Pazi's Place once again

Pazi's Place - Diner in East Providence - Click image for larger view

I met Kathy again this morning at a local diner, Pazi's Place, on Taunton Ave East Providence. This is a very comfortable diner filled with nostalgia and good cheer. The owner (I think) is a really nice guy who likes to chat and keeps the coffee cups filled.  Today is a day of a big storm which is changing a lot of Thanksgiving plans around the country. It arrived here in the middle of the night. Kathy and I made it to the diner in the midst of wind and a torrent of rain. There were not a lot of people out and about at 6 am this morning, but the coffee war good and the bagel toasted nice and dark just how I like it. We sketched for about anjous I drew things and Kathy drew people…she is so good with that and I most definitely need to work on drawing people more.

Hope Valley Fire Department

Hope Valley Fire Department - Click image for larger view

I sat across the street from the fire department in Hope Valley this morning. I should have done a double spread to get all of the building in the frame. I have a special affinity for fire fighters, especially those who volunteer. My folks had a fire many years ago and the volunteer fire department of Kenney, Illinois saved my Moms life. She was burned over 70 per cent of her body.  It took a very long time for her to recover, but thanks to those volunteers we all had an extra 20 years with Mom. Special thanks to all you fire fighters out there.

Early Morning Color

Sunrise, Hope Valley - Click image for larger view

The morning was so colorful today that I needed to do a color sketch. I found  a good place to park at the Post Office parking lot in Hope Valley with a great view of this house. Looks like a fine example of a Federal Period home to me. I love this style of architecture. The light in the sky this morning was changing so rapidly that I didn't know just how to address it. Early on there were fantastic clouds with reds and purples but by the time I had the basics sketched in it was just a clear golden morning.

The General Store

The Hack & Livery General Store - Click image for larger view

It is starting to be cold in the morning, so my sketching is now being done from the inside of my car. I was comfy this morning with my coffee, and the heater running while sketching and listening to a book playing through my iPhone. I think our civilization is getting spoiled… at least this sketcher is. This is a great country store and has the best selection of penny candy just about anywhere, but they are not open at 6:00 am. As i sketched, the sun came up and back lit this scene. I was looking almost exactly due East. The trees that still had their leaves were a beautiful golden color and the tall pines almost black against the bright sky. I am going to have to start adding color to these sketches.

Morning Sketches

I have created a small collection of my ink sketches that I do each morning before work and am offering them up for sale. This is a 50 page paperback book with sketches of Rhode Island, most of which I have done on my way to work. This is a printed version of many of the images you have seen here on the blog and likely some new ones too. There are sketches of Providence, East Providence, Cranston and Wyoming and Hope Valley - with a few other places thrown in too.

You can find it for sale here.

Ordinary places

The Post Office and Subway in Wyoming RI - Click image for larger view

It was a rainy and just plain dreary morning today - I parked in the lot of the Post Office and did a sketch of a rather mundane scene. I am thinking that most of what I sketch is just ordinary scenes, so I want to take it a step further and do even more ordinary locations, the things nobody thinks to record until they are  gone. This is a strip mall, most of the businesses have left, and I thought it might be a good thing to sketch.. while I was sketching a man from the Subway came out to my car, in the rain, to see if I had broken down and if I needed any help. It is reassuring that some people have such a good nature, even in the most ordinary of places. The other day I sketched the gas station that is next door to this Post Office. Ordinary places. . .

The Hess Station in Wyoming, RI - Click image for larger view