From Rebok's Little place

        Here is a newer drawing from our Thanksgiving trip. I mean like we drove Thanksgiving Day; so this drawing started Friday morning before the sun was actually up! You would think someone this close to retirement could take enough time off to make a sane trip, but ours was a whirlwind. But we had to see our daughter's little place- the one they are living in until the “real” house can get built. So instead of doing something of the house itself, I do stuff from a window looking out. Leave it to the “ol' codger”. At least now I may not be the only one to remember what was next door! This is the more homey of 2 drawings. The next one is more beak- though not sure it is beak enough to convey what I was seeing at the time. That is the joy of drawing, catching something that expresses what you were impressed with in a pictorial way. Well, catching what was going on in the scene in a way that others may be able to catch as well.  

Iowa Antique

Old barns have surprising variations of light and shade.  Not to mention history! The topper on these Iowa ancients usually sit cross ways to the main structure. They provide a little light, and a great deal of ventilation as well as a magnificent roost for the ubiquitous pigeon!  It is always nice to have some open door or window; the deep shadows invite the observer into the scene. There is always something to explore.  This drawing is a larger format than most recent ones. It is about 16” x 12” Though it may still have the flavor of a more simple drawing.  The reason for that is to make it possible for the old guy to still be able to move his stiff hand across the paper without totally locking up! Check out the “Thumbnails” page and you can see this barn and some other cupolas. They provide a lot of interest. 

Kuhl's Place

         This was the location of Nate and Tabby's wedding in eastern Iowa some years back at the Kuhl's farm -”Keel” is the family pronunciation. I had to check on the spelling. You will have to ask someone else the exact dates for the occasion. Here we have a piece done entirely from memory some time after we were at the spot. No thumbnail or snapshot to work from. It is a good test of memory to try this- drawing from a visual memory of the scene (It is also a good test of memory to try to remember the dates of the wedding!) I am not sure anyone else who has seen the place would recognize it from the drawing! Sue tells me that the barn on the left is actually larger than the “shed” on the right. Which I am sure is true. I will try to blame it on the perspective of the view with little attempt to show depth of field.

         I guess the wedding must have been one of those times when I either had no paper and pencil with me, or we were just too busy with the events of the day to take the time for a 5 minute sketch... That happens too often. There was plenty of activity going on in the yard that day. I think when it was time to get your boutonniere you went through the door you see on the left of the barn where the coolers were for the flowers.

        I was reminded on Fred and Sue's last stop here that the wedding was in September 2000.   

From the Backside

        Here is a drawing done from another of our trips. I cannot say when or where, but the barn is hard to ignore. Maybe you have seen it yourself on one of your gallivants across the country! I am sure you have seen many like it. The sky was a little heavy, yet the tones were not subdued. This side of the barn seems to be mostly unused, though the place is pretty well kept. What the front of this barn looked like, I cannot tell. I did not remember there being any equipment or derelict automobiles hiding in the shadows, but as often is the case, there was no time to take an “explore.” Nor did I want to get chased off the property by some shotgun wielding farm wife! Been chased off enough places when I was a kid kicking around some haunts in south west Nebraska! The thing I like about the drawing itself is the flow from side to side; the lines seem to draw you into exploring the drawing, and maybe unconsciously adding some of your own memories to the scene!

Summer Stop

        

           Here is one of the many places that will be affected by roadwork soon to start just to the south of us. I am sure it will make our traffic much more bearable- at least I sure hope it does... But some of the old places will be gone when the project is over, so there may be some urgency if you want to get a pencil record of some of them.  Not sure how long it has been since this place had occupants. It may be that some ol' bachelor still lives here. Well I am sure that there are plenty of overnight “guests” of the four-legged variety prowling around after dark- pole cats not excluded! Who knows what a pole cat is? Harold O'Brien is the one who told me what they are.

       This drawing was done like many others in the middle of the summer heat. You can see that from the time of day and the temperature recorded at the bottom of the page. It was so hot then that I think some of it has spilled over into this fall- today here it got up to 69 degrees. Inspired me to stick some lettuce seed in the garden to see if we can get some fresh lettuce mid winter under the cold frame. This place has been begging me to do a sketch of it for a long time!

     

      Take time to look on my Thumbnails page and see another quickie...

Cattle Panel

        Done this summer. Sitting in the truck just in front of the “gate” with the AC running to endure the extreme heat. It is a little hard now in November to remember how hot it was- though we've not had any winter yet. The iris have not had enough freezing weather to turn them all yellow!   This drawing of a simple country setting is offset by the details in the foreground, which give it a linear feel.  In this case, the detail of the unmatched panels adds just enough specific touch to let you know that this is a real place, a local bypath.   Real people set up this scene; It has been waiting for someone to draw!  Not sure what the structure had been used for in the past, but it is mostly idle now.  There may be some machinery inside. I suppose there is a chance that someone even lived in the place for a time.

