An edge of the Manhattan skyline over an industrious Brooklyn blockade.
The last handful of years I've made sure to aim for the city every couple months to putter around and routinely overdose on art. At the center of these trips is a community of North Carolinian skateboarders who are peppered all across Brooklyn. From this group I usually find a couch to borrow, which is always served with grade A southern hospitality.
The Sketch above was made during a roof party on top of Joseph's art colony, located in the outskirts of Clinton Hill. To honor Memorial Day, there was a consistently heated dice game going on around beers and grilled goodness. The colony takes up a entire factory building in one of the most comfortable and inspiring set-ups I've ever seen in the city. Check out some of Joseph's paintings here, and keep an eye out for the regular BlueTan shows he is involved with, which pop up all around the country.
This was from my first solo trip to the city when I was 19, sketched from a window reflection on the train. After being accepted to Pratt, I was going down to visit the campus and see some old friends. Due to a series of events, I found myself locked out of a friends apartment, where all of my things had been dropped off earlier. Without a plan B, I ended up spending the night in the subway. I discovered that the E train didn't announce each stop (as did all the other homeless subway refugees that evening), which allowed almost an hour of sleep between each full circuit.
At 9:30 am, I made my way over to Pratt where other perspective students and their families eagerly awaited the tour. I don't know for certain, but I expect I was the only one smelling like pickled cigarette butts and old milk.