Burgers in Fort Worth

Life is hectic during the holidays and it has been hard to find the time to sketch or post. So here is a sketch from the Thanksgiving Holiday. For Thanksgiving we took a road trip up to Fort Worth to visit my sister P and her family. We stayed in FW's art district near the museums, and were able to spend an afternoon touring them.

For lunch we went to Dutch's near the TCU campus. We went based on a review in TX Monthly magazine for best burgers in Texas. Guess I was hungry when I saw the photo in the mag, 'cause I just had to try their Bleu Cheese Burger.

The buns tasted homemade and the melty cheese, bacon and burger were awesome. Definitely belongs on the "Things I Shouldn't Eat" list, but yum!

Pilates on the Square

This pretty building, on the southeast corner of Georgetown's square, owes its charm, at least in part, to the Main Street Project. In 1982, Georgetown, Texas, was chosen to be an official Main Street City and took part in the Texas Main Street Program (which is ongoing). This program focuses on "downtown revitalization, within the context of historical preservation." One of the four points of Main Street's approach is design, including storefronts, signage, landscaping and public spaces. Any changes made to downtown buildings must obtain the approval of the Main Street board. I love that Georgetown's citizens can exercise their minds and bodies in these quaint surroundings!!!

Platinum sepia ink and watercolor in my handmade sketchbook.

Meet Texas Sketcher James Richards

Hello all, I'm Jim Richards. I'm based in Fort Worth and the co-founder of an urban design consultancy called Townscape, where my partner and I creates plans for old town centers, new town centers, urban villages and transit-oriented developements. As a landscape architect, my focus is on the connective tissue between buildings, where the life of great cities takes place.  Freehand sketching is at the heart of my creative process and a signature element of our firm's work.

My first on-location sketching was done as a landscape architecture student at LSU back in the 1970s.  My early career involved design drawing on an almost daily basis, but I didn't return to location sketching with gusto until I began traveling around the world to study cities and projects in 1999. I now travel quite frequently for work and pleasure (visiting and sketching 32 countries so far), and sketching has become an integral part of the travel experience for me as well as my primary creative tool at work.  I enthusiastically promote freehand sketching through magazine articles, lectures and hands-on workshops at universities across the country and abroad, and I'm currently working on my first book, Freehand Drawing Renaissance, due from Wiley Press in January 2013.

I became a member of Urban Sketchers back in March of 2010, and was a lecturer at the 2nd International Urban Sketchers Symposium in Lisbon in August 2011.  The Lisbon experience was amazing, and inspired me to enlist some regional talent to start Urban Sketchers Texas!  I'm really looking forward to watching our network of sketchers grow and become a source of inspiration and encouragement for creative professionals and recreational sketchers alike.
flickr site:  www.flickr.com/photos/jamesrichardsdrawings
website:  www.townscape.com

the fountain at dos salsas . . .

Dos Salsas (translation: two sauces . . . roja and verde or red and green) is the premier Tex-Mex restaurant in Georgetown. As a matter of fact, according to Urban Spoon, it is the most popular restaurant in town. It certainly gets my vote! Pretty much on a weekly basis. . . usually for enchiladas suizas . . .

I arrived early for dinner with a friend the day I sketched the fountain (tucked into a corner of the parking lot, between the Dos Salsas catering truck and a loooong bench for the usual customer overflow . . . not a lot of space for landscaping . . . this used to be a Dairy Queen!). The water was turned off, but the steady stream of birds (mostly grackles) seemed to be enjoying it immensely. As a matter of fact, even though it was a little chilly and getting on to evening, one brave grackle helped himself to a serious bath . . . a whole lot of "splishing and splashing" went on!!

Fort Barrancas Cannon

Another view of one of the old cannons at the fort. 

 

I'm a sucker for any scene with a flag in it!

Hastily sketched on location, tidied up and watercolor back home.

Old Ft. Barrancas at the entrance to Pensacola Bay, Florida

Fort Barrancas is a historic United States military fort in the area of Pensacola, Florida, located physically on Naval Air Station Pensacola.  The hill-top fort, connected to a sea-level water battery, overlooks Pensacola Bay, from what is now Naval Air Station Pensacola.  Spanning a multi-century history, the U.S. Army deactivated Fort Barrancas on April 15, 1947.  Designated a National Historic Site  in 1960, control of the site was transferred to the National Park Service in 1971. After extensive restoration during 1971-1980, Fort Barrancas was opened to the public.  The site was first occupied as a fort in 1698 by the Spanish.  It has been

occupied and rebuilt by five different governments; Spanish, French, British, Confederate and finally, American.

