SKETCHBOOK - "Walk About"

Here are a few random images from various days out and about in Kansas City.

We were up around 4:30 a.m. today to say good-bye to my wife's Mom and Sister, who were visiting this week (they have a long drive home). We couldn't go back to sleep, so we made a bright and early visit this morning to the Country Club Plaza to sketch and take photos. I drew/painted the "Lucky Boar" statue below. The sign on the bronze sculpture says that if you rub the boar's nose, you'll have good luck. Never tried it.
Here's an update to my original post...thought it would be fun to include these shots Cat took of the morning's fun. Other added images will be commented on in BLUE.

A couple of blocks away from the Boar is this nice Organ Grinder statue. Drew this one last Summer.

My wife tells me this plant is a "Cleome"...I'll take her word for it. The sketch was done in an arboretum not too far from our house. I'm not big on doing florals, but thought I'd give it a try.

The sketch below is from Kauffman Garden, near the Plaza. My wife spends a lot of time taking photos there.

I love trees...this huge old favorite is in Loose Park.

Here's a photo of me painting the same tree in the Summer a few years back.
This is a painting I did of that tree during a very wet Fall day, right after a rain.
This beautiful photo was taken by Cat, and is featured on her "Etsy" website where she sells her photography. Go check it out by clicking this link: Cat Ludwig Studio
This lilac bush is from the side of my house. Though it doesn't look this way now...I'm afraid that I had to cut it down to almost nothing last year. (But I had permission this time...I've gotten in trouble often with the limb-loppers...can't seem to stop, once I start trimming.)