bypass elevation

The notes on the sketch for this painting say: " Early over late beans    under bypass" and "Gray beans w/ yellow over" (in other words the closer beans were already dusty brown but the further beans still yellow).  and then "silver wire."  Seems to me the beans in back were probably planted later than the front beans, due to some dirt work associated with the bypass or maybe some flooding by the creek early on - it was pretty wet this summer. The elevated bypass runs from rt to left in front of the last tree line in light browns. The distinct difference between the 3 rows of trees did not turn out so distinct in my sketch as in real life but I remembered how it actually was and tried to return to that clarity in the painting. You can see the "silver" power lines hanging in front of the trees but I did not do the ones on the right side with the same approach- seemed to me they should be in shadow.    The date was 10/9/15, so the painting was done that night after the bike ride that took me there, as it was already afternoon when the sketch was done.  The back of the 5" x 9" sketch pad says: "Three Hills  8/15" so this is the pad that went with us to Alberta in August.  Cannot say I was too happy with the tone of this photo- the original is a bit lighter, as the day was a bright fall day before harvest.

Metro center

I had ran with my son-in-law to the north side of Minneapolis to replace a defunct washing machine. It was not early in the day by the time we finished our errands and headed down the interstate.  Don't get many chances here to do a city-scape on the fly, so this was a good exercise.  Maybe you can recognize the exit and the bridge with the lightposts above it.

Lyon County

Some days it has just been too long since you did any painting. That can be after a long hiatus, or after spending the good part of a week painting. Not that I ever have a block of time like that, but maybe a simple painting each day or so.  This was such a day, and I had this scrap of paper waiting to be used.  Then I found a thumbnail sketch from a recent trip up through Lyon county and this, after a prelim sketch to lay out the concept, was the result. We sometimes take the back roads home from down south, cutting through the Flint Hills by a different route for a change. This barn is the kind of stuff you might see whenever you travel in the mid-west- especially Kansas.  

Done on Canson 140# paper about 4 1/2" by 12" on the day before Halloween though the thumbnail was done a few days before.

This is the quick study done between the thumbnail done on the road and this done just before the water color.  It has the note, "all sky" to remind me to stay focused when doing the painting.  Also the name "Lyon Co." to further clarify the name in my mind.

201 W 8th

Maybe we've done enough drawings of this stretch of 7th between Vermont & Tennessee Streets. Then again maybe not.  Today I was counting the buildings there. There are five. I've done some of them all.  Probably 6 or 8 of this one, and I was actually contemplating another one yesterday, which because I had no sketch pad along then or today, I did one from memory this morning.  This drawing however was done on location but with only some of the most important detail rendered, That is easier for me with buildings than with cars, because I have had so much more practice doing buildings. I keep saying I need more practice on the automotive end.  This drawing was done with a reflection of the side mirror in the paint of the door. It is not a shadow, as the scene was highlighted by the sun from the south behind the building.

Billtown crossing

This is the scene from the Hamm shop on 24 highway east of Perry. I have seen this view for some 16 years, but just now thought it should get put to paper.  Seems like the sketch was done one day about noon on a scrap of paper in my pocket as I was headed out the door. If you have something somewhat memorized, then a few quick scribbles are about all it takes to turn it into something. The note on the painting says only "10/8/15  Billtown Crossing".   I think the crossing needed a little clarity in my sketch as it was transferred to paint. What I was wanting to catch primarily was the relationship of the trees in shadow to the houses in full summer sun.   Seems like it turned out OK.  It was that time of year when some of the fields were bare and dark from the recent rain.  This was done on a scrap of Arches paper about 6 or 7 inches tall.

a little entertainment

There is an order to these quick sketches of our kids place under the patio windows done just before Thanksgiving. First the lamp, then the chair, now this cabinet & TV. From left to right. I did the individual drawings to catch specific things at different times, and just to do a little drawing rather than a complicated study.   That is a problem, when you think more info makes it more complicated or somehow better.  Details do will not necessarily make a better drawing.  I like the angles and negative spaces & how they relate to each other and the overall drawing.  This drawing seems to catch some of the depth front to back even as simple as it is, and maybe because it is not cluttered.

