Sketching with Kathy

The Remnant Shop - Click image for larger view

This morning my good friend Kathy Weber and I met early to go sketching down in Hope Valley. She (she is the real artist, not a hack like me) has been following my doodling and wanted to go sketch there and today we finally made the time. This was my first sketch - an old mill converted to a retail outlet for fabrics. What a spectacular building and I REALLY wanted to add some color to this one. the front of this building was in shadow and I didn't know how to handle that in ink and maintain the detail. (and I may have gone a bit extreme with the perspective)

While Kathy continued to sketch some of the wonderful Victorian houses in the area I walked dow about a quarter of a mile and got his vies of a barn which is set back off the road.

Barn, Hope Valley - Click image for larger view

I am not all that happy with this one - I didn't spend much time laying it out and there seems to be a lot wrong with it. We headed back to Providence looking for something a bit more industrial and less bucolic and found this. . .

Along Allens Avenue - Click image for larger view

This was certainly an ambitious undertaking. I had skipped a page in my sketchbook so I could do a full two page spread. The plant goes on more, off to the right with all sorts of interesting things, but I just ran out of energy. . . and this ink only nonsense really makes my brain hurt. Kathy did several great sketches in pencil with wonder shades of gray. . . . oh but I long for a pencil or pigment! So this makes sketch number 39 out of the 75. I am now over half was there.

OOOPS! I checked my numbers and left out number 37! So I had to drive into Providence and sketch this. . .

Ladd Observatory - Click image for larger view

This is likely one of Providences best kept secrets. It is open to the public, on Wednesday nights (I think) and free. If the skies are clear you get to view the heavens through their giant telescope. It's like being in a Jules Verne novel.