Raritan Avenue Watercolor Sketch

Raritan Avenue in Highland Park, New Jersey, watercolor
Raritan Avenue in Highland Park, New Jersey, watercolor on paper by Leora Wenger, 2011

Last night I did this sketch of a block of Raritan Avenue in Highland Park, New Jersey. Can anyone who has been to Highland Park guess which block it is (between which street and which street)? I hope to do more – this one has a lot of grays and blues, and I used some yellow straight from the tube which seems to pop. That’s OK for a sketch, but I want to work on more details.

If you have been to Route 27 also known as Raritan Avenue, you will know there are usually tons of cars. I used photos from a few hours before the 2009 Memorial Day Parade, when the street was clear of cars.

11 thoughts on “Raritan Avenue Watercolor Sketch

  • I obviously cannot recognize the location but really like your painting. I don’t think you have ever posted a street scene on your blog before. I hope we’ll see the “end product”.

    • I’ve already started another Raritan Avenue painting. I don’t know if I would call it an “end product” – each one is a work in progress. I had planned to do several radish kale paintings, for example, but then I decided to leave that subject and go to Highland Park streetscapes.

    • My other guess is that it’s the north side of the same block, but near Jerusalem Pizza and Mei Garden. But overall, my gut says it’s on the south side of the street, because of the “house-y” look to many of the buidings.

  • These are absolutely gorgeous! You have such a recognizable style. That’s something that can’t be taught. Really lovely.
    I could see these going over well as greeting cards and small prints at The Moongate Shop…

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