yesterday’s sketch, updated

After returning home yesterday, I was wondering what I should add to my depot sketch — today I added a sketch of one of the historical reenactors from a photo I had snapped. She seemed to add to the page in a way that the nearby caboose or other building did not.

Our granddaughter Jayna sometimes works as a reenactor at George Ranch. Like the lady in the sketch, Jayna loves to play dress-up and sharing historical facts with the many visitors.

today’s sketchcrawl

Today I finally made it to another sketch crawl, this time in nearby Tomball. It must be over 8 years since I last met with the Urban Sketchers Houston group! Several of us avoided the Farmers’ Market crowds and chose to draw the 1906 train depot in its peaceful park setting instead. After adding the USk stamps, we headed home before the rain began — Bill had some wood in the back of the truck for a new building project and we didn’t want it to get wet. Later on, I’ll decide what else I want to add to this 2-page spread.

another urban sketch that wasn’t

Over the years that we drove from Kansas to Houston visiting our kids, we often passed the Swamp Shack on HWY 290 in Waller, TX. Every time I saw the 25-foot long crawfish, ridden by a mannequin dressed as a cowboy, I wanted to pull over and sketch it on-site. But never did.

After moving to Brenham, TX we still passed it driving to Houston. The restaurant was no longer in operation and the building was turned into a temporary fireworks stand (Fireworks are BIG in Texas: New Year’s, Texas Independence, Cinco de Mayo, Fourth of July . . .). I still wanted to stop to sketch it, but my husband is not a sketcher and we were always on our way to somewhere.

Then this past December, the crawfish was gone. There seems to be some work going on to the building but probably for a totally different use. So I sketched it from a photo just to remember it by.

I found this photo online taken in May 2019 — the cowboy’s hat was mostly gone and the whole thing was badly weathered but it still made me smile.

another barn view

A quick sketch showing another view from our barn-house, thus time looking west at what we call the south pasture (Michael calls it his putting green — with hazards). Only one donkey in view; not sure where the goats were. We’ve opened up all pastures since fixing the fence that was down during construction so they have several grazing areas available.

Last year I filled the Demi Palette sketched on the left with an urban sketching set of colors patterned after one Joan Blundell suggested on her blog, with a couple of changes. I find Indian red too opaque so I use lunar red rock instead — same pigment but more transparent. And I use monte amiata natural sienna instead of goethite and green apatite instead of sap green. (Mine look a bit paler than normal in this palette sketch because I wanted the color names to show through.)

Recently, Maria at art-toolkit.com started offering an Ultimate Sketching Palette  filled with Jane’s colors. A very versatile set of colors!

day trip to Round Top

On Saturday, in a spur-of-the-moment decision, we drove to Round Top in search of antique lamps. Bill's woodshop, built two years ago with a wrap-around porch, still is lacking outdoor lighting (except for a motion-detected security light). What he really wants is two matching antique train lamps with reflectors that he can convert to electricity. We have been in search for them ever since.

We have also wanted to eat at the well-known Royer's Cafe for two years . . . every time we were in the wee town, they've been closed. With only 10 tables, this gourmet restaurant typically has over an hour wait-time to be seated, and they sit you "cruise ship style", several guests together at each table. They were open Saturday and we got on the waiting list . . . 1 1/2 hour wait as we wondered the various antique and art shops.

We wondered for only an hour, then seating on the old porch opened up so we sat on a vintage glider as I sketched. The oversized chair is "Bud the Pieman's" throne; he's the owner of the cafe.

Walls (and ceilings!) are absolutely covered, inside and out. Bill especially likes this sign so I sketched it for him. The food is delicious and we both ordered pie as well . . . I ordered a slice of this junk berry pie, named for the Junk Gypsies whose shop is nearby.

Oh, and those lamps? Bill DID find them this time and he's as excited as a little kid! They are my next sketching subject.

more EDM challenges

For "draw something shiny" I tried something more challenging: the subtle shine of sea shells done with gouache which can look a bit dull in its opaqueness. Not sure if it worked.

Since I drew our nearest downtown less than three weeks ago, I didn't really want to do it again. I seldom enjoy drawing the same thing more than once (OK, except for art supplies maybe?). So I fudged a bit and printed a copy of the previous sketch into this sketchbook. Greatly reduced in size since my current journal is much larger.

And what loves the sun greater than a cat? Especially my Bearcat in the winter. After all, it's down in the 50's here! A very damp 50's. (no sympathy from those experiencing real winter weather, right?)

 

And finally, draw a shirt . . . so I drew two shirts seen in church last night.

I posted these photos the easy way, using my iPad, which means they don't enlarge if clicked on in Blogger. I still haven't figured out a fix for that. But when I post journal pages with more text, I will go back to using a real camera and computer so they can be enlarged for those who like that.

Saturday in Nacogdoches

Following our Thanksgiving gathering, we drove Jeff back to college over the weekend. The undergrowth trees in Davy Crockett National Forest is showing a lot more color than trees in our area in central Texas. Many leaves such as this red one are misformed but still lovely colors.

We ate lunch at the Mexican cafe around the corner from his apartment, where I drew a Very Wonky Window where customers can watch the employees make fresh tortillas. I was visually drawn to that stack of flour and cornmeal bags!

sketching in church

Although I have "captive models" to sketch at church while listening to the message, I seldom do so. These are people we have grown to love dearly and I never seem to capture their essence. 

sitting on the side of the bay

Much of our time at the Gulf, we sat out on one of the decks or gazebos relaxing, watching ships and boats of all varieties moving through the ship channel. 

Here I sketched the view between ship traffic. BTW, the water is level in the sketch --- it's that bit of island with the bluffs across the water that make it look slanted. On the far right horizon is Mustang Island, where our kids camped on the beach in March.

Saturday in Somerville and Brenham

On Saturday I had two chances for a bit of urban sketching on the spot, both unexpected. I guess that's why I carry my sketchbook with me always.

In the morning a few of us ladies from church got together in Somerville for a bit of Bible study --- While taking notes, I wish I had been a bit more courageous and sketched the ladies instead of my kolache and tea. But I'm still a bit shy drawing our new friends, especially since they now know that I am drawing.

Then Bill took me out for an impromptu steak dinner ___ beating the Valentine crowd, he says ___ at the Longhorn Saloon & Steakhouse in downtown Brenham. The building was a saddle shop in the 1800's and has been beautifully restored. Dominating the room is a gorgeous solid wood bar, much longer than it appears in the sketch but this is what I saw from our table.