Lorraine

Recent life drawing, at Minerva's Studio.

Louis Valentino Jr. Pump House

This is part of a pump house, located in Bush Terminal Park in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. It's across from this pier and near this abandoned caboose.

My Google-Fu is pretty good, so usually I can draw things and figure out what they are later. Not this time. I know this is the Louis Valentino Jr. Pump House, and is a FDNY facility. But I don't know exactly what it's pumping. I think maybe it's connected to the fire hydrant system, or maybe the sprinkler system of the nearby warehouses? I know from previous sketching that the thing to the left of the large pipe is called a test header. But I don't know what the overall function of the building is.

Louis Valentino Jr. was a firefighter who died in the line of duty in 1996. There are a lot of things in Brooklyn named after him, but Google doesn't turn up any reference to this building. It's a mystery to me.

Jacqueline

I've been able to get back to life drawing sessions the past few weeks. It feels like going back to the gym after a long absence. At least, I imagine that's what it feels like. I've never gone to the gym.

This is Jacqueline. She was very good. I've drawn her at least once before.

LaFarge Brooklyn

The LaFarge Cement plant in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. As it happens, this was the second time I've drawn a LaFarge facility. Last year, I drew this one, located in New Jersey, seen from the shore of Staten Island.

Bush Terminal Caboose

An abandoned caboose at Bush Terminal Park. Bush Terminal was once part of the Industry City complex in Sunset Park, and was a major transfer point for freight, with ships unloading at the Bay Ridge Channel onto rail cars. There is now a park hidden away behind the industrial waterfront. Who knows how long this caboose has stood there? And is it actually still in use somehow? There are wires running from a nearby antenna to it. Maybe it's a secret NSA site or something.