Drawing Subjects

Presently, and for the past couple of years, I have drawn and painted largely at home here. For one year several years back I went out on Monday with the local artists’ group for drawing and painting on site but following this one year I have gone only a couple of times. As with figure drawing, I enjoy drawing (not painting) on site from actual scenery or buildings, but I have such a store of previous sketches that I can use for paintings etc. that further on-site drawing must be justified on the enjoyment aspect alone.

Along this line I have sketched along the Oregon coast and such a further outing does appeal to me and perhaps we shall make the effort and do this, this spring (1992). I also have a number of slides which could be used as the basis for watercolors — for example one day a year or so back I went out to the Billings ranch and took a roll of film (actually prints, not slides) that I could use for this purpose. The old barn on the Billings ranch, like the Walter Wood house, doesn’t have too many years left in it, though it is still in use and in better shape than the Walter Wood house.

The comment is sometimes facetiously made that it is the most painted barn in Bear Creek Valley — based on the number of times artists have sketched or painted it, either alone or in one of the watercolor seminars I wrote of earlier. The Billings ranch, probably some 160 acres or so, lies just outside the City of Ashland limits on the north end of the city. It is rather hilly so isn’t top agricultural land and John has used it for growing hay or pasturing livestock. He inherited it from his parent, who engaged in dairy activity I think. John’s occupation was primarily as a real estate agent and broker and his farming activities were I think slighted. His inability to “develop” his land for houses etc. is the bane of his existence; eventually it probably will be but probably after he is no longer around to see it.