the window chair

It was late in the eve-another evening- and things were winding down for the night. But I had a little time on my hands so time to do a little chair study.  This chair sits right next to the table & lamp posted earlier on...   And done in the same 5" x 9" sketch book, but in pencil.

from the north

Here is a painting done on location on the east side of town. Kitsmiller Rd I guess. This is just south of the new county shop.  I have done more than one drawing from this location. Have also done paintings of the small building and cattle chute on the horizon. It seemed pretty impressive to me from this angle through the trees.  There was a long front of white clouds on the south horizon stretching for some distance.  While I was standing there beside my pickup, working from the back of it along the road, the fellow came along with his tractor hauling a disc.  He missed my truck by about 18" maybe and above the top of my cab. I was over as far as I could get & there was a power pole on the other side. He knew right where he was, so I just kept painting as he passed. Dumb huh?!  The small shed in this view is now gone now and being replaced by a new house on the place. This painting was less than a year ago, on March 15th this year.    9 1/2" x 13 1/2"-   seems like this was Strathmore 140# paper  -more of a mechanical looking finish than say an Arches paper, but a little quicker drying.
Below is a detail of the chute and shed.

Wakarusa sunset

On a warm fall day when the sun has begun setting well before 6 pm I was on my bike trying to get home before the sky completely darkened. I am not prepared to ride a bicycle in the dark.  But I had asked for it, stopping too often to sketch or chase a hawk over the bottoms with my binoculars. These can be very peaceful rides, with almost no traffic especially if it is a weekend, and because it had been a spell since I'd ridden, I was enjoying it a bunch. This painting was not done on the spot, nor from a sketch that day, but rather by memory from the image in my head when I returned home. Though probably not very true to the scene, such pieces are a great exercise in recall of color and impression. They are also great at forcing some spontaneity in the approach and execution of the painting.  More info than you had asked for I know...  
Done on a scrap of 140# Canson paper approximately 5 1/2" x 13 1/2"

the window lamp

We had not been in Minnesota more than a couple hours when I did this sketch of Rebekah's living room lamp, just to see if the marker was still working. Yup, did ok. It was evening and the dark window made a great background for the marker, so I could not resist.  A small series of these "interior" drawings were done in a 5x 9 sketch pad.

Kitsmiller Road east

Unfortunately this w/c has no date to tell when it was done.  It was this summer though when the grasses had begun to mature. I had taken the bicycle on one of my favorite rides out to E1700 road where this fence is characteristic of the landscape.  Did a sketch directly on the Canson w/c paper and then later at home did this painting over the sketch.  Cannot say I was too happy with it to start, but after it sat a couple months I began to like it better.  I have often watched a hawk work its way along this tree line in the distance headed east -to the right of the picture.  According to the address on the utility easement south of here the name  is Kitzmiller Rd, though none of the signs indicate that. But I would suppose the Kitzmiller's, north or south had something to do with the use of all the woven wire fence, which has been here longer than I by far. They could also  explain the occasional use of an old streel framed bed spring in a fence here and there.  We are talking 60 year old or more springs -before the advent of the new wood framed "box spring".           This was done on 9" x 12" Canson 140 # paper. It reproduced here way darker than it actually is for some reason...

Hiawatha wigwam

From time to time you see a tee pee on the south side of the Haskell campus.  This time I ran into the tipi (wigwams were I guess a more round top structure -am I right?) while riding through the center of campus.  The 'ol Hiawatha Hall is a recent idea of, say some 120 years. On the National Register it looks fairly permanent sitting there in its ancient local stone.  The tee pee on the other hand is really an ancient idea, although the cloth (?) and pole of which it is made are no doubt much more recent.  The near dwelling made to be transient, the far intended to be permanent.  Hiawatha, like a couple other structures in this row of buildings may slowly be loosing its relevance as it becomes more and more expensive to update.    At the last minute while passing by, I stopped, backed up my bicycle and did this quick drawing, which I touched up at home over the next couple days.  9" x 5" format with .9mm 2B lead.

white place in the fall sun

In an attempt to deal with a nondescript foreground and at the same time add a little fall color to the scene, I ended up with this piece.  It was conceived from a sketch done on recent road trip. Maybe I am getting better at catching in pencil a quick idea of something that could turn into a painting.  What do you think?    Canson 9 x 12 140# paper on the first of October when the grasses where drying up, the stag-horn sumac had been full red for a long time, but not all the trees had yet given up their green for the shades of fall.

