The Atomic Salon

The Atomic Salon - East Providence

I was determined to get out for an hour or so today to do some sketching. I have just finished the sketchbook in the post below and while it was drying I figured I would drive into Providence to sketch. I needed to stop at the bank for some cash and as I drove past his place on Taunton Avenue it just struck me as perfect. Being the lazy dog that I am, after I stopped at the bank the car was still pointed toward Providence, I continued on into the city. It was windy and cold and I could not find a decent place to park (this is an admission of  making excuses) so I found a parking lot and did a drawing of the church "Our Lady of the Rosary" from the car (on real watercolor paper in a Moleskin sketchbook) and the sketch turned out awful. Realizing that I should have stopped in East Providence in the first place, I drove back and did the sketch posted above... still not my best work but I found the subject much more satisfying, and I like the fact that the guy was installing flags on the roof.

thats a BIG car!

So this is what happens when you just star drawing and not worry about proportion - the towers run off the top and the car is way too stinking big, and quite frankly some of it is just made up. Not my best work.

How to make a sketchbook

I thought I would give a quick run through on how I make a sketchbook.. excellent photography here with my iPhone because I was too lazy to go get my regular camera.

First I bought two sheets of 22"X30" Arches 140lb Cold Pressed watercolor paper. I think it was about $3.50 - $4.00 a sheet at Utrecht in Providence. I then cut it into 5" strips so I ended up with 5 usable strips from each sheet.

Cut watercolor paper into strips.

Fold each sheet in half - accuracy counts here

After I folded them in half I put two sheets together in a signature and marked them for stitching. Then using a pointy thing I poked holes through each signature to facilitate sewing.

Yes, Eddie can sew!

Using a blunt tapestry needle (6 for $1.50 at the fabric store as opposed to about ten bucks for 3  bookbinding needles at the art store) I got these while shopping with Carol - she has started making quilts again. I did use bookbinding thread as I had purchased some a while back.

All the tools you need

In the picture are the tools you need to make about any book -- apart from glue and a brush. I also made a book press from a couple of boards and bolts with wing nuts. In the picture are the tapestry needle, a pointy hole maker, an xacto knife and a bone fold. Not much of an investment for such a rewarding endeavor.

Good Old Elmers glue

After stitching up the book, I stuck it in my book clamp, and gave the binding edge several coats of Elmer's glue which is just the same as just about any other PVA glue, although if you want to pay more you can certainly go to the art store and do so.

Putting cool looking paper on the cover

If you are gonna make a book the you gotta get some really cool paper for the cover - otherwise no one would know how cool you really are. I found this sheet at Utrecht for about three dollars and they had a great selection.  This paper looks nice but It doesn't seem too rugged. Time will tell. Just brush on the Elmer's (watered down just a tad) and position your chipboard. The chipboard should be cut about a quarter of an inch larger than the page size and leave a gap of double the thickness of the board on either side of the spine.

Cloth on the spine

Carol gave me a piece of cloth (from the quilt she is making) to use to reinforce the spine of the book. This is the first time I have done this but it looks right and the cloth complements the paper. Thanks Carol, she has such good taste.

Mull, or Super - to help hole everything together

Next up, while the cover was drying, I added some mull to the spine to help reinforce the book. Mull is really just cheesecloth -- but if you want, you can pay more for bookbinding mull - do you see a theme developing here?

OK I forgot to take pictures of a few steps. . .

Jumping ahead. . . After gluing the endpapers to the inside of the cover (I used brown wrapping paper because it was what I had that was long enough - 5 x 22 inches) I finished wrapping the mull around the book and glued it securely to the front and back pages of the book. Then glued the book into the cover. Lots of brushing of glue here, and working fast. Sorry I didn't take pictures of this process but was working fast, had glue on my fingers and just plain forgot to take pictures. I then put the whole thing back into my home made book press so it can dry. The entire book making process took about two hours (an hour yesterday and an hour today) of working time - drying time is another thing, and I will keep the sketchbook in my press overnight so it can all cure completely. I took it out of the press for the pictures below.

Damn what a fine looking book!

A messy desk but worth it

Hopefully this will satisfy my need for a rectangle.  The little square sketchbook I have been working in has been wearing on me. So my book is drying and I need to go get some lunch and go for a bike ride and maybe even do some sketching.