During the American and Confederate years the fort was home to 19 cannons like the one I've sketched here.   If you're ever in the neighborhood, it is well worth a visit!

A formal introduction.....

 Well...I guess it is my turn to formally introduce myself.  My name is Tim Oliver and I am one of the seven current contributing correspondents for Urban Sketchers-Texas.  I am a native Texan, born and currently living on the plains of West Texas in Lubbock.  I am a graduate of Texas Tech University, a licensed landscape architect and own a design/build practice here in Lubbock.  I have an exceptionally beautiful and patient wife as well as three wonderfully above average children!  My wife is the love of my life as well as my biggest fan and supporter.  My oldest son currently serves in the US Navy, my daughter is employed in an architecture firm in Houston and my youngest boy is a senior in High School, headed to Tech next fall. 

I've always loved to draw and sketch but really discovered my passion a few years ago when I attended a "Sketching on Location" workshop by landscape architect and illustrator Richard Scott in Pasadena, California.  It was there that I became familiar with the incredible worldwide group of location sketchers known as Urban Sketchers.  I am extremely pleased to be a part of USK-Texas and hope to faithfully fufill the manifesto of Urban Sketchers by showing you Lubbock and West Texas "one sketch at a time!"

TX Pow Wow

Every November in an arena at a local Trader's Village (a sort of flea market) a Native American Pow Wow is held. I took S and one of his buddies a couple of years and ago and knew I needed to go back this year to sketch it. There were Pawnee, Cherokee, Alabama Coushatta and many other groups from around the U.S.

Otto on the left is from here in Texas and Chuck on the right came all the way from California.

In the center of the arena under a shade canopy is a large drum with drummers seated around it, also to the side of the arena is another drum circle. An announcer would call out the competitions, like Grass Dancers and the dancers would enter the arena, the drumming would start and they would dance. They were judged and a winner was declared. During some dances you could enter the ring and drop donations or buy raffle tickets for blankets and the money raised was awarded to the winners. There were dances for children, women and even audience participation.

On these sketches I put most of the color on the page before I left the house, (technique from Lining Over Color workshop in Lisbon) drew with a pigma pen and added more color with watercolor and Inktense watercolor pencils.

It's me, TXsketcher.

Hi, I am Judith Dollar, one of the correspondents here at USK-Texas. I am a native Texan, living just north of Houston. I am a graphic designer and have worked for large printing companies, ad agencies/mkt. firms, and am now self-employed. I've got a lovely husband and teen son, who are very patient with me when I have to stop for a sketch.

I discovered Urban Sketchers a couple of years ago, before the Portland Conference. Wishing I could have attended I made sure to make it to Lisbon this year after stalking the website for the last year. Lisbon was a fantastic experience, so many people just as enamored with sketching as I have come to be.

I have sporadically carried a sketchbook or art supplies with me when I travel, but now it is part of everyday life. Probably the thing appearing in my sketchbook most frequently is my cup of coffee. I tend to draw people more than architecture and struggle with trees. I know that when I look back at my sketchbooks I remember more of the details of place and time than I do with photos. I am looking forward to meeting all the other Texas sketchers some time soon.

Thank You to those who serve!

An annual Veteran's Day project at my son's jr. high school honors veteran's with this display. Each 8th grader interviews and makes a poster about a veteran they know personally. All the posters are laminated and hung on "clotheslines" running between the trees in front of their school. The display hangs for a week. There are hundreds of them. I spent some time this morning reading the posters, it really brings home the fact that we all have a link to the armed forces who serve for our benefit. It is a touching tribute. While there were plenty of grandfathers, and a few grandmas, there are a large number of men and women who are currently serving. God bless them all. This sketch is just a small portion of the display.

Bugs in the 'hood

Well, I've been swamped at work and life so I've pulled a sketch from the archives, from this summer. A retirement home just around the corner had a vintage VW show one weekend out in their front drive. I've always like bugs and even considered a convertible one, who knows maybe one day a nice restored one. With the addition of air conditioning since I don't think those early ones had it. Getting the open door on this drawing to look right just didn't happen for me here. It looks like the whole thing is falling apart. But you just can't mistake that bug profile.

Georgetown's Old Masonic Building

. . . and its "onion dome." The Old Masonic Building, constructed in 1900, has quite a history. In addition to its intended purpose, it has served as a post office, and most recently the lower floors have housed restaurants (first Chinese, then two different Italian, and finally a restaurant and bar. . . the space is now sadly vacant), while the upper floors are used as offices.

