Oak n' Elm

        Before the final burst of spring this is what we still saw; full of pale green now. Three houses down from us, these towers were nearly black in the evening sun. Looking almost as one massive blunt spire they weave together at this angle. They are irresistible when you need something quick to draw. Interrelated negative space from the ground to the sky.
        The farther oak is actually nearly hollow at the base -has been for years. Just waiting for the day it comes down. Me thinks the north one is a surviving elm. At one time they were a major part of the American landscape. Nice to have one around...
        You can look at the Thumbnails page for a close up detail of this drawing.
        We can post an older drawing of this duo in a few days for comparison as well.       

Brick by Stone

        

       

         On a bike ride to the river a couple weeks ago. Trying to be heart healthy here.  Perfect spring day. One of 3 drawings those 3 hrs. These buildings have lots of character; character that they probably get by being owned or occupied by a "character" huh?  Many of these places have been around since before the turn of the last century- 100 plus years. I guess you would have some interesting details if you had been around that long as well...

        Once again done with a Generals flat led pencils, which are basically a carpenter pencil with a softer lead. 

Drawin' on the couch...

Not sure what drawing that is sitting there clipped to the Plexiglas board with the typical clips, the way I use to finish one started in a sketch book. Done in the winter while we were still cooped up in the house. I like the way the General pencil can give a painterly look even though the pencil is very obvious. The wide strokes are about 5/16" to give you some scale. This is a drawing of a little different subject. Good to do something to expand the mind a bit...
      The ol' couch came from the kids quite some time ago.
   

Snow Day

        Even when you are locked up in the house due to the nasty long winter, the sun will eventually squeeze through the clouds long enough for a sketch out the back window on a snowy day. This drawing was done on a day when it was too cold & wet to sit outside. Done with a Generals flat lead pencil of about 5/16 inch wide. 

Stone Cold

        This subject is easy to return to because of its innate interest as well as the fact that it is very close to home. I think I have posted other sketches of the place. It sits at the entrance to the O'Connell Ranch. It has been a long winter, and most people even by the time I did this drawing early in the season, were ready for winter to just stop! But I get lots of motivation from the snow covered world, even in the bitter cold. I hope you are not too sick of winter to enjoy a little more snow on paper anywho...