'Pen and Ink' Keeping My Creative Fire Alive

While waiting the summer art production rush I go through every year, I often resort to pen and ink drawings. I use pen and ink for three reasons: first, to keep my artistic eye alive and well, second, to think creatively since this takes less materials to create so less is lost if it doesn't turn out well, and thirdly, it is very easy to set up and work with when one feels the urge to 'make art'. My reasons are clearly one's of maintaining myself during the times when I can't get to the palette and brush since there just isn't enough time to do so when I only have a weekend's time-frame in which to spend on my efforts. The laundry, grocery shopping and general household chores have to be done in that time-frame as well....so.....that old saying comes to mind "one has only so many hours in a day" I do enjoy working in pen and ink though, its not like I have been exiled to the Siberia of the paper and pen. No not at all, that just isn't the case. Rather on the paper I can readily explore new ideas and images without committing myself to the expense spent on gessoed canvas and paints.

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What Has Worked;

Penn Academy of the Fine Art Visit in Philly

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I made it up to Sinking Springs Pennsylvania and then into Philadelphia the next day, what a great city! The city was really alive with people and new stores and buildings that I had never seen before. It was really a treat for me. My friends (Mike and Annson) took me to the new school building for PAFA and then into our old classrooms in the Museum building. It was nice to see the classrooms where I worked so hard to "get it right" but I never felt like I did "get it right". But no matter I had the desire to keep working and the teachers were encouraging none-the-less no matter how "bad" I felt my artwork was coming out. I was carefully brought into the creative world during those formative years in the Old Museum Building. I did practice and work everyday I could when I was a student in the certificate program at the Academy. After working on casts, it seemed like I improved in my abilities to bring out something worthwhile because of...
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The First Structure in Nelson County of European Settlers

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 I asked this local resident just what that old wooden structure was standing over yonder near some parked cars, she informed me that the wooden stack was the earliest home for Nelson County Residents back in the times when this county was established.   I couldn't believe it, you mean it was of that kind of historical value and it was simply a stand alone building in the backyard of one of Schuyler's residents with no markings of its significant value?   I had to paint it.   So I snapped a photo of it and took it home, then got to work.   Its simply the size of a small compact car only made of weathered wood.      To paint it took little time due to its small size.   I believe I will paint it again due to the feeling that it is owed some more attention that I have given it.   I also cropped some of the building off so I want to include that part in the next painting.
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Hut for a Blue Tractor and a Red Grass-Cutter

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     Many of these farm structures that I live around out here in Central Virginia near Lovingston are made from wood that has been recycled from earlier farm buildings.   I am almost certain that a lot if it may just go back to the early days of European settlers locating here in Schuyler.   One can just take a quick look and even without carbon-dating one can see that the wood is old and weathered by the elements.   It is very heavy older hardwood that these folks used in making their farm structures.   One can also see how the buildings were shaped for the needs of the farm at a time and then torn down but not discarded but reused again for another purpose..   The sizes of the buildings are small.   They may house one farm implement or two but they are not like those northern Atlantic barns that have lofts and large areas for animals, these buildings are built to suite a single purpose and generally aren'...
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Remains of an Early Virginian Church

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 The old world of European faith was rife with change when new varieties of religion left the old continent for the America's open horizons.   These remains of an older mud stone Church is still here in Central Virginia near where the Lock'n Music festival takes place, only but a mile or so to the east it still stands in its muddy sandstone way.   I didn't find out much more than it was a Church at one time where people placed their wants and needs on the Altar to the keep of a Higher Power.   I don't know what faith these remains belonged to but knowing the society around here it no doubt was a early Virginian Christian Church. 
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Whiting Oil Company on W. Main St. C'ville, Va.

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On a walk to my day job in the 1980's I would pass this non-important gas station on the main drag of West Main Street. Today its a new and different event taking such a meandering in Charlottesville, the buildings are all redone and new ten story hotels are being placed on that street. The old has been made new. I believe the term is re-gentrification. Such a change happened to this former gas station. It was a building I passed by and never really took a good look at because there wasn't anything 'noteworthy' for me to see in it. It was your average gas station with mechanics working on cars inside of its portals. But then came the changes and renewal occurred. While I don't like change for change sake, the re-gentrification of West Main Street has added some taste to that street's structures, such was what I saw in 'Whiting Oil Co.' It has had some new walls added, outdoor tables and new glass windows that made it somewhat unique to ot...
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