There are a couple more thumbnails posted on the "Thumbnails" page. They are from 2 extents of our travels in 2011.  You can see them there...  

Stockton Rest Stop

     Every year we make a trip into Missouri to one of the lakes where there is a big reunion for Gramma Ruth's family at a shelter with lots of food and the lake in the background. This year it was at Stockton Lake on the 6^th of June. Stockton lake is where the waters of Turn-back Creek make their journeys end- That is the creek some miles to the south on which the Kerr family had their beginnings, at Gum Spring. Grandpa and her used to always make the trip to the reunion from Oklahoma when they lived there, before Dad passed away. We had stopped this year for a break for Gramma when I did this quick drawing before we were ready to roll again. The drawing gives little indication of the heat that day- I know it was hot, but did not seem too bad at the lake. This house is in town on the main highway headed south to take you to the lake. It sits on the west side. I have no idea who owns or who lives in the little place, fairly neatly kept. If you are passing that way you may need to keep your eyes open to find it as I like to find the nondescript places that have seen some wear.  

Across Saunders Field

       Yes, this field was at one time part of Liberty Memorial High School. After the HS was at first at 9^th & KT and before the building became Central Junior High. So did the High School play their varsity games on this field in those early days? Or did they play even then at Haskell Stadium? There was also to my understanding a grade school or old rural school building at the east end of this property which was used for years before the town extended south from there. Does that explain the jog in Connecticut Street as it approaches 15^th from the north? Kim may well remember this view -hah hah!- from her First Grade days at the original Lawrence Christian School the church building which also sits near this site. You can find a link on my profile page if you have comments or info about this area. I am not sure when the place in this drawing was actually constructed.

      I have been thinking of this for quite awhile as a nice motif for a drawing. It has been in my mind for awhile and finally has materialized! If you can find the place from this short description I would be interested in hearing about it. Here is a hint below.

      You can go to the link below and see what the High School looked like from the air in 1925. The trees directly east of the building on the north have long been gone. The entire field has been open for years. You can also see a pic of what the original High School looked like at 9^th and Tennessee; now only the first floor rock is original I believe. 

      http://uss-rangerguy.com/LHS-Schools/lawrence-high-schools.htm

Here is a link to info about John Saunders – amazing...

      http://www.lhs1966.net/personal_page/obit_john_saunders.htm

Georgia Crape Myrtle.

       

       This drawing done on location on a recent trip is not out of the ordinary for me, though it is for this blog. It is a record of one detail when we were in Georgia. We were at our son and daughter-in-law's in “Middle Georgia”; Warner Robbins to be exact. The drawing, though not as exact as a photo, may well be remembered longer, and has a little more personal touch to it, and can be tweaked to emphasize what ever you would like. The drawing definitely took a little longer to get! Though I did check it with a snapshot afterward. Actually the drawing was done like other drawings with a sketch on the spot and some of the finishing done later after we arrived back in Kansas.

       These myrtle was well established when Matthew first moved into the place but needed lots of attention to get 'em to be a reasonable accompaniment to the deck. Looks good the way it is now, though it may take some work to keep it that way. You can see these trees from the kids dining room and kitchen windows, or sit under them on the back deck. I like the look of the mature myrtle bark. Similar to the sycamore of the midwest in the way it peels leaving 2 tone rounded shapes on the surface. Interesting! The crape myrtle is almost as common in the south as the black gnat! Those bugs are unresponsive to DEET but fortunately survive much less time than the tree! We do not see many crape myrtle in Kansas, though it is rumored that some will survive most winters, especially with this climate change. 

Northside Shadow

          The original sketch for this ink drawing was done like the one from last week in the middle of a hot dry Kansas July.  It was evening time, with the sun sinking low and sneaking around the north side of this farmhouse.  (You can see it from the barn in the drawing Gold to Gray that was posted 8/25.)  It is just a couple miles south of town.  When I see sunlight striking diagonal across a surface like this it is hard to resist picking up something to scratch a record of what is so fleeting. In this case I was somewhat prepared with my sketchpad.  Later near the end of the month I put ink to the sketch but was not yet satisfied with the results, so it sat until another month had passed.  Matthew our son suggested posting the ink drawing when he saw it in Georgia in early September, so when I brought it home I finally did a little more ink work with it, and this now is the result. 