The building is on the square, on the corner, with lovely views from the second story balcony (just beyond the trees). The dome is quite iconic!!!

From the driver's seat

Well, here in Texas we love our cars. Frankly I wish we had mass transit like some of the cities I've visited but out here in the suburbs, things are to spread out to hoof it. So, here I am in the car line at school. Once a week I leave the office early to pick up S and take him to percussion lessons. As you can see SUVs are the family bus around here, not for me though. Don't need to bring the living room, tv and family pet with me, just a couple of seats and off we go. This line gave me enough time to draw and paint this sketch. Gotta love the water brush. Discovered it in Lisbon and have been using it ever since.

Pensacola, Florida looking north from Pensacola Beach

It was quite a challenge, as well as a step out of my comfort zone, to sketch this panorama of Pensacola.  At this scale things had to be dramatically simplified.  A lot of fun!

This sketch was done in Pen and Ink, on location, watercolor added back home.

A hastily sketched view of Pensacola Beach, Florida

My wife and I made a quick weekend trip to Pensacola, Florida to see our oldest son who is stationed at Naval Air Station Pensacola.  It was a very busy weekend, but I was able to sneak in a few sketches.  This one is from our hotel on the beach.  Not at all pleased with the result, but I'm posting it anyway!  I only had a brief time before breakfast and was interrupted numerous times by curious onlookers(which adds to the fun)!  Capturing beaches, oceans, palms and boardwalks are definately a new thing for this "dry-land, high plains, west Texas sketcher!"  More Pensacola sketches to follow.   (pen and Ink w/ watercolor, sketched on location) 

Cozy . . . Charming . . . Cianfrani Coffee Company

Right on the square, in the middle of our bustling downtown, this little "homegrown" gem is perfection!! In addition to excellent coffee and a light menu, there is a rotating assortment of local art on the walls, and an "open mic night" every Friday, with a featured guest. A wonderful cross-section of Georgetown can be found hanging out here at any hour!

Sketching The Buddy Holly Center

No visit to Lubbock is complete without a stop at the Buddy Holly Center in the historic Depot Entertainment District.  Housed in the old Ft. Worth and Denver South Plains Rail depot building, the Center features a permanent exhibition dedicated to the life and music of Buddy Holly.  It showcases unique memorabilia donated by the family, friends and fans of Lubbock’s favorite son. The Center also houses the Texas Musicians Hall of Fame and the Lubbock Fine Arts Gallery.  Visitors from far and wide love to pose for a quick photograph next to the the iconic metal sculpture of Buddy's trademark horn-rimmed glasses.  

I sketched this on location in pen and ink with watercolor added later in the studio.

Oct 15 - 33rd World Wide Sketch Crawl: Houston

Our group was small, but mighty. We sketched at a big Farmer's Market in the Heights just north of Downtown Houston. The weather was clear and pleasant to start but warmed up plenty by quitting time. I had the best little perch on a display of mops tucked in a corner drawing these vendors. A little old Mexican woman just kept busy tending her wares the whole time. A few passer-bys checked on what I was doing and the booth owner was very nice to let me sit there. I got a nice bag of fajita seasoning from her. This is probably the best smelling place I have ever sketched. Between the fruit and veggies, herbs and fresh baking smell from the panaderia across the street.

33rd World Wide Sketchcrawl, Georgetown Style!!

It was a warm and summery day on the square in Georgetown for the 33rd World Wide Sketchcrawl. Our crew of sketchers was "little but loud," as we commandeered a bench in the shade, loaded up on bottled water, and sketched the view before us. We shared the area with artists from all over the United States, who were selling their wares at Georgetown Art Works' Art Hop. This particular tent had framed hammered copper pieces on offer.

We had a grand time and even achieved minor celebrity status as we were photographed and chatted with by several interested groups!

Pioneer Hotel-Downtown Lubbock, Texas...a grand ole gal coming back to life!

The landmark Pioneer Hotel, which opened as The Lubbock Hotel, was built in two stages.  The building stood six stories when it first opened in 1929. The remaining five stories were added in the early 1930s.

The 83-year-old maiden - who still casts a large shadow in downtown Lubbock - has proven again that age-old adage they don't build them like the used to.

