Here’s another old house from 2nd Street near campus, one house down from the Barovetto House. I don’t know if this has a name but I’ve heard it referred to as the “turtle house”. It has a big turtle thing hanging from the gables. It always looks very festive and colourful. Oh by the way, sorry for the lack of updates of late, been super busy lately. I’ve been sketching though. So, back to this one. I’m getting conscious of the whole ‘drawing the whole of Davis’ thing, and when I start thinking about it on a building-by-building basis I think, yeah I’m getting there but wow, actually I’m nowhere near. I suppose I need to make a list of all the spots and scenes in Davis I am yet to sketch, all those ones I cycle past and say, oh I gotta sketch that some day, and then draw them this year. And next year and the year after… There is always more to sketch. And then things look different depending on the time of day – so many times I pass something at 7:45 am or 5:30pm, or in January or July, and make a mental note to come back and sketch it, but at lunchtime in March it looks totally different, changing light, changing seasons, and sometimes it makes it less interesting to look at for an hour. In a place like Davis where the bright sun casts dark shadows that can be tricky; in a more regularly overcast place light diffuses more evenly, but you don’t get the pretty shadows. I love going out drawing stuff. Sometimes it is better to just get on a bike, bring a sketchbook, and go around looking for a sketchable scene, but in these times when every minute is precious, a bit of forward planning is a good idea.
Update 3/15/17: check out this interesting article about the Turtle House in the California Aggie…
petescully 
I assume by now you know I really love your work….and what struck me about this post was your reference to pretty shadows and trying to balance spontaneity with forethought (in order to capture the awesomeness you see in your world)…intriguing, in terms of your process, it is also a great metaphor for accepting what is and working with that which reveals itself–and/or the search for what it is we hope to find….thanks for sharing and brightening my morning :)
Cheers! Yes, getting the right shadows means careful thought about time of day. Often my lunchtime sketches are about the time when then sun moves the most, changing all the shadows. This time of year though is great, with (mostly) leafless trees bringing great shadow shapes across buildings. Right, I need to go sketching today now…
Yes, that is the Turtle House. The poet, musician, and progressive politician Rob Roy lived there for a year. Once I saw a Christian Kiefer show in the basement of the Turtle House. Others have better stories. One day there will be a blue plaque.
Aha! So it’s a place with many stories.
and what struck me about this post was your reference to pretty shadows and trying to balance spontaneity with forethought (in order to capture the awesomeness you see in your world)…intriguing, in terms of your process, it is also a great metaphor for accepting what is and working with that which reveals itself–and/or the search for what it is we hope to find….