       
        These ink drawings are done with India ink and a stick soaked with the ink. There is little else that I know of that will give the same result.  It can be very spontaneous looking and I guess is sorta difficult to control at times.  I have been experimenting with this technic since the late 1960's I am sure.  But the look can almost be oriental in some places it seems.  I like the combination of depth and single dimensionality that can be obtained.  The textures will depend greatly on the surface of the paper, as well as the shape of the wood stick used to apply the ink.  Paper and ink- what can be more durable?

Roots

        

        Here is a drawing done on a recent Kansas scorcher in mid July. An unused, rundown garage or outbuilding with little around to inform us of former activities here.  Even the great tree that once provided some good shade for work in the heat of past summers is now rotting, roots up in the grass. I guess someone here took the time to take most of this "storm-fall" for fire wood.  The tree that cooled many summers now more lately heated for a single winter.  I suppose some kids in the past played often in the shade of that tree. They would also have enjoyed the warmth of the  garage on winter days. 
        Something besides that tree put down their roots in Kansas prairie...

        One gets a day from time to time that gives you enough of a break to do some sketching on location. Thus you are taught some amazing things: There are many places and things that inspire a creative record.  There are as well many places that are way beyond what you can get on the page in a few minute sketch. Even though there are sometimes when a few minutes is all you have. So work quickly! And how do you instantly "get over" the fear of that blank sheet of drawing paper staring back at you?  This recent piece is one in which all the "details" were recorded in a short time and were then evaluated and expanded over the next couple weeks. 

Pasture Edge

Another country drawing! This is a drawing from awhile back that actually is a blending of a couple motifs. Can you tell from where the style might be recognized?  I think it is way too obvious!  I get some good comments about many of these drawings that I have posted; but not a negative one yet!  If you have a critique of something feel free to say so – this is the Internet- duh.  Would be happy also to give some input on drawing you have done that you want to evaluate...adult or child.

Delaware Uphill

       

       Here is another one from Delaware Street in Lawrence. This India ink line drawing was done a couple years ago. Not a "cityscape," what would you call it, a "town scape". A straightforward perspective of the east side of Lawrence. I am sure though that this haphazard perspective would probably not satisfy the exacting eye of Betsy McCordic our Prairie High Art teacher . (And some others perhaps!) Oh well, the end here was some spontaneous interpretation of an interesting view of an historical part of town. I have drawn nearly every building along these 2 blocks of Delaware. This particular drawing may tell us more about the layout of the street than any of the others. I hope you enjoy it.  The Murphy-Bromelsick house is just across the street to the east of this in the next block south.

Gold to Gray

     

           Here is a drawing just finished up this weekend.  This is the purpose we started posting drawings - to get me to do a little more drawing, and to figure out how to get it presented half decently.  This piece is actually a followup for an earlier post - Gray and Gold - but done from a much closer perspective.  The former, an evening sketch; the later, a morning one.  A morning in which the sun was casting shadows over all the weathered wood. The paint if there had ever been some is leaving very little evidence now of its  presence.   I had a  little time a few Saturdays ago while Grandmother Ruth was getting her hair done! so I beat it across town and was able to get the sketch which this weekend turned into a drawing.  (It's a thin line I guess in my case between a sketch and a "bona fide" drawing.)  It was a warm, dry, sunny morning but still a little before the sweat began to roll!  This is one of those subjects that could inspire a bucket full of drawings. 

Sibleyville Rd.

 This place is along the road headed east from South Haskell, before you take the south jog to Baldwin. I guess this is now South 1000 Road. Should be on the north side of  the road. There are many stories that go with this stretch of road. Maybe you could tell more than I.  Bumming gas one night from a farmer living along there because I neglected to check the gauge before heading out is one story. Another time winding along that road alone at night with ever decreasing headlights due to a failing alternator- not a pleasant memory! Recently we were along there headed to the Helwig's for a work day that turned out to be a great encouragement for them in their recent health struggles. Further east from here just before you get to the old Morgan "homestead" was about the south west reach of the school bus route I ran from Eudora in the early 1970's.  I have done more than one drawing along this road, and I am sure forgotten many stories...but here is a fairly recent drawing done mostly on location. 

"Tell Me"

Here is another study of negative space.

The branches with the roof line produce good negative space.

I have not been able to locate this place again.

One of those drawings the idea for which

I know came from somewhere close by here.

But where I cannot tell. Anyone have any ideas;

maybe you can tell me!

Also I think the drawing has a symmetry that does it well...

Kim, I do think I have figured out how to get consistent formatting each time. We will see!

