lazy cat and dog

Bill and I were watching a movie we had taped last week about a girl's reform school where some of the girls were firefighters. As one of the characters spent her spare time sketching, I began to sketch Ceilidh and Bearcat -- they seemed to be bored with the whole thing.

I really messed up on Bear's face -- doesn't look cat-like at all!

(That chair's arm protector seems to always be askew, so I just drew it that way.)

bridge near North High School

I forgot to post this as a follow-up to my recent sketch of my parents' high school. These are some of the motifs from the near-by bridge, which was designed by the same local architect.

The Art Deco style high school was built in 1929 and has extensive use of terra cotta tile. This bridge wasn't built until 1932, during the Great Depression --- not so much money around then. But they found ingenious ways around that to make the bridge match the building. They used something called "Carthalite", a colored cast concrete, instead of terra cotta tile. The process seems to have only been used in the Wichita area.

Recently the bridge underwent major renovation / repair, but they were careful to keep it as originally designed --- a call went out for donations of vintage colored glass to be used to replicate the Carthalite. And they even replaced the real brick pavement instead of using asphalt.

an anniversary rose

Every home we purchased seemed to have a red rose shrub nearby. The first one was actually the neighbor's but it spilled over the fence into our yard. If we bought a place without a rose shrub, I added one to keep up the tradition.

Because our anniversary is in May, Bill (who never buys me flowers) would cut one newly opened rose to bring in to me each year. (BTW, this year we will be celebrating our 40th. So much for those who said it wouldn't last, that we were too young.)

This year the roses are overflowing a full month earlier than usual. This is the rose he brought me this week, plus an iris and some catmint.

maple and elm seeds

The Kansas wind never stops. Just last week, there were over 90 verified tornado sightings in one day. So why is my yard still littered with all these seeds?

North High School, Wichita, KS

I have always loved the Art Deco design of the high school my parents went to. Much more attractive than the larger East High that Bill and I attended.

Built in 1929, it has lots of tile insets & panels and a terra cotta roof, plus sculptured busts of Native Americans and American bison. The same local architect, Glen H. Thomas, later designed a nearby bridge to match, which was featured in American Bungalow magazine.

Arriving too early for last week's watercolor class (which meets in a church nearby), I parked on a side street and did a quick sketch of the tower and part of the building -- now hidden by maturing trees. I added color later at home.

Before leaving for class, I also did a quick sketch of Jack's Hamburgers, a walk-up eatery right across the street from the high school which has been there continually since my parents' school days. I remember my mom taking me here as a child -- the first place I had sprinkles on my ice cream cone!

unresponsive Bearcat

Neither our cat or dog like it when I vacuum, both running for cover when it comes out. So I was very surprised when I was able to vacuum the whole bedroom without Bearcat even raising an ear.

He will be 10 years old this year; maybe he's just too old to care? Wish we could sleep that deeply.

unfinished sketching

Arriving early at Thursday night's watercolor class, I wanted to sketch the church (Church of the Savior) . . . but got caught up in the car parked in front (I can now see the front end is NOT long enough!). Before I could move on to the church and surroundings, it was time to go inside.

Most of the students who began the class have dropped out. John and I talked about it . . . if no more interest is shown in the next couple of weeks, the class will end. Being a beginning watercolor class, I have already explored a lot of what is covered; I go just to be with other artists. It's so hard to find others to sketch or paint with around here.

Expectation

Not sure what Ceilidh is expecting . . . . a passing dog? another robin in the yard? Our renter coming home to greet her?

She seems to be happy just waiting.

"Be silent before the Lord and wait expectantly for Him . . ." -- Psalm 37:7