Owl Orchard - View From The Deck |
Owl Orchard Ink Wash (India and sepia inks) |
Owl Orchard Watercolor |
Owl Orchard Colored Pencil |
Owl Orchard Pen And Ink |
Another Owl Orchard Moment
(India and sepia ink washes with India ink linework. I used two
Japanese calligraphy brushes and have carved the ends of the handles into pen nibs.)
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Owl Orchard Photos & Miscellaneous Notes
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Cleo & Ryan at Owl Orchard |
 Ryan: "I did the Owl Orchard series while house/dog sitting for our friends Don and Holly Smith and their dog Cleo at their home with an orchard on a lake. Holly is a fellow artist who works mostly with fabrics. Don is the orchard man. With Holly's vision, Don's energy and God's Holy Spirit, they have made Owl Orchard a fruitful bounty, a gathering place for family and friends, a peaceful retreat, a grand work of art and an inspiration.
Each of the two separate weeks was a sojourn in paradise. I made myself at home and set up stations in their amazing kitchen - one for my hand ground coffee and French press, one for my fresh squeezed juices, one for my breakfast foods, one for my bourbon bar. I ate their fresh tomatoes, peppers, peaches, pears and apples with every meal. I paddled the kayak every morning to the far end of the lake, then gave myself a power-paddle workout on the way back to Cleo waiting faithfully on shore. She was joyful as I pulled the kayak onto the beach, then fretful as I stripped naked and went for a swim in the lake. She's a miniature Australian shepherd with two differently colored eyes, and she absolutely adores me, as I do her. We went out around the orchard for frequent squirrel patrols, she barking furiously and straining at the end of the leash to get from tree to tree and I holding on for all I was worth. Most of the time she was content to just lie down wherever I was.
I took a sketchbook and several ink pens with me for a first week and did Owl Orchard Pen and Ink while sitting at a table on the deck. I later took the sketchbook to FedEx Office and copied the drawing onto four sheets of sketchbook paper, which I then mounted onto mat board and colored in the studio. Owl Orchard Ink Wash is India and sepia inks. I gave it to Don and Holly in appreciation for their hospitality and inspiration, then did another for myself. The others are, separately, colored pencil and watercolor.
I took an easel, paper, inks and brushes with me for a later second week and did Another Owl Orchard Moment on Friday, the final day of my visit, Cleo faithfully at my side. It is India and sepia ink washes with India ink linework. I use two Japanese calligraphy brushes and have carved the ends of the handles into pen nibs."
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Owl Orchard Firewood
| Ryan: "After helping my friend Don at Owl Orchard cut up trees killed by the Emerald Ash Borer last year, I was able to take advantage of the free firewood this year. I made several trips to the orchard and eventually filled the firewood ring on our 3rd floor balcony. Sitting in the hammock, enjoying the afternoon sun, I noticed the sculptural beauty of the stack and took the photo." |
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