7/20/12        Bonanza Street Maple

         If you have been to our house you have been under this old Maple. This is the view from our front window. It was not a young tree when we came here 30+ years ago now. You can see the 2 stumps only a little exaggerated from low branches the kids used for climbing. Even the stumps are gone now, but grandkids still do climb it some, but it takes a little more effort. The wall was started at the time- added to from time to time, and now mostly covered with ivy.  The concentration here was in the angles of the branches and negative spaces they create against the backdrop. What do you call this style? It has a graphic flavor, and is a little change not only in style, but also subject. One of these days one of these chunks of tree will fall, and put a big crease in the house or a vehicle... so I guess some day soon it will have to go. 

'ol K-10

       This is the house Dave Penny called the "Brouse House" I think after the man who lived and farmed there. It is also I think some of the trees of which Dave was speaking in his introduction one recent Sunday morning during Family Bible Hour at LBC.  Maybe Dave can clarify some of this...  This drawing was done from the road going into Dave's shop and finished in the mid to late '90's. Just to the south of this property is old K-10, now 83rd street, as you pass through the bottoms east of DeSoto.  The house and barn are now gone, and maybe the other structures as well; some as an act of God, some of man.  Shannon may have a watercolor done from the same property. The house and outbuildings in this setting follow a pattern often seen in hill country. They were lined up along a narrow strip of ground suitable for building that gives you level and easy access to everything. There is a road to one side and rough and hilly ground to the other; or as in the case of the Brouse place, floodplain.  Old K-10 is the road we made many trips down heading to KU Medical Center in the early '70's when Kimberly was there often. That is another story... 

         Well here is another drawing finally. This comes from a special group of drawings of places our kids have lived. The notes on this pretty much speak for it. Luke was less than 6 months old that Christmas. The ink drawing of this is now hanging over Jeremiah and Heather's piano in Eldorado. Am I right in saying there were 2 places in Baldwin where they lived before this? We had a lot of good times here with those grandkids early on! I had actually forgotten there was a pencil of this house. 

Drawings to come will probably include ones from 

East of DeSoto, 

South of Lawrence, 

Baldwin City, 

and Quincy KS, 

as well as Bonanza Street. 

If you know anyone who might be interested in seeing some of these, 

tell 'em to come to harvinks.blogspot.com

The Ol' Garage

       


        This pencil was done on New Year's Day in 2003. The sun was low on the southern horizon.  I was able to grab a moment and do a drawing as the day's activities were winding down. The old garage- too small for most modern cars- and too inconvenient with its homemade doors and no opener- reminds me perfectly of the one we had as a kid at the parsonage in Trenton, NE. We are talking late 50's early 60's. Seems like Dad may have parked in it a few times but not often- I don't believe the '59 Fairlane would fit end to end.  The broom in this drawing gives something away.... this is a concrete floor- very little use for a broom in a dirt floor garage like the one I remember!

Up North

6/3/12 Well, here is a new title drawing up there now. Needed to do that for awhile. Don't ask me where it came from!
Now for a new post. I skipped a week; not only was there too much going on around here, but I wanted to sort out some of this stuff...
Off North 75
From memory a few years ago after a trip to I think the Circleville Quarry opperated by Hamm Cos. This may have been done from a thumbnail on an old scrap of paper, I have not come across the sketch but that is no supprise. Old barnyards from the backside are always fun! I remember a story related to this. I was doing some sketches on location for Beth Khaler of her parents place north of Topeka; actually also west of 75 highway but not as far north as this one. I was suposed to be keeping the project a secret – yea, that is likely to happen! Her dad was coming out of the house and wandering around, trying to not look too obvious, but was very currious as to what I was doing! (Some 'ol boys would just have gotten out the shotgun and chased me off the property!) Some of the better sketches that day came from the backside. Not ones that Beth's mother was very happy to be "on display".  

05/21/12      We have had company all weekend, and graduation parties to attend, so this is a little late getting posted. Hope you have not been waiting on pins and needles to see what was coming.

13^th & Rhode Island
           Not a large place, but well appointed with 19^th century details. Many such places are not cared for well, nor is Kansas humidity kind to wood structures. This one however has not suffered much from neglect or the passage of time. It is impossible to imagine all the stories little places like these could tell. Some histories can be dug from the past I suppose, otherwise we will just have to let the image do the talking.

