Pen and Ink

Coast Guard Station House

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The station house is located at the Sandwich Marina and was constructed as an updated office and residential (berthing) facility for the U.S. Coast Guard Cape Cod Canal Station following the demolition of the original facility at a site nearby with the widening of the Cape Cod Canal in 1936. The new facility provided space for the central administrative and social support functions of the station following a standard Colonial Revival-styled module employed elsewhere by the Coast Guard for similar facilities during the period. Similar-styled station houses exist in the region, including station houses at Block Island (New Harbor) and Point Judity, RI. and were built under federal New Deal WPA/PWS initiatives during the 1935-37 period. These buildings collectively represent the early 20th century function of the Coast Guard’s lifesaving stations along the New England coast. The sketch is at dusk when most of the structure was very dark, almost black with the dusk sky. Pilot Falcon fountain pen with Noodler’s Black Ink and Holbein watercolors in a Stillman and Birn sketchbook.

2016-05-14 Pilot House

Time Past

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I always ride past this old structure when I am riding my bike. It has seen better times in time past. The roof has a giant hole in it and the barn door is missing exposing the interior of the structure. In interior is full of old cranberry boxes that are spilling out onto the landscape. This small structure will not be around too much longer. Pilot Falcon fountain pen with Noodler’s black ink in a Stillman and Birn sketchbook.

2016-04-16 Time Past

Borden Flats Lighthouse

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Located at the mouth of the Taunton River, Borden Flats Lighthouse has protected the waters of Mt. Hope Bay and Fall River for well over a century. During the early days of the industrial revolution, Fall River became known as the world leader in textile productions. The city grew to employ  nearly 30,000 textile factory workers and became destination for large steam liners from destination such as Boston and New York. Due to a large under water reef at the entrance to the Taunton River, a lighted day marker was places atop the obstacle, only to prove obsolete for night commerce.  Congress appropriated funds for the construction of the cast iron, “spark plug” style lighthouse. On October, 1 1881 the lighthouse became active with a fixed red light from a 5th order Fresnel Lens. The lens was later upgraded to a 4th Order Fresnel Lens. Pilot Falcon fountain pen with Noodler’s black ink and Pelikan watercolors in a Stillman and Birn sketchbook.

2016-04-15 Borden Flats Lighthouse

Lichen

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We noticed on our last visit to the Cape that there seems to be much more lichen on the trees that we have noticed before. This is a piece of a branch found during my Spring yar clean-up yesterday. Lichens occur from sea level to high alpine elevations, in a very wide range of environmental conditions, and can grow on almost any surface. Lichens are abundant growing on bark, leaves, mosses, on other lichens, and hanging from branches “living on thin air”. It is estimated that 6% of Earth’s land surface is covered by lichen. Colonies of lichens may be spectacular in appearance, dominating much of the surface of the visual landscape in forests and natural places, such as the vertical “paint” covering the vast rock faces of Yosemite National Park. Pilot Falcon fountain pen with Noodler’s black ink and Holbein watercolors in a Stillman and Birn sketchbook.

2016-04-09 Lichen