A Trip to Demun

 

Taking Busses to Grand Ave

 

Chippewa & Watson - Donut Drive-In

 

Odds and ends and a walk along the railroad tracks

 Some days, there is a theme and some days the sketches are an odd assortment of images captured as I am ferried throughout my day. Here were various views in and outside and through bus windows on the way to work. 

Then at lunch I took a walk to along the train tracks. It was actually a rather warm and muggy day the 6th. Not really the kind of walk I want to take every day before continuing the last  better half of a workday. 

Alton and Grafton Illinois

 I am resuming this blog after a certain break during the pandemic. I have all along, been sketching, but I have not for some time taken my sketches to the phase of producing watercolors. Sketching has in itself been the full occupation at least for the last year.

Recently, I was asked about my watercolors specifically and it  struck me as an impetus to renew attention to this blog and my watercolors again. One of my latest trips with a friend and fellow artist was too Alton, Illinois. We began the trip by visiting downtown Alton and stopping in at the Germania Brew Haus which also serves coffee as well as their selection of  beers.

It is right next door to the Jacoby's Arts Center. There was an opportunity to take some loose sketches.  in ink pen and marker to use later to produce a few watercolors from. I focused on the architecture up and down the street including a wedge shaped building with a sign on the corner marking it "Wedge Bank". It was made a further landmark by its large round clock mounted high on the sharpest angle of the building.. I am not sure when it was last in service as an actual bank. It would be an interesting subject for a little historic investigation.

After old Alton, we moved down the road towards Grafton. There we saw a lively array of subjects of river life and that of the regular stream of general visitors and motorcyclists who see Grafton as a favorite location to assemble.

Leaving Alton heading north, one can see the nexus of industrial traffic relating to to riverboats, storage towers, trainyards and trucking where they convene for their transactions before going on their journeys.

Upon arriving in Grafton, there are a variety of gift shops, fish sellers, restaurants, a boat dock and mooring, and lifted flood houses.

We sat and watched the goings-on on the river's edge while having lunch at Grafton Pub.

On returning to Alton later in the day, we took a drive up to Summit Street and took in a few more sketches before heading home.

I will regularly be posting watercolor studies from my sketch books as well as finished pieces. Below, you can see the first of these new watercolor studies on handmade paper. This was done from one of the houses on Summit Street. My intention will be to create something of a regular process and direction by the end of the month and to hone it in the coming months producing a renewed body of work and a communicable process.

Additionally, I will just enjoy seeing what comes of this  body of work as well as the places it takes me in the path of its creation.

Here is a further example of painted work in watercolor on handmade paper of model Heather Dawn from a session some years ago.

Daniele ArtModel

 

Sketches from Castlewood State Park

 Today Vihar and I went to Castlewood Park and drew. I was a little bothered by my calf which has been injured it  seems for a week. Hopefully that will improve soon. For this reason, and the reason I bring it up... we didn't hike all the way to the top but wend along the river's edge and drew.

Here are various sketches from the day. I wonder if anyone else would understand my sketches like some odd handwriting?

When things are moving around only a simple idea can be captured. Some Hispanic women with their long black hair watched as their children ran back and forth on the sand and waded their toes in the water despite signs saying nobody was to swim or wade. 

Also, a few varieties of dogs of  played as happily as the humans on the sand and jumped into the water with no hesitation.

The contrast of the various elements changed as the sky pushed clouds past. At once the water was gleaming light reflecting the sky and then the beach gleamed whiter as the water went a somber darker tone under the clouds.