sketchbook

Dexter’s Grist Mill

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One of the oldest water mill sites existing in the United States today, Dexter’s Grist Mill, has Plymouth Colony Records dating back to 1640 in which Thomas Dexter was allocated 26 acres and 6 acres for his mill. In 1856 a new mill building replaced the old woolen mill and manufactured marble stone products. An iron turbine replaced the wooden waterwheel in Dexter’s Mill in 1856.The gristmill last operated in 1881 when Captain Laban Crocker was miller. In 1961 Dexter’s Mill was restored with authentic wooden parts and an undershot wooden waterwheel. The millstones were imported from France. The mill and mill grounds are well preserved. Dexter’s Mill sits on the dam, which creates a beautiful, large millpond. The meandering millrace is lined in cut stone. The foundation of the three-story building is laid in cut stone with an undershot wooden waterwheel on the east side. The mill building is sided with natural shake. Lamy fountain pen with Noodler’s Black Ink in a Stillman and Birn sketchbook.

2016-03-23 Dexters Grist Mill

The Canteen

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The Canteen is located in Provincetown, Massachusetts and is a casual New England eatery that uses high-quality ingredients to create Cape Cod favorites from scratch. The menu and style of service is rooted in the tradition of classic seafood shacks, but influenced by modern American cuisine. Housed in a 200 year-old building, the communal dining room opens onto the bustle of downtown Provincetown while the backyard seating area opens out onto Cape Cod Bay. The building caught my eye with the colorful flags and lobster buoys on the second floor balcony railing. Lamy safari fountain pen with Noodler’s black ink and Holbein watercolors in a Stillman and Birn sketchbook.

2016-03-22 The Canteen

Jellyfish I

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First of a week series of Jellyfish to get back to the ocean theme. They are typified as free-swimming marine animals consisting of a gelatinous umbrella-shaped bell and trailing tentacles. The bell can pulsate for locomotion, while stinging tentacles can be used to capture prey. Jellyfish are found in every ocean, from the surface to the deep sea. Large, often colorful, jellyfish are common in coastal zones worldwide. Jellyfish have roamed the seas for at least 500 million years, and possibly 700 million years or more, making them the oldest multi-organ animal. The sketch is  direct to watercolor without ink. Holbein and Daniel Smith watercolors in a Stillman and Birn sketchbook.

2016-03-18 Jellyfish I

Swiss Chard

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A continuation of fruit and vegetables series completed with a quick proportion pencil sketch and then watercolor with no ink. Swiss Chard is a leafy green vegetable often used in Mediterranean cooking. In the Flavescens-Group-cultivars, the leaf stalks are large and are often prepared separately from the leaf blade. The leaf blade can be green or reddish in color; the leaf stalks also vary in color, usually white, yellow, or red. Chard has highly nutritious leaves making it a popular addition to healthful diets. Chard has been used bt cooks for centuries. Daniel Smith and Holbein watercolors in a Stillman and Birn sketchbook.

2016-03-15 Swiss Chard

Green Papaya

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A continuation of fruit and vegetables series completed with a quick proportion pencil sketch and then watercolor with no ink. The papaya, papaw or pawpaw  is the fruit of the plant Carica Papaya, and is one of the 22 accepted species in the family. It is native to the tropics of the Americas from southern Mexico and neighboring Central America.  It was first cultivated in Mexico several centuries before the emergence of the Mesoamerican classical civilizations. The papaya is a large, tree-like plant, with a single stem growing from 5 to 10 m (16 to 33 ft) tall, with spirally arranged leaves confined to the top of the trunk. The lower trunk is conspicuously scarred where leaves and fruit were borne. The leaves are large, 50–70 cm (20–28 in) in diameter with seven lobes.  The fruit appear on the axils of the leaves, maturing into large fruit – 15–45 cm (5.9–17.7 in) long and 10–30 cm (3.9–11.8 in) in diameter. The fruit is a type of berry. It is ripe when it feels soft (as soft as a ripe avocado or a bit softer) and its skin has attained an amber to orange hue. Daniel Smith and Holbein watercolors in a Stillman and Birn sketchbook.

2016-03-14 Green Papaya

Buddha Hand

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A continuation of fruit and vegetables series completed with a quick proportion pencil sketch and then watercolor with no ink. Buddha’s Hand citron, AKA bushukan (Japanese) or fingered citron, produces deep lemon yellow fruits that vary in shape and size. The fruit splits at the opposite end of the tree’s stem forming segments that have a wild finger-like appearance, hence its given name. Its flesh is void of juice, pulp and seeds, rendering it inedible. The culinary virtues lie within its oily rind which is powerfully fragrant and aromatic and utilized for its zesting properties. Buddha’s Hand citron flavor is described as a unique blend of bitter and sweet, similar to kumquats and tangerines, with lavender notes and a bright lemon highlight. Daniel Smith and Holbein watercolors in a Stillman and Birn sketchbook.

2016-03-13 Buddha Hand

Tomatillo

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A continuation of fruit and vegetables series completed with a quick proportion pencil sketch and then watercolor with no ink. Tomatillos are a relative of the tomato and member of the nightshade (Solanaceae) family. Tomatillos provide that tart flavor in a host of Mexican green sauces. In Mexico the fruit is called tomates verdes, tomates de cascara as well as fresadillas. The fruits average about 1 -2″ wide and have a papery outer skin. The tomatillo is actually used when it is still green. Tomatillos have a very tart flavor, not at all like a tomato. Daniel Smith and Holbein watercolors in a Stillman and Birn sketchbook.

2016-03-11 Tomatillo