Inside this 11-story structure, where tons of structural steel meet even more concrete, construction workers toil away - framing dozens of luxury condominiums while working to preserve and restore the Pioneer's memory-filled ballroom, lobby and historical mortar artwork.  On the third floor, work crews have been busy restoring the original ballroom that will contain both a banquet area and service facility.

Restoration efforts are also taking place on the ground lobby floor area, where an original staircase leading to the ballroom will be given a makeover and where new retail space will be opened.  "There are just some incredible views since we opened this up with nice ceiling heights and solid concrete between the floors," said Mike McDougal of McDougal Properties about the $10 million-plus project.

McDougal eventually intends to construct three - three-bedroom units; 20 - two bedroom units; and four - one-bedroom units ranging in size from 900 square feet up an eye-popping penthouse measuring 2,800 square feet.

33rd Worldwide Sketchcrawl in Lubbock

 A small but enthusiastic sketchcrawl group had a great morning of sketching in downtown Lubbock today!  We decided to all sketch the Old Pioneer Hotel, a local landmark that is currently being restored.  Originally opened as the Lubbock Hotel in 1929, She has survived both the 1970 Lubbock tornado(which struck downtown) and urban flight...She is indeed "sketch-worthy"!

Great day for a Sketchcrawl!

After putting out the call for sketchers to come to Fort Worth for the 33rd Worldwide Sketchcrawl, I had no idea how many might actually turn out.  After all, Urban Sketchers Texas is barely a month old, and we were competing with college football and the most beautiful afternoon in recent memory.  I was delighted when a dozen sketchers convened to compare sketchbooks, and I met two more who had to leave before "show and tell."  Not bad for a first outing!  Here's my sketch for the afternoon, drawn while perched on a curb at the corner of N. Main and Exchange Streets.  Really looking forward to our next outing!  -Jim

33rd Worldwide Sketchcrawl in the Fort Worth Stockyards

A dozen sketchers converged on the Stockyards National Historic District for an afternoon of sketching the visual carnival of cows, cowboys, bikers, turistas, amazing signs and a plethora of historic buildings, followed by "show and tell" and beverages at the venerable White Elephant Saloon.  Many thanks to Rhonda Fields for encouraging her students from U of Texas at Arlington to come out...and thanks to all for making it a fantastic day!

Lubbock Area Veterans War Memorial

The Lubbock Area Veterans War Memorial was dedicated in 2003.  It is the largest veterans war memorial in the United States outside of Washington, DC.   It was built by a dedicated group of volunteers and it's construction cost of over a million and a half dollars was raised through the sale of engraved bricks and private donations.  My dad and uncle's bricks are in the panel to the far right....

The sketch was done on location with pen and ink with watercolor.

Sketch Crawl Houston

Or, since this is Texas - "World Wide Sketch Drawl"

Hey sketchers come on down.

We'll meet in the front at 9, make a plan for the day and go from there.

Canino Produce Farmers Market

at 9 a.m. 2520 Airline Drive 77009

We will park across the street in their lot.

Anyone of any age or skill level who wishes to participate is welcome! We will chat briefly; disperse to sketch, reconvene to share sketchbooks and for a group photo,... then lunch?

P.S. Bring your own sketching supplies.

Congrats to Urban Sketchers Singapore!

Congratulations to our Urban Sketchers family in Singapore, producing an exhibition of the group's work and an accompanying book that will be released Oct 21...VERY cool! 

33rd Worldwide Sketchcrawl in Fort Worth!

Here's the call for DFW area sketchers (and aspiring sketchers!) to meet at 2pm October 15th in the Fort Worth Stockyards to participate in the 33rd Worldwide Sketchcrawl. We will meet in front of LOVE SHACK, 110 E. Exchange Avenue, near the Stockyards gateway sign. Anyone of any age or skill level who wishes to participate from across the Metroplex or beyond is welcome! We will chat briefly; disperse to sketch the amazing (and sometimes bizarre) visual treasures of the Stockyards, reconvene around 4:30 to share sketchbooks and for a group photo, then adjourn for social time.

Hope to see you there! -Jim

33rd World Wide Sketchcrawl in Lubbock, Next Saturday, October 15!!! A Call to Sketch

The newly formed Urban Sketchers of Texas is sending out a call for all Lubbock sketchers of ALL skill levels. The occasion? The 33rd World Wide Sketchcrawl . . . this coming Saturday, October 15th!!! We will meet at Starbuck's, University and Glenna Goodacre Blvd., at 10:00AM. before sketching (all you really need is something to draw with and something to draw on!) around downtown Lubbock and the Depot District. Then, we'll regroup at 1 p.m. at the Cactus theater to take a group shot and to socialize/eat lunch. It's very informal, and it'll be GREAT FUN. Everyone is welcome. You KNOW you want to be there!!!

