renaissance Revival. Popular among Jewish families and the entertainment industry, the building oversaw many prominent funerals. It is now the home of Dorot, a community group that honors the elderly members of the neighborhood. #upperwestside #quicksketch #drawnthere #sketchbookpage #pensketch #drawing #micronart #linesketch #instaart #quickdrawing #asketchaday #sketch #upperwestsidenyc #uws #uwsartist #nyc #manhattan #pendrawing #upperwestsideliving #newyorkcity #citylife #newyorkbuildings #newyorkarchitecture #riversideparknyc #centralpark

Day 11 of 30 #sketchmyneighborhood: If you asked the NYC Department of Health, a "bodega" is a <300 sq ft store selling meat, milk, and eggs and is not a specialty store (i.e. bakery). It also cannot have more than two registers. If you asked a New Yorker, they'd tell you "it's not a bodega if there isn't a cat." What's your favorite bodega food? #upperwestside #quicksketch #drawnthere #sketchbookpage #pensketch #drawing #micronart #linesketch #instaart #quickdrawing #asketchaday #sketch #sketchbook #sketchbookdrawing #pensketch #upperwestsidenyc #uws #uwsartist #nyc #manhattan #pendrawing #upperwestsideliving #newyorkcity #citylife #newyorkbuildings #instaart #instaartist #instasketching #bodega

Day 10 of 30 #sketchmyneighborhood: You know who's been home and who hasn't 🤭 #upperwestside #quicksketch #drawnthere #sketchbookpage #pensketch #drawing #micronart #linesketch #instaart #quickdrawing #asketchaday #sketch #sketchbook #sketches #sketching #upperwestsidenyc #uws #uwsartist #nyc #manhattan #pendrawing #upperwestsideliving #newyorkcity #citylife #newyorkbuildings #newyorkarchitecture #streetscape

Day 9 of 30 #sketchmyneighborhood: When I was still living in central Jersey, I came to Riverside Park after spending a night in the city before heading back. That was almost exactly 2 years ago - it was also close to Chinese New Year then. (I'll prove it to you via @bootbootbloop that I didn't make this up hehe.) Maybe it was the cold, sunny weather, or it was strolling along the big but quiet city park parallel to the water, but I remember going home deciding there and then that I'd move to the city and specifically the Upper West Side. People like to ask me what I'm doing in NYC, as in what my job is. I tell them that "I live here", because technically that's really all I'm doing in NYC, plus the frequent 2-hour reverse-reverse commute to my work outside of the city. #upperwestside #quicksketch #drawnthere #sketchbookpage #pensketch #drawing #micronart #linesketch #instaart #quickdrawing #asketchaday #sketch #sketchbook #sketches #sketching #upperwestsidenyc #uws #uwsartist #nyc #manhattan #pendrawing #upperwestsideliving #newyorkcity #citylife #newyorkbuildings #newyorkarchitecture #riversideparknyc @riversideparknyc #winterinnewyork #streetscape

Day 8 of 30 #sketchmyneighborhood: A very snowy park, by x-number-of-days-without-snow NYC standards, and a puffy doggy, who does not understand that snow is just another precipitation form of the rain he detests. 🌨 #upperwestside #quicksketch #drawnthere #sketchbookpage #pensketch #drawing #micronart #linesketch #instaart #quickdrawing #asketchaday #sketch #sketchbook #sketches #sketching #upperwestsidenyc #uws #uwsartist #nyc #manhattan #pendrawing #upperwestsideliving #newyorkcity #citylife #newyorkbuildings #newyorkarchitecture #riversideparknyc @riversideparknyc

Day 7 of 30 #sketchmyneighborhood: When you think they might be siblings but you are not sure because they look similar but nothing alike at the same time. #quicksketch #drawnthere #sketchbookpage #pensketch #drawing #micronart #linesketch #instaart #quickdrawing #asketchaday #sketch #sketchbook #sketches #uwsartist #nyc #manhattan #upperwestside #upperwestsidenyc #uws #streetscape #upperwestsideliving #newyorkcity #citylife #newyorkbuildings #newyorkarchitecture @micronart @moleskine @moleskine_arts #sketchbookdrawing #upperbestside