Murphy-Bromelsick porch

 This place is easy to get interested in.  We have a painting I did hanging here of this place back in the 1980's that one of the kid's framed & gave me.  At that time it was still on Delaware St.  It is an interesting story of how it was moved to Hobb's park.  Also have a number of sketches black & white as well as color of it since being moved.   Every angle of this place is interesting. This drawing is done on 11 x 14 paper with the .9 mm B lead.
A few years ago we met one of the few surviving decendants of the Lawrence newspaper editor during Quantrill's raid.  He was using the old house as a studio for his ink portraits while tending the building during the hours it was open.
Below is a detail of the porch corner.

burr oak

The giant ghost in the tree is the result of cramming too much onto one page.  There are way more burr oak at least in this part of Minnesota, than in eastern Kansas it seems to me.  There are about 5 or 6 along this tree line at the edge of the kids woods. These are the quintessential oak tree.  Large and rounded and blocky heavy twigs with strong angles at each bend.  They are a beautiful tree.  They are especially rugged looking when they are bare, as these were on the 22 of October- one day before our daughter's birthday.  That was a month ago now, and they are still celebrating her birthday!!!

further shadows

An early morning sketch. The second I have tried when I rose before day break to take a walk and do some birding. No date or even a signature on this drawing but it was done a few days after the similar one of the pickup in the same street light.

long tin hill

Another study of sky hill and a little human activity in the middle. There is always a struggle between man and the natural world.  The vegetation, ie. trees & "shurruubburry" as well as the bugs, mice and mold are always trying to diminish the impact of man's efforts. Below is a detail of the painting.

wind'a chair

9/2/15   10:15     Killing time at the Lawrence Public Library one morning.  These are the new chairs at the new window in the north east corner of the new library. Don't ya get a kick outa' the shape? The Pentel .9mm is my weapon of choice- loaded with 2 B lead it makes a versatile tool; easy to carry and good for larger drawings, as well as smaller ones like this 5" x 9" sketch.

Patterson's buggy

Don't know why it took so long to take the time to sketch this buggy. It belongs to a Mr. Patterson who lives around the block. I have gone past it for some years I guess.  Finally stopped on the bicycle and came up with this.  Patersons are the ones who once owned  "Lunkers"- the bait shop up on 23rd Street. Greg Ostertag worked there once when he first came to KU for basketball.  At least he was in there dipping minnows one day while we were getting some tackle.  The ceiling was a little low for him, but I guess he was used to that.              This is another small sketch done with a Sharpie, in a hurry in a 5" x 9" pad.

After the bypass

This scene was on a quick trip out east to where the road work has quieted the traffic and made it possible for a few months to have a peaceful place to sketch. The bypass will not be done for a year, but the bridge over this road is nearly done, so you can get to this spot with a short drive.  The beans had not yet lost their green color.  There are a few 6 foot diameter concrete drain pipes sitting unused in the corner of the field.  This painting was started at the site, while only a couple end dumps went by.  Go figure.  I was sitting beside their shortcut for the day. Wish I could say that a few finishing touches were all this needed at home, but because of the trucks and the heat that day, I did a pencil sketch and headed for the house!  But the painting seemed to turn out ok.  It was done on 9" x 12" Canson 140 lb paper.   It was about 80 degrees at 3pm on a late August day.

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.

smokin' egg

Done in very early spring while visiting in Georgia.  Matthew was smoking a pork butt for our evening meal. The "Big Green Egg" has a temp control sitting in the intake down on the left that is wired up to the readout you can see from inside the kitchen window.  The epitome of convenience.  I think the "Egg" could do one butt after another and not run out of fuel.                        This drawing was sitting in a forgotten pad waiting to have a few finishing touches added.  When I found it the other day I thought it better get done.  Like a lot of other stuff around here; painting the house, cleaning out the garage; finishing up the garden for the year, etc, etc... Done in a 11 x 14 inch Strathmore Sketch pad.
     You can go to the thumbnails pg to see a detail or 2.

