Tuesday, December 30, 2008

At home with the girls

I've been on vacation since before Christmas - thought I'd have a little time to sketch more, but haven't really gotten around with it. Of course, we are all completely obsessed with the Wii, so that may be part of the problem. Here are a couple of my children in a rare moment of stillness...

My oldest playing Animal Crossing



My youngest, who will not sit still long enough for me to finish any drawings of her - gotta work on my speed sketching. Both of these sketches were done in a sketchbook that I hand bound and put together from a pack of Arches Watercolor paper that I cut down. I made this one and another one that is longer. Had a lot of fun - could turn out to be a new obsession for me.

Monday, December 29, 2008

Pickett Bridge Recreation Area, Mount Pleasant

Taken from a parking spot and looking across the marsh toward the Sullivan's Island Lighthouse. This area is at the end of Pitt Street in Mount Pleasant and is known as the Pickett Bridge Recreation area. It's been pretty busy with with people fishing and crabbing any time that I have been there.

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Conroy Street, Charleston, SC

This is at the site of the old Charleston Blueprint store - now closed, unfortunately.

Sunday, December 14, 2008

North Hobson Avenue, North Charleston

This is an area of Charleston that is currently being revitalized. It is part of what is known as the Noisette area of North Charleston. Twenty years ago this area was a shipyard. Heres a Google street view:
View Larger Map

Friday, December 12, 2008

Mount Pleasant Office Building

Bridgeside office building on Wingo Way in Mount Pleasant.

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Cranes at Charleston Port

An overcast day with a view of port side container cranes at the Wando Terminal in Mount Pleasant - viewed from Magnolia Cemetery.

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Joseph Floyd Manor, Charleston

This is an elderly/assisted living facility in the upper peninsula of downtown Charleston. Check out site with Google maps:

View Larger Map

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Mount Pleasant Water Tower

This is the Town of Mount Pleasant water tower as viewed from the National Guard Armory on Houson Northcutt Blvd. Found a photo from a similar direction here: Link

Monday, December 8, 2008

SCEC Building, Lockwood Drive

Ink & wash of the SC Employment Commission building on Lockwood Boulevard in Downtown Charleston. Viewed from Brittlebank Park.

Friday, December 5, 2008

I-26 Overpass

Drew this from the Charleston Supply parking lot. Trying to simplify things a little - just ink and wash on this one.

Thursday, December 4, 2008

I-26 at Sunset

Looking through a couple of buildings on Morrison Drive in Charleston towards I-26. It was a beautiful sunset -

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Park at Alhambra Hall, Mount Pleasant

This is at the park located behind Alhambra Hall in Mount Pleasant. It overlooks Charleston Harbor - Downtown Charleston is across the way. Always lots of action at noon - picnics and folks playing with dogs. On this day a guy was entertaining his child by doing handstands.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

960 Morrison Drive, Charleston

An office building on Charleston's upper peninsula. Probably a good example of 60's architecture.

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Air-Sea Safety & Survival, Inc

This is an old brick building off of Morrison Drive in upper Charleston. They sell commercial and recreational marine survival gear. I never knew they existed before I stopped and sketched at this spot. Here's their website: Air-Sea Safety & Survival

Monday, November 24, 2008

Ford's Redi-Mix Concrete, King Street Ext., North Charleston

This is a concrete truck loading facility near downtown Charleston in what is known as the "neck" area. Mostly a mix of industrial business, lower income housing and fringe businesses like tattoo parlors and "dance" clubs.

Friday, November 21, 2008

Brittlebank Park - Round Holiday Inn

Lunchtime sketch at Brittlebank Park - Looking over the Ashley River towards the marina and the round Holiday Inn. The weather is a little cold this week - in the 40's and 50's during the daylight hours and upper 20's/lower 30's at night. Probably not really that cold for those who live in the North, I suppose...

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Rutledge Ave at Colonial Lake

Downtown Charleston, Rutledge Avenue - Parked at Colonial Lake and sketched for a few minutes - got a few curious looks from lunch walkers.

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Brittlebank Park


Looking across the Ashley River from a parking spot at Brittlebank Park on an overcast day.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Jerusalem Baptist Church, Rutledge Avenue

This church was viewed from Hampton Park, Downtown Charleston.

Monday, November 17, 2008

Views from Old Village, Mount Pleasant


A little plein aire watercolor done at the end of Pitt Street in Mount Pleasant. Caught a huge sailboat as it was headed into the harbor. Below is a sketch of the Sullivan's Island Lighthouse.

Friday, November 14, 2008

Dock in Old Village

A little covered dock at the end of a pier.

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Old Village Mount Pleasant

This is from a neat little spot at the end of Pitt Street in Mount Pleasant. The road kind of ends and there is a path that juts out into the inlet there. Seems to be a popular place for crabbers and fishers. View of condos on Sullivan's Island in the distance.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Freight Train


I was all set to do a little marsh scene and a train showed up and parked in front of me for about 30 minutes. I guess sometimes you have to roll with it (no pun intended)...

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Remley Point



A couple of sketches from Remley Point. Trying out different things - the top is mostly watercolor with waterproof ink in a Rapidograph pen (which I'm finding out is kind of tricky on the Molskine paper), and the lower one is water soluable ink in a fountain pen with touches of color.

Monday, November 10, 2008

At Magnolia Cemetery


A couple of sketches in my new sketchbook that my dear wife got me as a surprise. Not sure why the bottom one ended up at such a strange tilt...

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Hog Island Watercolor

Did this quickie last night. I always feel like a cheater when I use a photo, but it was fun anyways. It's very small, maybe 4"x6" or so. I've been to this spot to sketch a number of times. You get a nice view of downtown (straight ahead) and if you could pan around to the left you would see Fort Sumter in the harbor. If you look at my title header up at the top of this site you can see a detail of this same view and see what I left out of this view. I had so much fun doing this one I plan on working on some more in the future...

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Relaxing

Char watching AG play her DS while mom surfs. Don't look too closely at the M.C. Escher couch cushion - I got lost when I was outlining stuff...

Friday, October 10, 2008

Salt Marshes Part III



More salt marshes - seems to be a recurring theme. They are such a normal sight around here that we really kind of take them for granted. The top thumbnails and following watercolor sketch are from Hog Island (the bottom thumbnail shows Fort Sumter). The bottom watercolor sketch is from Shem Creek.

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Salt Marshes Part II




More sketches from Magnolia Cemetary...

Monday, October 6, 2008

Salt Marshes Part I



Sketches and thumbnail sketches of salt marshes viewed from Magnolia Cemetary. The mosquitoes were horrendous that day - sketched some standing up - had to keep moving - seriously, the mosquitoes were many and relentless. Finally had to head back to my car and sketch from there with the windows rolled up and the a/c running. A lone mosquito made it into my car and feasted on me repeatedly...good times...

Friday, October 3, 2008

Ravenel Bridge



Sketches done on different days at the same location with different media. The last one ended up being a watercolor mess, but I ended up kind of liking it - that's what happens when you use a brush that's too big for the job...

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Glass Bottles


I've been playing around with watercolor with mixed results...

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Summer Sketches





Some miscellaneous sketches in the family room - mostly using laptops and nintendo ds's....