Day 6 of 30 #sketchmyneighborhood: Snowy, to slushy, to icy. #quicksketch #drawnthere #sketchbookpage #pensketch #drawing #micronart #linesketch #instaart #quickdrawing #asketchaday #sketch #sketchbook #sketches #uwsartist #nyc #manhattan #upperwestside #upperwestsidenyc #uws #snowday #snowinnyc #snowfall #winterinnewyork #streetscape #upperwestsideliving

Day 5 of 30 #sketchmyneighborhood: Just how much did you enjoy waking up to the layer of freshly whipped fluff this morning? ❄ #quicksketch #drawnthere #sketchbookpage #pensketch #drawing #micronart #linesketch #instaart #quickdrawing #asketchaday #sketch #sketchbook #sketches #sketching #snowinnyc #snowfall #winterinnewyork #streetscape #upperwestside #upperwestsidenyc #uws #uwsartist #nyc #manhattan #pendrawing #upperwestsideliving #newyorkcity #citylife #newyorkarchitecture

Day 4 of 30 #sketchmyneighborhood: Do you appreciate a tucked in entrance like this, or do you find it imposing? #quicksketch #drawnthere #sketchbookpage #pensketch #drawing #micronart #linesketch #instaart #quickdrawing #asketchaday #sketch #sketchbook #sketches #sketching #nycsketch #nycstreets #upperwestside #upperwestsidenyc #uws #uwsartist #nyc #manhattan #sketchonlocation #sketchonthego #pendrawing #upperwestsideliving #newyorkcity #citylife #newyorkbuildings

Day 3 of 30 #sketchmyneighborhood: Tell me about your infatuation with @zabars, or you've never been to the Upper West Side 🗽 #quicksketch #drawnthere #sketchbookpage #pensketch #drawing #micronart #linesketch #instaart #quickdrawing #asketchaday #sketch #sketchbook #sketches #sketching #upperwestside #upperwestsidenyc #uws #uwsartist #nyc #manhattan #sketchonlocation #sketchonthego #pendrawing #upperwestsideliving #newyorkcity #citylife #newyorkbuildings #newyorkarchitecture @micronart @moleskine @moleskine_arts #sketchbookdrawing

Day 2 of 30 #sketchmyneighborhood: If bright pops of color are your thing 🎨 #quicksketch #drawnthere #sketchbookpage #pensketch #drawing #micronart #linesketch #instaart #quickdrawing #asketchaday #sketch #sketchbook #sketches #sketching #nycsketch #upperwestside #upperwestsidenyc #uws #uwsartist #nyc #manhattan #sketchonlocation #sketchonthego #pendrawing #upperwestsideliving #newyorkcity #citylife #newyorkbuildings #newyorkarchitecture

Day 1 of 30 #sketchmyneighborhood: With travel season being over, the tiny traveling sketchbook is back at work/staying put to replenish the bank accounts. I'm challenging myself to post a sketch of my beautiful neighborhood a day for at least a month. It could be a building, a street, a corner, or a vibe that catches my pen. Follow along to see what I see and how I see 🙂 Can you recognize the intersection? #quicksketch #drawnthere #sketchbookpage #pensketch #drawing #micronart #linesketch #instaart #quickdrawing #asketchaday #sketch #sketchbook #sketches #sketching #upperwestside #upperwestsidenyc #uws #uwsartist #uwssketch #nycuws #citylife #citysketch #cityscape #urbansketches #urbansketchersnyc #streetscape

Definitely a neighborhood you grow to love ♥️ #quicksketch #drawnthere #sketchbookpage #pensketch #drawing #micronart #linesketch #instaart #quickdrawing #asketchaday #sketch #sketchbook #sketches #sketching #upperwestside #upperwestsidenyc #uws #uwsartist #nyc #manhattan #sketchonlocation #sketchonthego #pendrawing #upperwestsideliving #newyorkcity #citylife #newyorkbuildings #newyorkarchitecture @micronart @moleskine @moleskine_arts @fabercastellglobal

Hey, 2024 🙂 #quicksketch #drawnthere #sketchbookpage #pensketch #drawing #micronart #linesketch #instaart #quickdrawing #asketchaday #sketch #sketchbook #sketches #sketching #upperwestside #upperwestsidenyc #uws #uwsartist #nyc #manhattan #sketchonlocation #sketchonthego #petdrawing #buildingsketch #newyorkcity #uwsarchitecture