Farmhouse south wall

White paper and white farm houses seem to go together well. A clear warm summer day, just before the change to fall starts  the air chillin'  & the leaves turning in earnest. Though the grasses have been ripe for days and have long lost their deep spring green.
I'll stick a detail on the thumbnails page (right side bar) for anyone wanting to get up close & personal...

chair back

The ol' desk chair - or so we call it - has served us well.  Now it makes a great place for a laptop to get plopped.  I do not remember the sun landing on the back of the chair as it was this particular afternoon. The juxtaposition of light and dark against each other is irresistible to draw.  After laying out the chair and getting the shades, I added the background.  Then I decided the darks of the chair did not stand out like the should, so I took some 4B lead to them.  It is probably ok now.  I may eventually do a composition that is more black and white, just to see how it would look. It would make an interesting watercolor.

Curb hardware... or bloomin' hostas

 These hostas were leftover from a makeover a Gramma's place.  They spent a winter in the compost pile, and then planted by the back door.  They did not take an extra year to bloom again as I half expected; was that because of the good compost? 

Nice to be able to stand up.   The big chunk of graphite laying on the easel was a gift from Deana who was cleaning out her closet.  The easel came from a neighbor around the block- "curb hardware"- believe it!  I actually have another lighter one from the same store as well. 

        I was keeping an eye out for an opportunity to use the graphite stick.   Had not done these plants when they were blooming, so I am glad I got this done.   Now (since Monday 8/31) I have a roll of heavy paper to use for these quick studies or for large project layouts: 8" diameter by some 62" tall that I can cut paper from one pc at a time.  It should last some years I suppose.  It is also from the same curb!

You can see that I did this on the easel standing by the hostas.
Here is the drawing; the easel; the hostas off to the side and the yard behind.











And a closeup.

Fairgrounds overcast

I had gone for a quick spin in the truck to see what could be found to sketch.  I rolled past the fairgrounds on Harper Street headed north then turned around above the inersection and headed back. Driving into the parking area on the very north end I could see that the scene I had originally hoped for - of a fellow tending a horse next to his rig - had changed.  Then when I saw this scene out my driver's side window I thought, "that's it!"  As I finished drawing a sketch the sprinkles that had been coming off and on started up again in earnest.  It was gray and overcast most the day on this Tuesday the 7th of July and by now at 5 pm it did not look like any hope of fair weather.  Seems like it was a 4-H group that was having a show in the arena, so there were 15 or so rigs around, most of them to the south in the gravel lot. There was a mother guiding a mount past my truck with what looked like her daughter sitting on the horse -they were getting wetter by the second as I drove away.  The grass and the trees added a good feel to the scene.          The watercolor painting was finished at home from the sketch done that afternoon on Strathmore 400 series 11" x 15" paper in a spiral bound pad.

4000 twice

Here is another of the pickup.  Again I just sat in the drive beating off the mosquitoes and did this drawing in the 90 degree heat.  Done in a smaller format of about 10" x 12" with the same 0.9mm B lead, with maybe some larger 2B. These drawings take a little more time than some simplier sketches - maybe about an hour originally sitting there. Then another 30 - 45 min. or so the next day.  Then some reviewing the drawing over the next couple days and tweaking it to improve some areas, and showing a little more depth and believability.

fiddled with the look

Had to change the design so the "follow me" gadget would show up. Some have been wondering why it was not available. Now it is. Let me know what you think. Here's a couple thumbnails I don't think you have seen before, maybe...

Haskell driving range

A quick trip by truck one rainy day to a spot I often pass on the Trek if the weather is a little more dry.  I faced toward the ball field over the top of the driving range toward the trees south of where the red tailed hawks nested this spring.  At the time the young 2 or 3 that survived could still be heard squawking for some attention in the trees as you passed- if it was not raining too much. Why should they hunt for food when complaining works just as well.  I have not seen or heard one of the offspring for a month or so now, so hopefully they are off on their own doing ok. This was a quick sketch, as I was not inclined that morning to fuss with it and also I was wanting to catch the mood and the tone of the scene before another downpour started.                                                               This was done on a Strathmore  140lb pad about 11" x 11" using only part of the paper. I could stand to do more of these quick studies.                            

phone time

 Yah, so I had some opportunities to sketch folk on their phones.  This is a very typical pose as you well know.  These are small thumbnails about 2" tall.

 Cross legged and index finger supported head.

This guy is working his thumb pretty hard.

 Quick sketches like this teach you a bit about how things really look.