Landscape of Virginia

We're Covered w The White Stuff Today. This is my backyard and there is a stairway under their somewhere buried under some of that white snow. I think I'll be stepping carefully on the way out later on. We only have sixteen inches here but on the other side of the Blue Ridge Mtns they have twenty seven recorded inches at Sherando State Park. That's snug tucked up against the western edge of the Blue Ridge Mtns near Waynesboro,Va. The schools just we let out for the winter break yesteday and no more than a few hours later this weather began to fall upon us. The officals say it's the largest snowfall ever that located itself in this part of Virginia that could be found in their records. But those records only go back to the ninteen sixties so I don't know how much creedence I would give that claim. It sure is nice though that we finally have some of the white stuff slowing things down. For me at least, it's a lot of fun. So fa...

We're snowed in today...and it just grand to be stuck today. Happy Holidays and may many cheerful feelings come your way.

This is just a classic view of a dessert bar in a local shopping mall. I couldn't help but think of a current artist (Thym? or something like that) and his view of the pastery bars in the local bakeries up in NYC. He painted those desserts with such gusto that I could help but be reminded of him when I spotted this scene today. It's a wonderful thing, desserts in restaurants are such delights. Even with the colors used in making and their presentation.

One of the very best features of the southside of Charlottesville's Belmont section might be "Sputnuts". Which is a chain restaurant that makes it's very own receipt of potato flowered donuts. If you've never had one your in for a treat. They are excellent and people make a line out the door to get them. The place which I have often been to is very popular with our hometown crowd, it opens early and closes by noon everyday. It's original owner Richard, passed away after many many years of performing his early morning magic at this unique atmosphere. To our delight his lovely daughter has taken over the continued running of the eatery to our delight. She could usually be seen at work in the backroom kitchen of Richard's own "Spudnuts" for all the years I've been to the place. They don't cost much, about a "fin" for a dozen of regulars, but your mouth won't let you stop putting more and more of them into it...

I've been looking through some older drawings . I really didn't get a lot from them that I can show with confidence but there are a few. One has to go through a process in order to get to "the good stuff" but I did do the footwork to get to where I am today. This drawing is one I did only a few years ago as I was living near the downtown area and a section known as "Fifeville". It's housed both the working class, African Americans and otherwise has had to have much of it torn down due to street changes and old dwelling becoming just too old to stand. One was a house I lived in and painted in, it was located on King Street. I lived their from 1979 or so ( I remember the new Pope was named the day I moved in which was Pope John Paul II at the time) until I was hospitalized for my addiction and usage of drugs until I went off. I don't do that anymore but I did and it was a part and parcel of my existence during my active days of my addictio...

Fifeville by John J. Trippel via Artbreak - Share and sell art online

The time goes on. I use to be one to go out for the Sunday Morning Buffet with the all you can eat portion being one of it's main attractive features. I'd load up my plate and sit with my buddies and devour the Sunday papers with my eggs, and stuff of all kinds until I was stuffed. I enjoyed doing that after a night of partying but that was thirty or more years ago, now I just sleep late. I don't party either. But the tradition of Sunday breakfast and the paper goes on despite me not being a part of it. It was fun. I got to have a few laughs with my friends and I think that meal helped me survive my drinking and partying back then with some good food and reasonable conversation. The other Sunday morning, I was able to draw this group at their Sunday breakfast tradition happening across the street from my drawing pad.