Thirty-five glass ships

Lino Tagliapietra's glass ships circle the sun every 365 days. I sketched as they passed.

Dry watercolor pencil over wet, pastel pencil background.

Note: The Columbus Museum of Art offers free admission on Sundays.

Baklava

The calm before the holiday (advertising) storm called for baklava.

Cracker Barrel

I love Cracker Barrel's beans 'n' greens, laced with pork, served with sides of onion and chutney. The gun over the fireplace reminded me an animal died for that meal.

The weapon, surrounded by antique memorabilia, also reminded me of a 19th century Amish gunsmith in my family tree.

On the road

Trip notes: water tower over scattered houses and late autumn fields, bumpersticker, couch fabric pattern, seen in a waiting room.

It was hard to reserve the whites, working small, in a moving vehicle. I used a broad white Uniball Signo gel pen on the houses, tower, and fabric pattern.

For anyone who thinks you can't draw, but would like to learn: start by sketching simple patterns, from observation of the world around you. Then move to increasingly complex ones. You will simultaneously learn to see better and improve eye-hand coordination.

Bridge Park construction

The purple column has been covered with a brown material, allowing the yellow and green to be clearly heard. I wonder if the varied colors of these materials signifies something.

The skeleton of a building in the foreground has appeared. The buildings across the river, to the left, are taking definite shape in pale blue.

Much of the Bridge Park development is being built on the grounds of the old Bash Recreation golf course. I had the privilege of meeting Herbert Bash, Sr.,  in the late 70's.
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Watercolor pencil, wet and dry, over watercolor. Still working in the Pentallic Nature Sketch journal. 

Had a great visit to Plaza Art's Kenwood store, in Cincinnati, yesterday. Wonderful prices, coupons, and selection. Friendly staff know their stock.

St. Patrick's Episcopal Church

Mental health drawing the last day before the election. St. Patrick is reputed to have chased all the snakes from Ireland into the sea.

Amaryllis

Our amaryllis, purchased after Christmas in 2014, usually blooms late. This month, it showed up early, a welcome promise of resurrection, during a turbulent election season. In winter, it's a lone star; in autumn, it happily bows to the glow of the foliage beyond the window.

I used a little watercolor pencil over watercolor, in a few places. I hatched a little dry watercolor pencil behind the flower pot. I may do some more shading on the leaves.

Monterey Park

Here, I tested a pack of Faber-Castell portrait pens. Later, I sketched the tennis courts in Monterey Park, using watercolor. The colors ended up harmonizing.

This park is a good perspective exercise, with:

• the court rectangle appearing as a parallelogram
• the closer row of bushes being warmer in hue than the far (bluer) trees
• the closer row of bushes seen in more detail than the distant trees

Ohio Pen Show

Last year, I attended the Ohio Pen Show for the first time:

• rows of tables of (old and new) pens, paper, and ink for sale
• interesting classes
• fountain pen collectors

This year's show will be held next weekend, November 11-13, at:
Crowne Plaza Dublin Hotel
600 Metro Place
Dublin, Ohio
(Just west of Frantz Road, south of Route 161.)

I think admission is around $5. (Children may be free, not sure.)
Fun children's activities are scheduled Sunday afternoon at 2:00 p.m.:

• ink grinding
• calligraphy demo by Deborah Basel
• free pen from Anderson Pens
• note writing
• origami
• door prize

This a trip both back in time and around the world, with pen makers from Italy, Germany, and Japan represented, as well as our local Ohio craftsmen.

Part of Ballantrae Park treeline in late October

Illustrated journaling gives both permission and discipline to pay attention....

A little dry watercolor pencil over the grass.

"....all the trees of the field shall clap their hands." Isaiah 55:12