It has been hot, hot, hot this week. And we actually needed a little rain. Last night we got about .4″ by the way of a very loud thunderstorm. I am sure that a few trees got hit by lightning too. There were several large strikes that seemed very close. Today is just hot again and mostly sunny. I guess we are jumping directly into the heat of summer. After last winter, however, I’m not going to complain. I’d way rather be hot than cold and snowed in. I could just do without the tornado warnings.
Ohio Entry 2
With a few interruptions, I managed to finish the second Ohio entryway a couple of days ago. After letting it sit, I am fairly satisfied with it. I like the way the shapes within the drawing turned out and the colors. After I penciled it out, I made a few adjustments on where the edges were and added more onto the top to clarify the stucco area. I usually leave extra margin space for just this purpose. I few times I didn’t and regretted it. It is always easy to cut off the excess later.
Palettewise, it is similar to the first entryway but structurally they are quite dissimilar. The first one’s internal structure was squared and this one is much more triangular. I do like the effect of the slate roofs also. There are many houses in the area with that brick so I’m betting it came from a local brickworks. The colors are quite varied and some of them actually look to have a slightly purple cast. I wonder where the slate came from?
I haven’t seem Mr. turtle lately and not much other wildlife either except for squirrels. Perhaps this heat has driven them into the cooler woods and down by the lake. Not even the deer have put in an appearance. I keep expecting to see some fawns traipsing in the shallows of the lake, cooling their heels. Soon perhaps.
Ruth's Artwork 
Jun 05, 2011 @ 10:28:56
Wonderful job, Ruth! The varying brickwork patterns are so perfectly rendered and give this exciting detail, along with the colors. Clearly, superb masonry in the brickwork and construction of that house!
I hope you are spared of additional fierce storms. The tornado thing…terrifies me. I’m grateful I live in a region where those don’t occur!
Jun 05, 2011 @ 11:39:37
Thanks Sonya. I’m enjoying the Ohio entry series alot. And your blog post about the art show has given me courage to maybe try that kind of venue again. I’m thinking of entering something in the county fair professional artist category this summer as a small start.
Jun 06, 2011 @ 08:40:39
Ruth, Very nicely done. Especially the detail in the brick patterns. Our wildlife sitings are also way down. I assume they’re huddling in the shade staying cool. Here’s to another hot one!
Jun 06, 2011 @ 13:13:35
Thanks, Linda. Many of the homes I took photos had some crazy brick patterns. Must have been the in thing at one time. And some went a bit overboard. The effect can actually be dizzying when overdone.
Jun 06, 2011 @ 19:37:29
Great job on the picture. Sorry Mr. Turtle isn’t around now. Maybe it’s Mrs. Turtle and she’s laying her eggs. We are seeing a lot of that right now.
Jun 06, 2011 @ 21:26:07
Thanks, Sher. I just saw Mr. Turtle again this morning. He was back on the garage side of the house in the gravel parking area, crossing into the woods. We were going out and I didn’t have my camera, so I couldn’t get a nicer picture of him. Don’t know how to tell the sex of a turtle and he didn’t seem to be too fond of being picked up.
Jun 06, 2011 @ 23:45:10
Your entryways are always so beautiful. Like I saidbefore, I love the triangles in this. I imagine you doing a series of windows and publishing a little book of your work titled Windows and Doors. 🙂 I think it would sell. Maybe Porches, too? 🙂
I just read a post about box turtles here: http://artistatexit0.wordpress.com/2011/06/01/year-of-the-box-turtles/ the other day and thought you might like to take a look at it. I furthur researched “box turtle”and learned they never travel very far in their lifetime so I think you may have a neighbor there. Let us know more as you do.Very interesting all this “turtle talk”.
Jun 07, 2011 @ 08:55:32
Now that’s an idea, Leslie. Right now I really am into the doors and windows thing. If I think about it, all of the entryways have included the closest windows also. I like the geometries that are created. And the rest of the reference photos are the same way.
I think Mr. Turtle is good size for a box turtle. Thanks for the link. I’ll check it out. Frankly, I don’t know what they eat either. Hooray if it’s insects – just not my tomatoes please, although I don’t think they have bothered the vegetables before. I’m still on the lookout for the fawns. It may be a little early yet for them to really be out and about with the does.