This pint sized rocker figures in the earliest recollections that Grammie has of the days at the Wildrose house; maybe even before.  It is as sturdy as ever still today, even after a few more kids and now a dozen grand kids from time to time ply its rockers.  Chairs are always a good exercise in seeing and recording negative spaces as they relate to each other.  Not a bad use of the flat led pencil either...

There are a couple windmills on the Thumbnail page you might wana see.

Brick Shadows

It was the warm morning early in the year when I took the bike up to the river. I had a few minutes on the way home for a couple sketches. This was  the 2nd.  I could wanted to catch a little of the shadows before the morning light changed. The shadow did move quite a bit while I was there, including a little talking on the phone...

Lofty Garage

        I had about 30 minutes maximum to kill when I saw this scene waiting to be put to paper. Not that I actually got this far in those few minutes; I had to finish it up over the next couple of days. The problem is not so much finding something to draw as it is making the time when the weather and other circumstances are cooperative.  

Civil War Rebound

      It can be intimidating to return to a previous subject. It can also be fun. In this case I had done both sketches and a watercolor of this civil war era house even before it was moved to its current location and turned into a museum of sorts.  But it was a beautiful early spring day, I needed a break from the bike for a few minutes, and the lighting was great, so this was the result.
        You can find it online and a great deal about the era just after Quantrill's raid. Drawings and info from former historical surveys, and lots of records and pics from when it was moved from it original location to Hobbs Park. 

In the Overcast Air

       

        The view east from the playground just south of Prairie Park School after a new snowfall when winter was unwilling to retreat from northeast Kansas. The geese were moving, but not many people. The ground was lighter tone than the air above. The wind had cleared the snow in odd patterns from the corners of the roofs.

Alternate Fuel

        7th & Michigan. From the days when a car trip to Kansas City was a long drive.  This is no "Flying J". But the light and shadows did fuel my appetite for a little sketching! The old gas station made a good subject in the mid morning sun.

portabarn

        This barn was moved to this site a number of years back and set on this concrete and steel "basement" - that is according to "little Al". The sketch was done after one of my recent (rare) days on the job.  Asphalt, concrete, wood and steel a little of everything here gives a lot of texture to the page.

Finally got the settings right...
Ok, Kim, the bird is about 5'6" I think

Started a new page for a whole different project. If you click on "High Jinks" you can see a little welding project. 

Peak over Palmer

        From a recent trip to the Springs, as it had been forever since we were there to see the kids. This drawing was done at the end of a busy week when I had a few minutes to retreat to the corner park.  We have many pictures taken from this spot w/ grand-kids and Moses dog. It was trying to work up another afternoon shower as the clouds were rolling in from the northwest.
        This is a perfect spot for viewing the Peak. The small natural park is Iron Horse Park. It looks over Austin Bluffs, Palmer Park (the actual park), Kissing Camels in the Garden of the Gods, and then finally Ute Pass heading diagonal at the north of the Peak. 
        

Evening Window

     

        A sketch of our daughters fireplace window on a winter evening before the bare oaks outside were totally obscured. Reflections add a lot of interest  to most subjects if they can keep from confusing the mind. Though there is not much reflecting in this window, the recessed light does add some interest.

Shadows on the Snow

          It is going to reach 90 degrees here the next couple days, so lets have one more snow scene before summer kicks in full speed. These shadows are hard to see now that the grass is fully green.

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Oak n' Elm

        Before the final burst of spring this is what we still saw; full of pale green now. Three houses down from us, these towers were nearly black in the evening sun. Looking almost as one massive blunt spire they weave together at this angle. They are irresistible when you need something quick to draw. Interrelated negative space from the ground to the sky.
        The farther oak is actually nearly hollow at the base -has been for years. Just waiting for the day it comes down. Me thinks the north one is a surviving elm. At one time they were a major part of the American landscape. Nice to have one around...
        You can look at the Thumbnails page for a close up detail of this drawing.
        We can post an older drawing of this duo in a few days for comparison as well.       

Brick by Stone

        

       

         On a bike ride to the river a couple weeks ago. Trying to be heart healthy here.  Perfect spring day. One of 3 drawings those 3 hrs. These buildings have lots of character; character that they probably get by being owned or occupied by a "character" huh?  Many of these places have been around since before the turn of the last century- 100 plus years. I guess you would have some interesting details if you had been around that long as well...

        Once again done with a Generals flat led pencils, which are basically a carpenter pencil with a softer lead. 

Drawin' on the couch...

Not sure what drawing that is sitting there clipped to the Plexiglas board with the typical clips, the way I use to finish one started in a sketch book. Done in the winter while we were still cooped up in the house. I like the way the General pencil can give a painterly look even though the pencil is very obvious. The wide strokes are about 5/16" to give you some scale. This is a drawing of a little different subject. Good to do something to expand the mind a bit...
      The ol' couch came from the kids quite some time ago.
   

Snow Day

        Even when you are locked up in the house due to the nasty long winter, the sun will eventually squeeze through the clouds long enough for a sketch out the back window on a snowy day. This drawing was done on a day when it was too cold & wet to sit outside. Done with a Generals flat lead pencil of about 5/16 inch wide. 

Stone Cold

        This subject is easy to return to because of its innate interest as well as the fact that it is very close to home. I think I have posted other sketches of the place. It sits at the entrance to the O'Connell Ranch. It has been a long winter, and most people even by the time I did this drawing early in the season, were ready for winter to just stop! But I get lots of motivation from the snow covered world, even in the bitter cold. I hope you are not too sick of winter to enjoy a little more snow on paper anywho...

Betwixt old and new

The landfill when we first arrived in Lawrence was just east of the river west of the railroad and I guess south of Midland junction. This farm has been around since long before that, juist north of what is now a city park. This is south of the RR, US 59 and the current landfill. This is another sketch done in too big a hurry, but the results are kinda fun. Would be a good motif for a watercolor..

Buck Creek School

This drawing was done the last day Al G. worked at Hamm. I drove out there to see him get his rocking chair, though I had not worked that week. Stopped at the n curve headed back to town and did this sketch. I have photos of this place but not in 15 years of driving past the corner.