33rd World Wide Sketchcrawl in Georgetown, Next Saturday, October 15!!! A Call to Sketch!

The newly formed Urban Sketchers of Texas is sending out a call for all Georgetown sketchers of ALL skill levels. The occasion? The 33rd World Wide Sketchcrawl . . . this coming Saturday, October 15th!!! We will meet in front of Cianfrani Coffee Company, 109 West 7th Street, at 1:30 p.m., before sketching (all you really need is something to draw with and something to draw on!) around the beautiful and historic Georgetown square. Then, we'll regroup at 4 p.m. to take a group shot and to socialize. It's very informal, and it'll be GREAT FUN. Everyone is welcome. You KNOW you want to be there!!!

Cool saturday morning in the Depot District

 Enjoyed a nice morning sketch down in Lubbock's Depot District.  This area south of downtown Lubbock has developed in recent years into a vibrant "night-spot".  Named because of it's proximity to the old train depot(now the Buddy Holly Center), the area encompasses several city blocks of former industrial/agricultural retail stores, offices, warehouses and machine shops.  People are now attracted to the district for it's retaurants, clubs, theaters and art galleries.  After a hopping friday night of football weekend(Texas Tech vs. Texas A&M) revelry, the only "happening" place this morning is Brown's Barbershop!  Brown's is a long time fixture on Buddy Holly Avenue and Richard Brown stubbornly refuses to join the mass retail exodus to southwest Lubbock.  Three chairs...no appointments!  Just grab a copy of Field and Stream, enjoy some barbershop talk and wait your turn!

On location pen and ink w/watercolor wash

Dr Butter and Pocket Pies

On Saturday the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft celebrated it's 10th anniversary. D, S and I have enjoyed many openings and exhibits in the wonderful space at HCCC over the years. (as observers not exhibitors) The weather was cooler and of course clear, on account of the drought, so we headed into town to check it out.Cool Dr. Butter carved ice sculptures with a chain saw, spraying ice shavings over a shrieking audience of kids. He even carved an ice beer mug, filled it with beer, and handed it off too, the ultimate frosty mug.I visited with a lady that was dying fabric with plant roots and spinning cotton boles into cotton thread. How could I not have a pocket pie from a food truck called "Oh My Pocket Pie" for lunch? Unfortunately, I was too full when the ice cream truck rolled in dispensing FREE ICE CREAM to jump in on that gig. S on the other hand was skulking around trying to figure out how to get round 2 on the ice cream, and that is after he had already decorated and eaten a chocolate cupcake at the Sprinkles booth.

The HCCC is just part of the museum district in Houston, within walking distance of the Contemporary Art Museum, Hou. Museum of Fine Art, Children's Museum, Holocaust Museum, Museum of Natural History and the Zoo.

Kimbell Art Museum expansion

Fort Worth's venerable Kimbell Art Museum is undergoing an expansion that will more than double the amount of gallery space. Much of the new space will be underground, and the entire site is shrouded in a blue construction fence, so it is hard for passers-by to see much of the progress. But this is my neighborhood; I walk the dog past the museum every morning, and I enjoy the ever-changing juxtapositioning of the construction cranes with the 1936 Will Rogers Pioneer Tower.

33rd Worldwide SketchCrawl - Houston Oct 15

33rd Worldwide Sketch Crawl Houston will be sketching on the 15th of October. Check out the forum at http://www.sketchcrawl.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=58&t=6911 and let us know you'll be joining us. The location is still up for discussion, so check in to get the details. See ya there, Judith.

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Welcome to Georgetown, Texas!!!!!

Georgetown, county seat of Williamson County, has a beautiful courthouse with a somewhat stormy past. Built in 1910, the courthouse has undergone several major and sometimes disastrous renovations. The 1966 "renovation" destroyed many of the key architectural features that identified the building as Neoclassical Revival architecture. Fortunately, in 2006-2007, for a tidy sum of $6 million, the courthouse was restored to its original glory. It's a venerable old structure, beautiful inside and out!!!

Let's go sketching!

Let's go to the fair!

