David's "Sketching Utah" thread.

[Davkin]

I keep several skecthbooks so I figured it would be easier to just keep them all in one thread. There is one theme though, I tend to only sketch from life and outdoors, this year in particular I'm trying to sketch outdoor scenes in various locations in Utah.

These first two sketches aren't great. It was colder than I expected and I didn't have my fingerless gloves with me, plus I didn't have a lot of time since it was late afternoon. I don't remember the exact date but it was three or four weeks ago.

This is the old Murray Theatre, an old landmark that is currently up for sale, yet again. Hopefully it will find a buyer that will preserve it, I intend to go back and sketch it again. However it's on a very, very buys six lane street so there are always cars blocking the view. The location is only about two miles from where I live;


"Murray Theater" Murray, Utah. 6x9 pen and WC on Strathemore watercolor paper.

This little store is around the corner from the Murray theater on a much quieter road. It's been closed for a very long time, I've never seen it open yet the building appear to be maintained, I suspect someone is using it for storage.

"Superette" Murray, Utah. 6x9 pen and WC on Strathemore watercolor paper.

David

[Davkin]

These next three sketches were not done outdoors but rather at a mini workshop held in a green house called Cactus and Florals by Susan N Jarvis. Susan started the workshop by demonstrating some WC techniques then advised us to focus on mastering one technique or subject. I decided to focus on learning to layer water color to get a range of values. I picked a spot in the statue room so I'd have plenty of subjects to sketch without having to move around. I decided to keep it simple by keeping the sketches monochromatice. The first and third sketches are just Payne's Gray and the middle one is Burnt Sienna with some Ultramarine Blue mixed in to gray it down a tad. All are done on 9x6 Strathemore watercolor paper.







David

[Davkin]

Last Sunday was sunny and relatively warm, the first really nice day of the year. I attended the big annual model train show held at the Ogden Union Station in Ogden, Utah and afterward went out sketching.

This first one is the station building itself. I parked my chair right at the parking lot entrance which gave me the best vantage point. Even so I couldn't see much of the building, especially at the bottom so I focused on an area of the upper level of the building that included the sign.


"Ogden Union Station" Ogden, Utah. 6x9 Pen and WC on Strathmore watercolor paper.

Ogden Union Station is also a train museum. There are many old trains on the property including steam engines, passenger and box cars, crane cars and even one of only two turbine-electric engines still in existance. I picked this old caboose that was on the southern most section of the property for two reasons, it had a lot of character and there was nearly as many people wandering around that area.



"Old Yellow Caboose" Ogden, Utah. 6x9 pen and WC on Strathemore watercolor paper.

David

[poochemio]

What a great bunch of sketches David! I'm particularly fond of the caboose as my uncle was one of the last brakemen.

[RainySea]

These are some wonderful scenes, Dave! Union Square and the caboose (GREAT color) are my favorites. Lovely sketchbook.

[rain24]

Love the old theater and the station. I do hope someone saves the theater. It's always nice when they do. Great concept, by the way, preserving all the old places via sketching.

[DrDebby]

Great bunch of sketches. I really like the caboose.

[allydoodle]

Excellent sketches David! The caboose is my favorite, I love your use of color in that one.

[JTMB]

Great group of sketches, David! I particularly like the train station and train themes.

[Davkin]

Sorry I took so long responding, I've been a bit busy.

Thanks for all the comments everybody. Union Station does have a lot of fun things places all around it, I'll definately head back up there two or three more times during the season for more sketching.

I spent several hours in Sugarhouse sketching last Saturday. Sugarhouse is named after the sugar beet industry that was established there early in the settling of the Salt Lake Valley but is long gone now.

This first sketch is of the Sprauge library which is converted from an old mansion. I tried an experiment that I'm not that happy with. I started with a pencil sketch then a partial watercolor wash. The paper I used didn't really like the pencil very much.


Sprauge Library Sugarhouse Utah, 9X12 Canson Montval Watercolor paper, pencil and watercolor.

[Davkin]

This is another experiement using Tombrow brush pens and a wash using a water brush. I did this one very quickly. This is a statue that's part of a monument to the sugarbeet industry and it's founders.


Sugarbeet monument, Sugarhouse Utah, 7x5 tombow pens and wash.

David

[Davkin]

This is the last one I did Saturday. This is of the sign on the old Granite Furniture store. Granite Furniture is a local furniture store chain, down to only a couple stores now I think and not very big ones at that still It's where I've bought my furniture and appliances that last couple go arounds. The Sugarhouse location was their biggest at one time I believe but it's been shut down for many years, over 20 I beleive yet this very interesting sign still remains as there apparently have been no occupants since Granite abandoned yet, or maybe they are using it for warehousing, I'm not sure.



Granite Furniture, 9x7, pen and watercolor on strathmore watercolor paper.

David

[poochemio]

That library looks like a very interesting place, have you ever been inside? I wouldn't have been able to resist sketching that sign for the Granite furniture company either, it is megacool. You have given me just the nudge I needed to play with more of my toys. I have focused on just a couple of them for what may have been too long.

[DrDebby]

Great sketches of your location and it's unique history. Cool.

[Davkin]

Thanks Margo. Yes, I've been inside the library. They always have an art show with art from a particular artist hanging throughout and it changes about every two or three months I think. The basement is a bit of a maze!

Thanks Debby.

David