Betsy

A tugboat (tug) is a boat that maneuvers vessels by pushing or towing them. Tugs move vessels that either should not move themselves, such as ships in a crowded harbor or a narrow canal, or those that cannot move by themselves, such as barges and  disabled ships. Tugboats are powerful for their size and strongly built. Betsy is a tug located in the harbor in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. Faber-Castell Pitt pens in a Stillman and Birn Alpha Sketchbook.

2015-04-08-Betsy

Bring on the Carnies

Carny is thought to have become popularized around 1931 in North America, when it was first colloquially used to describe one who works at a carnival. The word carnival, originally meaning a “time of merrymaking before Lent”, came into use circa 1549. A sure sign of spring and summer is when the mobile carnivals seem to pop-up out of the ground for various festivals. I came across this one in Central Falls, Rhode Island this morning. Faber-Castell Pit pens with Daniel Smith Watercolors in a S & B Sketchbook.

2015-04-06 Central Falls Carnival

Ocean Edge Resort

Great road trip to Cape Cod today. The weather is finally turning and a beautiful day for a drive. Ocean Edge dates back to the 1890’s, when Samuel Mayo Nickerson and his wife built their lavish family estate and private game preserve. It was not uncommon for the “Social Event of the Year” to be held at Fieldstone Hall, including visits from President Grover Cleveland. The mansion house, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, more closely resembles an English country manor with an eclectic blend of Renaissance Revival and Gothic themes. Faber-Castell Pitt pens in a Stillman and Birn Alpha Sketchbook.

2015-04-03 Ocean Edge Resort

Old Sisson’s Diner

Sisson’s Diner, the only converted trolley diner in Massachusetts, a rare item indeed.  The car was built in the 1910’s by the Wason Manufacturing Company in Springfield for the Middleborough, Wareham, and Buzzards Bay Railway. When the line shut down in the 1920s, Elmer Sisson bought the car, moved it this site and converted it into a diner. Today, the diner is closed and in great disrepair. Faber-Castell Pitt pens, Daniel Smith Watercolors in a 6″ x 8″ Moleskine Watercolor Book.

2015-04-02 Sissons Diner

Rhode Island State House

The Rhode Island State House was designed by the architectural firm of McKim, Mead and White and constructed from 1895 to 1904. The dome of the State House is the fourth-largest self-supporting marble dome in the world. On top of the dome is a gold-covered bronze statue of the Independent Man, originally named “Hope”.  Another graphic sketch with black and gray Faber-Castell pens in an Alpha Series Stillman and Birn Sketchbook.

2015-04-01 Rhode Island Statehouse

“I predict future happiness for Americans, if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them.”
Thomas Jefferson

Mashantucket Pequot Museum

The Mashantucket Pequot Museum & Research Center, part of the government of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation in Mashantucket, CT, is a non-profit educational institution that seeks to further knowledge and understanding of the richness and diversity of the indigenous cultures and societies of the United States and Canada. A sketch from the car on a visit to Foxwoods Resort for a walk-thru of a potential project. Faber-Castell Pitt Pens, Daniel Smith Watercolors in an Alpha Series Stillman and Birn Sketchbook.

2015-03-31-Pequot Museum

Don’t spend time beating on a wall, hoping to transform it into a door. – Dr. Laura Schlessinger

Nature is starting to expose itself again. This stone wall is on our back property line and the only snow left is on the top of the wall. The details are starting to emerge. The fall leaves, moss and lichen, and the deep shadows between the stones. Faber-Castell Pitt pens with Daniel Smith Watercolors in a 6″ x 8″ Moleskine Watercolors Sketchbook.

2015-03-30-Stone wall