SKETCHBOOK: "Another trip to El Dorado"

Yesterday, I returned home after a wonderful trip to my hometown, El Dorado, Arkansas.  I got to visit with my Mom, my brother, Kris, and his wife, Debra.  As is the new tradition, Mom and I spent as much time as we could going sketching. There's always more to draw than the time to draw it!

Above is a rusted out old hot rod that was in the yard of "Howlin' At The Moon: Antiques and More" in Smackover, AR ( a town near El Do).  Below is another rusted out bucket of bolts...my brother Kris.  Unfortunately, he had a sinus infection and needed to sleep it off.  Fortunately for my sketchbook...he needed to sleep it off.  I told him not to worry...he's more interesting to sketch than to talk to.  (I'm a mean big brother.  But I love that dude!)

Below are the really cool columns at the Union County Courthouse.  A little sign on the column says "Quiet Please.  Court is in session."  I was not...and it was not. (Is a lying sign a proper thing to have in the halls of justice?!!)

This is a train.  It is a yellow and blue train. It is a Union Pacific train. It is a nice train.

Apparently there was some remodeling being done in some offices off of the main square downtown.  They had to take the window out to move a bunch of sheet-rock panels in through the opening, since they could not fit them into the stairs.  This is at the end of the day, when they're puttying up the replaced glass panel.  The windows are a lot more complicated looking in real life...I was tired.

Here's a little angel face on the wall between some shops.  I discovered that, unfortunately, the pencil I was using was water soluble.  It smeared all the pencil work when I added washes.  I went back into the drawing with pen...not so happy with the outcome.

Finally...here is a sketch of a very ornate coat hook that my Mom has on an old wooden trunk in the den.  I wasn't sure it was wise to attempt the sketch of it, but I like how it turned out.

(Thanks for all the sketch and talk time, Mom!  Thanks for the dinner and ice cream, K and D!!  I had another great trip!!)