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?