"Horses and wagons line the dirt roads of Lubbock - a fledgling city incorporated only five years ago but already boasting a population of approximately 2,000. Farmers gather around the town square, comparing prize pumpkins and sheaves of grain, discussing farming methods and the prospects offered by the wide open spaces in fertile West Texas. Their wives and children mingle nearby, making new friends, swapping home remedies and recipes, playing games - generally in awe of the sights and sounds of "the big city."
That was the scene unfolding nearly a century ago. The Panhandle South Plains Fair was drawing city and country folk together and helping Lubbock earn the nickname "Hub of the Plains" - an improvement over "the city that shouldn't be," as Lubbock was originally called, because of its isolated location and lack of major cross country highway links. The Fair and the city have grown almost simultaneously since those humble beginnings. Today, the Panhandle-South Plains Fair is known as "The Granddaddy of West Texas Fairs," and ranks second only to Dallas's State Fair of Texas in attendance and continuous history.
The first Fair was held in the fall of 1914. There were no fairs held during the World War II years of 1942-45. The annual extravaganza of today bears little resemblance to the first Fair, but one tradition remains firmly intact: the goal of the Fair, which is to strengthen community ties within our region and promote growth and prosperity throughout Lubbock and its surrounding communities.
From:  http://www.southplainsfair.com/pages/about/history.php

Good Morning Fort Worth!

The Trinity Trail is pretty quiet early on a weekday morning, and it offers some spectacular views of the downtown skyline.  At this particular vantage point, park planners noted the fortunate juxatpositioning of the skyline with this wonderfully crafted old bridge, and planted a park bench at this fortuitous location, making it a natural for sitting and sketching the view.  The sun was rising off to the right, casting a purple hue on the buildings and causing light to glint off the metal bridge--a brief but special moment to be captured with speed and luck.

Greetings from San Antonio!

Hi all!  As the San Antonio representative of Urban Sketchers Texas, I thought I'd finally introduce myself.  I was born and raised here in South Texas, but discovered my passion for urban sketching after spending a semester in Italy while attending grad school in Montana.  After returning to Montana and drawing just about everything in the town of Bozeman (not hard to do, believe me) I decided to come back home to a city with a lot more opportunities to sketch.  

I thought I'd start with some sketches I've done recently of the J. Bedell Moore Building while working on a concept for a commission.  The Moore Building is one of my favorites in downtown SA, and it lies on Houston Street, arguably San Antonio's best street for urban sketching.  Ultimately these sketches will be the basis for a woodcut.

I've thoroughly enjoyed the blog posts so far, and look forward to seeing more fantastic urban (and not-so-urban) sketching from every corner of this wonderful state.  Happy sketching!

Paul Heaston

West Texas Fall

Every September, all across Texas, thousands of hunters head to the field for the opening of dove season.  It's an annual tradition passed from father to son.  In west Texas, it signals the end of another long, hot summer and ushers in the season of hunting, friday night football and cotton harvest.  The evening air is cooler, the days are becoming shorter and the scent of gunpowder and cigar smoke drifts on the breeze.   In the midst of the evening hunt, fathers teach sons about life and manhood...and the tradition goes on. Cotten Cordell once said, "First, teach a boy to love God.  Second, teach a boy to love his family.  Third, teach him to hunt and fish and by the time he reaches his teens no dope peddler under the sun will have a chance to teach him anything."

This sketch was done in pen and ink(Namiki Falcon fountain pen w/black Carbon Ink)...watercolor wash added later at home.  Moleskine watercolor sketchbook.  Apologies...not exactly urban!

Public Art in Fort Worth

Richard Serra's "Vortex" is a fantastic icon and sentinal for Fort Worth's Cultural District, and complements the horizontal architecture of the Museum of Modern Art beautifully. Also great sound effects when you jump, clap or shout on the inside! This sketch was done pretty quickly in an 8x12in. Moleskine watercolor sketchbook with unipin fine line permanent ink pen, then washed over with watercolor. I threw a little table salt on the blue sky while still wet for some added interest. When I added the dark shadow I thought I'd ruined the drawing, but once dry it made a big difference in the liveliness of the sketch.

Introducing....Lubbock, Texas!

Lubbock, my home town, is located in northwest Texas...350 miles west of Dallas/Ft. Worth...120 mile south of Amarillo.  Our poulation is about 225,000.  We are the home of Texas Tech University, birthplace of Buddy Holly and right smack in the middle of the largest cotton producing region in the world!  We are known for big skies, beautiful sunsets, cold winters, hot summers and spring sandstorms.  Autumns are great!  This is a pen and ink/watercolor sketch of our skyline...If you're ever in the neighborhood, stop by!  I'll buy you cup of coffee.