Birthday Cake and more

Birthday Cake - Lemon with Chocolate frosting

I am now as old as the Beatles song says. . . . Carol made a cake and the grandkids helped me eat some, with ice cream. The tradition is to drink out of the 'Birthday Cup' -- I had Orange Crush, mmmmmmmm So after we ate cake, and we had pizza, I did this little sketch to commemorate the day.

At lunch hour today I went out and got in a quick sketch of one of the local places where people at work order lunch. From what I understand the food here is quite good and the portions ample. And of course I misspelled the name on the drawing...

Ernie T's - RT 138, Wyoming RI

Nana's Car

Nana's RAV4

It was our first really warm evening of the year, warm enough that we could all sit outside and chat after supper. While we were chatting I drew Carol's car. I figure it doesn't really matter what I draw as long as I keep the ink and paint flowing. I think this little RAV looks more like a red school bus, but it was a fun thing to draw.

Sunday Sketches

The Providence Skyline from East Providence 

After painting the bottom of the boat, changing zincs and taking the shrink wrap off (hopefully we will get launched this week) I had time to sit and do a couple of sketches in my little book. The picture above was an experiment without using my pens, just light pencil for layout and watercolor.  I sometimes feel like my drawings must look like a coloring book, and I gotta admit this is a much harder way for me to create a scene, and I don't think is as successful as I had wanted or imagined. However we must be intrepid in our quest, so I will definitely continue to try this technique from time to time.

The Morning Star Bakery

This is a great little bakery about a half mile from our house. I say it is great for three reasons, the prices are reasonable, the pastries are very good and, as I said - it is about a half mile from the house. I was driving back from doing the skyline sketch and as I turned onto Bliss, I just had to stop and sketch it. . .(No really it is on the corner of Bliss St and Broadway) And by the way this sketch and St Francis Xavier Church were drawn with my new Lamy sketch pen.

Saint Francis Xavier Church, East Providence

Saint Francis Xavier Church, East Providence, RI 

Today I spent about half an hour or so sitting in the parking lot sketching this wonderful old church right here in East Providence. The problem was that I started the drawing about 3:30 and had forgotten all about 4:00 Mass - so of course several cars parked ring in my view adding some new level of frustration, but it all worked out

Amy's Jeep

Amy's Jeep and my new pen

So for the past couple of days I have had almost no time to sketch - soooo many social engagements... hahaha. This morning I got into work 5 minutes early and knocked this out real quick. (not the way I like to do it) I was trying to capture the sunlight and the three white birches behind the car. It is only a half page drawing so it is quite small. Need to get out more. Then this afternoon at the very end of the day my new Lamy Safari pen arrived so I had to sketch it. . . .

Todays sketch and some oldies

Bell School 1826

Tuesday morning drawing before work.  I had an extra few minutes, very few, and found a simple subject and a straight on angle. I had never noticed this historic schoolhouse before and was delighted to find it only minutes from the office. A simple sketch for a simple man. . .

Kayaking with John B in 1992

I found some old sketchbooks and here is a page from almost exactly 21 years ago. My friend John and I did a day-trip in our kayaks from Warwick out around some islands and back finding all sorts of treasures. The directors chair lasted a few years as I remember it. . .

The start of a trans-Atlantic crossing - in Bermuda, June, 1998

In another sketchbook I had started a journal for our transatlantic crossing aboard our friends schooner, Sheba Moon. I only got a few pages in when I abandoned it for a smaller format.If I remember correctly this sketchbook, which I bought in Bermuda was a bit large and a bit flimsy to cary around. I settled for a small hardbound book. It is fun looking back and seeing how much the drawing style has changed and how much it has stayed the same. . . .

East Providence Yacht Club

East Providence Yacht Club

Again I am feeling a bit constricted by the square format,  but had a good time down by the water. This is a great little bar in East Providence at Bold Point, and even though it is a 'Yacht Club' it is open to the public. I stopped on my way home and sat for almost an hour and sketched as the rain was dripping.

Hope Valley again

Todays page 

I found an empty parking lot on the corner here in front of an apparently empty building to sit in the car and sketch. What I didn't know was that there is a breakfast diner around the corner that must open at 7:00 because cars started pulling in and out and blocking my view. Regardless I was able to get enough paint down on the page to satisfy the urge. I added the text in the corner later and scanned it before the page was dry. . . . as you can tell.  I also left out some telephone poles and wires. This certainly needs a larger piece of paper.