Dry shade

 
Great protection for the rain we have not been getting. These umbrellas stand out more now than in the heat of summer.  The "Pooch Plunge" is over and the municipal pool is drained, but the umbrellas have not yet been retired for the winter. The shape of an umbrella is interesting; it provides a nice form against just about any backdrop. They are like a flattened tee pee, but the ribs do not reach to the ground. Who invented the umbrella, and how long ago was that?

parked Mack

We had been working in the east yard for most the day.  Very little of the equipment or trucks that usually have lined the south side of the lot are still there- at least this day.  The old water truck caught my eye sometime during the day, so at the end of the day I wandered out there again and did a quick pencil sketch that is very little different than this watercolor.             I took the sketch and transferred it to watercolor paper just by sight. Making a few changes to "improve" the composition. As usual I was not at all pleased with the result until a few days later.  I guess that's when a person gains a little perspective.    
This is on a sheet of Strathmore  12" x 12" 140lb paper.

Little "Coop"

There is never a shortage of traffic in our town of 90,000.  So finding a vehicle to sketch usually does not take much.  As long as you can find a place to sit or even stand for a few minutes.  We spend a good amount of time around 7th & Vermont streets.  There is a little grass and some seating that usually will provide a place to draw.  So it was the day I sat at the picnic table and did this 5 x 9 inch drawing.

Summer grasses

This composition from 2 sketches done our trip to Stockton for Gramma Ruth's reunion. This takes me to a time when she was a kid down on "the Turnback".  It is mostly forgotten now, though 2 or 3 generations have since grown up on the property and no doubt played in "Gum spring" just like Gramma did.  I am sure the old log cabin has returned to the earth.  Maybe there is a barn, a silo or a shed to save a truck for a later, a... a...      I hear the breeze through the grass and the trees. Maybe there is a chicken hawk perched up there and waiting for a rabbit.           This painting was done on the 7th of September.  It was done on Fluid cold press 140 lb paper.

Grease monkey

Trucks are always a good subject.  And you don't need to have the full image to get some nice lines and composition. This one spends a lot of time on the road, but mostly in rock quarries and road jobs where there is always lube and oil changes to be done.   Another 5 x 9 inch sketch done at lunchtime in the parking lot at the shop.

East 1700 road

 I had started this one afternoon as the rain was threatening. I was sitting in my pick-up near a barricade in the road, and had started some of the washes working my way down the painting while watching a good storm coming over the hill you see on the right.  When the lightning and thunder got just too intense and I could not see out of the windshield, I decided it was time to bail. Then the half finished water color sat around for a couple months or more as we made a trip to Georgia and back before I picked it up again. This scene out east of Lawrence is one of the few corners that way that still looks the same after most of the road work is done east and south of this spot.

Here is a detail of the trees by the end of the building. You can see some of the pencil lines of the beginning sketch, before I started puttin' brush to paper.

Alley south

Sketch of the alley heading south from 7th across from the downtown fire station.  Done with a "Sharpie" fine point. Was not one of my favorite, but I kinda' like it now. Catches some of the depth of the scene though there is no variation in tone.  Catches also some of the reflection of light and dark on the puddles in the depression in the middle of the alley.

late summer grasses

This composition from 2 sketches from our trip to Stockton for Gramma Ruth's reunion. This takes me to a time when she was a kid down on "the Turnback".  It is mostly forgotten now, though 2 or 3 generations have since grown up on the property and no doubt played in "Gum spring". I am sure the old log cabin has returned to the earth.  Maybe there is a barn, a silo or a shed to save a truck for a later, a... a...      I hear the breeze through the grass and the trees. Maybe there is a chicken hawk perched up there and waiting for a rabbit. If you'd like to see a closeup, try the thumnails pg.

Walnut dolphin

There were three of us sitting around the table with this dolphin carved from a rough chunk of walnut sitting in the middle.  It was, as it has been for a long time, at the apex of its highest jump.  I was sketching it and listening to a discussion of the history of Emporia State football coaches and...  Ok I guess I was not listening very carefully.  But it was as good as background music for drawing.  The ol' guitarist, John P. Jervis, Jr. who played one night at "Signs of Life" when we stopped there was in the room as well.  He liked the drawing, and suggested we come to Panera on a Saturday morning to hear him play and do some sketching perhaps.
A walnut dolphin is a good dolphin for landlocked Kansas, full of old walnut trees...
This drawing is 2B .9mm lead on 5" x 9" paper.

Shadows

This is the first of two drawings done of the same scene at the same time of day, but with different vehicles on different days. I was sitting on the porch waiting for the sky to begin lighting up just a bit before I took an early walk.  Not having done many sketches in the dark, and knowing how "enlightening" they can be, I had been looking for a good opportunity to do some more.  So the chance came at an unexpected moment.
None with a couple half dry "Sharpie"s in a 5 x 9" pad.

Late summer porch

Here is a shot of some of the stuff that has sat a few years on the porch. The metal chair, one of two, came in the truck from Monrovia, CA when Gramma Lottie came to KS. The chairs are nearly indestructible- who knows how many times they have rolled off the porch in a summer squall.  The "Snake plant" came from the neighbor.  It was in the piano drawing of last winter. Done on 11? x 16" paper with the .9mm 2B lead. These drawings take a little time to do. Sitting for an hour or more to get the main drawing done, maybe over the course of a day or two, and then finishing up the details and tweaking them here and there over the next days.