KC Cali and went for a sketch outing in Saratoga Springs. On the walk through town, KC struck up a conversation with an artist who was selling his work. He suggested we go to Congress Park and sketch the equestrian statue. It is a subject he has been considering doing himself.
We walked to an equestrian statue in Congress Park on the corner of Union and Circular Street. KC decided to sketch inside the park while I used her art stool and sketched this welcome sign.
We had a fun discussion about how I might find her once I finished my sketch. We decided that if I was facing the statue straight on then Twelve o-clock would be straight back from it. Nine o-clock would be straight out from the direction the horse was facing.
I found her at about 11 o-clock as she was sketching the beautiful Saratoga Springs History Museum. I lay down in the grass as she continued to sketch. It was a perfect day and the soft grass felt so nice. A dad was behind us bouncing his baby on his knee as he sat on the park bench.
Just this one outing convinced me that Upstate New York would be a wonderful place to set up a studio. I just have to adjust to the idea of paying up to $7000 in sate taxes after I buy a place. I want to return to Saratoga Springs at some point when it is racing season. At that time this affluent little hamlet becomes incredibly crowded. The race track has to be an exciting sketch opportunity.
When I was married, I once wanted to go to Belmont Park with my former wife. We stood in a long line to get train tickets from NYC to the race track in Long Island, and when we got to the front of the line we found out that there was another line for the race trace. My former wife was furious and started arguing. I got caught up in the fury and took out a wax pencil and wrote Belmont Park in bold letters on the bullet proof glass. I wanted to leave my my then former insisted we stay and get the darn tickets. As we waited, a police officer pulled me out of line and took me back to an interrogation room. I of course took it as a sketch opportunity. My then wife was furious but I quietly sketched the officer asking the questions. They found out that my Belmont Park sign was easily erased and I was let go. We didn’t go to the races that day.