SKETCHBOOK - "Spudnut Cowboy"

Just returned from a trip home to see my family in El Dorado, Arkansas...a weekend full of sketchin', eatin', laughin', bush-hoggin' and swimmin'! Thought I'd post a few images of some of the fun.

On one rainy morning, I headed over to one of the iconic places in my home town...The Spudnut Shop! Most folks wonder what you're talking about..."What's a spudnut?!" It's better than any donut you'll ever taste...made from potato flour and love, covered in a sugar glaze and greasy as can be. Melts in your mouth!!
I had started the sketch below, when "hoss" sat down right in front of me (the drawing at the top)! Couldn't resist. I told someone later, "Don't sit down in my composition and not expect to get drawed!" (You may notice that I'm even writing with a southern drawl now...always happens when I "go home" for a bit.) Anyway...after the "Spudnut Cowboy" left, I finished the sketch of the tables.

Mom, her sketchin' buddy "Speck", and I spent a couple of days on a sketch adventure . Mom had scouted out some locations before I arrived, and hit the "Mother Lode" with a wonderful place ..."Rusty Acres" Salvage Yard!! The name says it all...acres and acres of junked out cars, trucks, tractors and who knows what...all rusting away. It was beautiful!!! We stayed out there for a few hours, in spite of the threatening rain clouds, and had a blast. I will be back!!
Mom and "Speck" sketched some ol' John Deere tractors, while I was around the corner continuing my series of vans with weird things sitting on the roof.

We ended that day's efforts at the Arkansas Gas and Oil Commission building, next to First Assembly of God Church.

Another day, we drove to nearby Smackover to visit the Arkansas Museum of Natural Resources (a.k.a. the Oil and Brine Museum). There was an interesting vehicle made from a former circus trailer that was owned by the locally famous "Goat Woman" during the depression era. She was a "one woman band" and could play seven instruments at once. She lived in this little trailer, raised goats, and would entertain any visitors who might drop by.
There were a couple of old "boom town" vehicles on display...I liked this delivery truck.

Since it was raining, and we were getting tired, I was not able to sketch some of the terrific treasures out on the grounds of the museum...antique oil drilling machinery. Another time!

One of the highlights of the trip was going out to the home of my brother Kris and his wife Debra. For the first time in my life I got to drive a tractor and bush-hog the front pasture!!! I had a silly grin on my face the whole time. Kris was more than happy to "let me" mow for about an hour. (Reminds me of Tom Sawyer's approach to getting his fence white-washed.) After showing me the ropes, and goin' a lap or two around the field, he turned me loose on my own.

Whew! Worked up an appetite...I need me a SPUDNUT!!