Third floor playhouse

           This is what I found online about this little building sitting on the 3rd floor of the Watkins Community Museum in Lawrence, Kansas.  The playhouse was originally built by Isaac Newton Van Hoesen, an early mayor of Lawrence, back in 1878 for his daughters. This was during the first 15 years after the Civil War.   It had been used by a couple other families before coming to the museum to be available for all visiting kids to explore.  While I was standing there doing this drawing a group of ladies came along on a guided tour of the museum.  On of them mentioned that she lived near the playhouse as a child and actually played in it.  I am including links to some very interesting stuff about "this old house". If they don't work for you, a google search will get you there. Pics and text from  LJW articles.

            The drawing was done in an 11 x 14 inch Strathmore "Sketch" pad with 2 different Sharpie's and then shaded with blunt 2B lead in a holder.  I did most the drawing there on location, and put the finishing touches on at home. That's how I often do.  This drawing was very fun to do, to see how it eventually turned out, even with a bunch of ladies swarming around for a few minutes (very polite ladies I should add) while I was doing it.  Seems like the less ideal the conditions are, the more motivated the senses are to work. The resulting drawing has an immediate feel to it.

Van Hoesen Playhouse
http://www2.ljworld.com/photos/galleries/2006/dec/01/watkins_museum/24200/
This gallery link has a copy of the very early photo of the playhouse.
LJW 8/4/91

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2199&dat=19910804&id=_k4yAAAAIBAJ&sjid=euYFAAAAIBAJ&pg=6023,50243