Plein Air Lumber Mill

With about an hour of free time, I drove to a lumber mill in Rocklin, California, to relax and draw. I parked on the side of a quiet little road and sketched this complicated looking network of pipes, ducts and wires which make up the major part of this active lumber mill. It is next to impossible to try to draw every detail but I don't worry about--it looks like a lumber mill minus the exact details. I completed the line work on site and added watercolor at home. Ink and watercolor.

A Ship Of The Past

This large ship with sails was a treat to draw. Because I could not see lots of detail from the photograph, I had to fake some stuff but the ship still looks real and majestic. There are actually more lines and cables on the real ship but the few I drew made it look real enough. Unfortunately, many of these old ships are now grounded and have been mothballed or destroyed. I used Sharpies, Prismacolors and watercolor.

The Pond

I like this scene primarily because of the pond. Seems like most ranches and farms had some kind of pond with reeds and fish which was always exciting as a kid. You could fish from the banks, swim in the cool waters and float in a raft if you were clever enough to make one that would float. My Grandpa did not have a pond but he built a cement receptacle and filled it with fresh, running water. It was the coolest water especially on a hot summer day. Today, the receptacle remains but there is no fresh water. Ink and watercolor.

Snow Waters

The snow is melting and many streams like this are beginning to fill the reservoirs in California to store the water that is so badly needed in this state. There are more lakes and dams in this state than you can imagine. But we need more. Too much water ends up in the ocean UNUSED. We would dry up and blow away if we did not save the snow waters. Ink and watercolor.

Village Towers

Long, lean buildings allow winding streets to meander in a foreign town. Looks like there is not much room for error if you are driving on these streets. Also in danger are any pedestrians out for a stroll. Done in ink and watercolor.

City Of Loose Lines

My colorful city scene was done with very loose line work--I mean I intentionally did it to make this image very loose and free. This scene was produced looking at several city scenes. The buildings are way more colorful than actual city buildings and I added more trees for greenery. The windows of the buildings were done in different styles and very loosely as well. Simple sky and clouds were added last. Ink and watercolor.

Amtrak Westbound

The black and white version of this Amtrak image was posted originally back in September 2006. I decided to add watercolors to the original black and white and came up with this new color version. The black and white received mild attention. I feel the color version has much more appeal and interest. This train is moving forward out of Truckee towards Sacramento. Ink and watercolor.