Gray and Gold       

         If you head out of town north on 24-40 and then take Highway 24 east past the Tee Pee to the first bend in the road, you will come to the dirt road heading east and the intersection where this old place sits just east. Another abandoned farm. Everything near is farmed, and the close in grass is very healthy and kept neat, so someone is taking some care of the place. It is full of memories and history for some folks probably mostly departed now...
        I was sitting in the shade of a small turnpike bridge over the seldom used dirt road heading south from the place as I did this sketch. It was winter, but this year not at all cold. Paint less structures in the late afternoon sun. The perfect motif for a future water color perhaps.

Old truck

     Not unlike the baby I took to work in the mid '70's.  This drawing was done some years back. Thought you might like something a little different here for the week...  Originally done in pencil, this is the finished India ink drawing.  Scans a little better than some of the very light pencil pieces.

       The Flag House for any who have been around South Park area in recent years is probably familiar. It is actually again on Rhode Island on the east side of the lower Court House parking lot. Don't remember the actual last time I was by there, but flags still were hanging at that time. Not sure of the significance myself, as I am sure some are, but still don't mind the added interest to the architecture. If someone does have some info about the place, I would like to know...

       

Weathered

       This paintless frame oldie on Pennsylvania St. cannot be resisted.  After more than one sketch of the place from different views this drawing, done in somewhat minimal style, is what stands out. There may be more.  This is a done in pencil, but with the approach I often use doing note cards in ink and stick, as you may have seen. Here we have what most impresses the artist. There is much not recorded, but one tries to put down what is most significant at the time

       The location of this place, River End, after we talked Kim, is in the 600 block of Rhode Is. as far north as you can go before landing in the riverfront mall. Delaware is the street that runs by Hobbs Park.  On the Google Maps image, you can actually see some of the wooden posts sticking out of the river on the north side in a small turbulent area.  Those indicate the pilings for an early bridge connecting the north and south. Follow Delaware north till you cross the river; it's near an opening in the trees on the north side.

River End

       If you follow Delaware north, it will take you to the Kaw if you go by foot. There you can see in the river during normal flow the remains of one of the old bridges crossing to North Lawrence.  All there is are some pilings and rock out from the north dock about 30 ft.  We used to try to dredge under these in the '90's at Kaw Sand, but such an endeavor was useless.  The place in this drawing is on the east side of the street running north to the river.  Lots of history to watch if you had sat where I sat here, but done it for the last 150 years instead of the few minutes it took to do this drawing.

St. Luke's AME

       Here we have an ink of a place that is on the register of Kansas historical buildings.  This drawing was done originally in pencil and later in India ink with a stick as the tool.  It was a clear sunny day; don't recall just now the time of year - I would need to dig out the pencil to see if it is noted there. The church is on the NE corner of the block in east Lawrence on which New York School sits. The school occupies the entire rest of the block. Both buildings face the west.  If you would like to see a photo of the church and more info about it, go to this link:  http://lawrencepreservation.org/projects/st-luke-ame-church/

       This posting is later than what I have been trying to do each week... but here it is.

"On Kingsley Cove"

       I think this one says 7:30 am. It was in Lakeville, MN.  It had stayed above freezing all night at Rebekah and Brian's place that night 2 days after Christmas.  I think everyone else was pretty much still sleeping, but it was light enough for an early drawing with what was left of the ice and the snow. No one was particularly hoping for the ice to weaken and the snow to melt. The camp was just to the right of this place; I was sitting at B & R's kitchen window. It was another inspiring winter scene, but I can't pretend that I was out in the cold.

West Sun

This is another pencil drawing as I had promised of the same subject posted Feb. 25 "Setting Sun Snow" but from a different perspective. This place has great lighting in the late afternoon. A very inspiring location that has changed little over the years.  Again, a winter drawing done in Feb.  I do not think there was any snow this time. The actual address appears on the copy.  Next week's post will make just one month of blogging here. 

Sycamore Shed

This ink from a couple years ago came during the winter months. I think maybe after a winter storm. It is a couple blocks from our place; one of the older homesteads in the area. 

Thanksgiving Day in Lawrence

     We were waiting for company to come to the house for turkey & trimmin's and this drawing was a little something to fill in the time until they came. One of my teachers who taught drawing at Prairie High School saw a photo of this drawing a few years ago, and sent me a detailed lesson in a 11x17 envelope, in hopes of improving my perspective.  

     Some of these drawings are going to be local Lawrence as you can see. But I probably will post another Turkey day drawing from Golden Valley, MN. 

Setting Sun Snow

This particular piece is another from N. Lawrence.  One of the spots I pass often running back and forth to work.  I could do a drawing a day of this particular subject, but this year none could have a snow cover. 

This simple page is going to be for posting weekly drawings. They will be of various subjects, mostly rural, in pencil or ink.