Month: October 2015

The creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn. – Ralph Waldo Emerson

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The acorn, or oak nut, is the nut of the oaks and their close relatives. It usually contains a single seed (occasionally two seeds), enclosed in a tough, leathery shell, and borne in a cup-shaped cupule. Acorns vary from 1–6 cm long and 0.8–4 cm broad. Acorns take between 6 and 24 months (depending on the species) to mature. Historically, I have always gauged how severe of a winter we were in for by how many acorns fell to our lawn in the late fall. Some years I would have to rake them up into large piles and other years, there were almost none. Typically, the more acorns in the fall meant that we were in for a severe winter. That all changed last year when we had almost no acorns and we had the snowiest winter on record with over 10′ of snow in basically the month of February. Oh well, small crop this year also, what ever that means.

2015-10-11 Acorns

Star Drive-In

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The Star Drive-In is located in Taunton, Massachusetts. The Drive-In hosts Outdoor Pro Wrestling and Car shows on a regular basis. On this sketch I tried a different technique for some reason as a means to practice. Once the classic sign was complete, the background is a series of colorful brush strokes with a #16 flat brush that I had laying around (not a very good brush). Interesting technique that may have a place in the future without the exaggerated colors. Prismacolor black pen with Holbein watercolors in a Stillman and Birn sketchbook.

2015-10-10 Star Drive in

Tobey Hospital Clock Tower

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From its beginnings, Tobey Hospital has played a major role in the health and well-being of Wareham citizens. Tobey Hospital has grown from a small facility some 75 years ago to an institution with 600 employees today. Tobey Hospital was organizationally established in 1938 and opened its doors for the first time in 1940 with 40 inpatient beds, a newborn nursery, two operating rooms, X-ray facilities and a laboratory. Major construction efforts ensued in the following decades to include the additions of North and South wings; the Theodore H. Barth Intensive Care Unit,; the Susanna K. Tobey Wing (a four-story addition that cost $2.5 million, but nearly doubled patient capacity); and a new Emergency/Radiology Wing, which also featured a new Surgical Day Care Unit and Intermediate Care Unit. This sketch is of the clock tower on the corner of the Susanna K. Tobey Wing and is an integral part of the main entrance. Prismacolor Premier fine line markers in a Stillman and Birn sketchbook.

2015-10-09 Tobey Clock

Birch Trees

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Some beautiful natural birch trees along our driveway in our front yard. I have always loved the texture and color of the birch bark as it peels. In the fall, the leaves turn a bright yellow early in the foliage season as a contrast to the greens and browns of early fall. Lamy fountain pen with Noodler’s black ink, Holbein watercolors in  a Stillman and Birn Alpha Sketchbook.

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Gateway to the Cape

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A quick ink sketch of the Gateway to Cape Cod. This monument is located on Route 28 as it enters Wareham, MA and is paired with a similar one on the other side of the street that says Wareham, Massachusetts, Incorporated 1739. Wareham is often considered the gateway to the cape in that it is the last town on the mainland before crossing the bridges to the cape. Lamy fountain pen with Noodler’s Black Ink in a Stillman and Birn sketchbook.

2015-10-07 Gateway

Blue Aster

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There are so many varieties of asters that grow in the Northeast and I might have been hasty in noting that this was the Frikarth “Monch” variety. After further research, I believe that is actually could be the Aster Laevis “Bluebird” in the front planting bed in the front of our house. The ‘Bluebird’ is a superlative selection of the native smooth aster. This tall, vase-shaped wildflower has large 1″ diameter blue flowers held in cloud-like clusters at the tips of the arching branches. Staking is helpful by late summer if you forget to pinch. Aster laevis is a great source of nectar for migrating monarchs and other late season butterflies. Holbein watercolors with Pitt Art pens in a Stillman and Birn sketchbook.

2015-10-06 Blue Aster

Church of the Good Shepherd

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Chapel of the Good Shepherd, together with the organ in it, and have it dismantled and transported to Wareham. The Church of the Good Shepherd was founded in 1868 as the Church of the Saviour and held services at various locations until 1871. In 1883, the  parish voted  to purchase the Chapel of the Good Shepherd, together with the organ, and have it dismantled and transported to Wareham, Massachusetts. The chapel was built in 1871 as a mission of Christ’s Church in Springfield, MA. Upon arrival in Wareham, it was erected on the present site on High Street on land donated by Mrs. Tobey. The church was consecrated as the Church of the Good Shepherd in 1883.  The exterior of the building acquired in 1883 was wooden, and had a tall slender finger spire at the main entrance, which was the door behind where the organ now stands. The stone bell tower was erected in 1915 as a memorial to Mrs. Tobey and the church exterior was stuccoed at this time. Lamy fountain pen with Noodler’s Black ink and Pitt gray pens in a Stillman and Birn sketchbook.

2015-10-05 Good Shepherd Wareham

Chatham Lighthouse Beach

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Lighthouse Beach in Chatham, Massachusetts, is a beautiful, large beach close to the center of the picturesque town of Chatham. It is located across the street from a small Coast Guard Station and the Chatham Light lighthouse. This area was not much of a beach until the Great Barrier Beach broke due to pounding storm swells and hurricanes. The Chatham Break, as it is called, is a growing ocean channel between Nauset Beach and Monomoy Island. This new channel has shifted a significant amount of sand from the north to the south and created this magnificent beach. Nauset Beach protects it from heavy swells, but you can watch the waves crest about 200 yards away at the break. Beach grass, small dunes, and million-dollar homes surround the vast sand beach. Holbein watercolors in a Stillman and Birn sketchbook.

2015-10-04 Chatham Beach

Crow Farm

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A beautiful drive on Cape Cod and we came across a great farm stand. The forty-acre farm is run by Howard Crowell his son Paul, and grandson Jason.  In 2016, we will be celebrating their one-hundredth year of providing fresh produce and other local products to our community. It is one of the only farms on Cape Cod to grow apples (15 unique varieties!), pears, peaches, and sweet corn, locally known as “Crow Farm Corn.”  In 1916, David and Lincoln Crowell purchased forty acres of farmland and began a family tradition that has continued into the next century.  The current farm stand opened on Route 6A in 1960. Lamy Safari fountain pen with Noodler’s black ink and Pelikan watercolors in a Stillman and Birn sketchbook.

2015-10-3 Crow Farm

Cranberries

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Cranberries are low, creeping vines up to 7 feet long and 2 to 8 inches in height; they have slender, wiry stems that are not thickly woody and have small evergreen leaves. The flowers are dark pink. They are pollinated by bees. The fruit is a berry that is larger than the leaves of the plant; it is initially white, but turns a deep red when fully ripe. It is edible, with an acidic taste that can overwhelm its sweetness. Most cranberries are processed into products such as juice, sauce, jam, and sweetened dried cranberries, with the remainder sold fresh to consumers. Cranberry sauce is a traditional accompaniment to turkey at Christmas dinner in the United Kingdom and Thanksgiving dinners in the United States and Canada. Lamy fountain pen with Noodler’s Black Ink and Holbein watercolors in a Stillman and Birn sketchbook.

2015-10-02 Cranberries