Yesterday Jeanette and I had some errands to do in Kingston, New York, and we had a little time left over to do a sidewalk painting. It was just above freezing, with dirty snow lingering in clumps and a cold wind blowing off the Hudson River. Not an ideal day for watercoloring.
We picked one of our favorite off-the-beaten-path neighborhoods, called Ponckhockie. It was originally settled by the Dutch, and later by Polish and Irish bricklayers and canal workers. No tourists go there. It's a really friendly neighborhood.
We set up our folding chairs at random on the sidewalk in front of the White Eagle Benevolent Society and started painting the corner of Delaware and Third Avenues, where there is a defunct neighborhood deli.
Jeanette zeroed in on the market in pencil and transparent watercolor, emphasizing the wires, windows, and sign details. I used gouache, and I tried grouping all the shadows to a near-black composed of ultramarine and burnt umber, while the lights were a pale warm white in opaque gouache.
We both had mishaps: My water bottle leaked out its contents in my bag, endangering the camera, and Jeanette dumped water all over her painting. Our fingers were numb with cold and we were about to give up, when all of a sudden.....
The hot chocolate and warm gift of kindness revived us and cheered us for the rest of the morning.
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Previously: Art Department Traffic Cones
Media: Moleskine watercolor notebook
, Schmincke Half Pan Watercolor Pocket Set 
, Winsor & Newton Designer's Gouache
(Jim) Winsor & Newton Watercolor Set
(Jeanette)YouTube video: Watercolor Warriors
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