Land of Larry

Artwork and thoughts by Larry Foster.

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I made this sketch from an image I found in a Frank Lohan book, “The Drawing Handbook, 1993.” 

In my life I have traveled.  Many times during those travels I have crossed many bridges.  Some of the bridges are famous, some are not.  Famous ones I actually walked across are the Old Bridge in Heidelberg, Germany built in 1788 to cross the Neckar River, and the George Washington Bridge that crosses the Hudson River and connects NYC and NJ.

But I have also traveled across bridges that cross the Mississippi River a number of different times and in a number of different States, the Missouri River, the Red River, the Ohio River (in many different places), the Colorado River, the Tennessee River, the Tanana River in Alaska (which flows into the Yukon River), and the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco

Bridges are important in life.  Bridges can be a symbol for how we continue on in our lives. We come to not just physical obstacles in our lives, but also emotional and psychological ones too. And then we might consciously, or unconsciously, ask ourselves if we should cross over it.

Looking at this picture there is the obstacle of the small river and the stone bridge that someone built to help themselves and others over the river. The person who built the bridge found stones on their path. Like the river, stones can be an obstacle on one's path. That person moved the stones in their path and used the stones to not only make their path smoother but also to be able to overcome other obstacles on their journey.

As I go through life I realize that I can clear stones from my path. The stones in my life at times are hard and difficult to move. Once I can get them to budge and move them away I realize I can also use them to overcome other obstacles I may encounter.

It is my choice.

And perhaps my choice of doing things has helped other people as they journey on in their lives. We all come across stones as we journey on our path of life. It is our choice as to what to do with them - ignore them and leave them for others to stumble on, or take them, build bridges with them and smooth the pathway to help all of us as we journey along day by day. Each of us gets to decide what to do with these stones.

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The first image is a pencil sketch I made from the 1981 Frank Lohan art book “Pen & Ink Themes.”  The second image is when I played around with adjusting the contrast of the drawing I had made.  

I imagined this stone cottage to be in one of the rural areas of Great Britain.  There is a poem by about homes by Felicia Dorothea (Browne) Hemans (Sept. 25, 1793 - May 16, 1835)  titled “The Homes of England.”  Here is the one verse about cottages:

The cottage homes of England!

By thousands on her plains,

They are smiling o'er the silvery brooks,

And round the hamlets' fanes.

Through glowing orchards forth they peep,

Each from its nook of leaves;

And fearless there the lowly sleep,

As the bird beneath their eaves.

The entire poem is only 5 verses long.  And it is a really good piece of poetry that reflects not just on buildings but on people and the experiences that a person can have while living in one of the different homes she writes about.  But for me the most important part of each of these homes is the sense and feeling of family and love amongst  family members. You can read the entire poem at:  

 (https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Poems_That_Every_Child_Should_Know/The_Homes_of_England)

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The first image here is the final drawing I made of the Powerscourt Waterfall in Ireland. I also added the photo that inspired me to draw it and 2 images showing the process of the drawing. This waterfall is the tallest in Ireland.

Waterfalls are often places where people go to see the beauty of it and find themselves reflecting on many thoughts. Thoughts like:

Life flows like water so don't resist the current.

Waterfalls are proof that sometimes a little chaos can be beautiful.

Let the water wash away your worries.

In the quiet roar of the waterfall you can find an inner peace.

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This is a sketch of Kylemore Lough in County Galway, Ireland.  It is based on a photo from the 1986 book "This Beautiful Land Ireland" by Sue Sharp with photos by John Freeman.  

When I have walk in places like lakes, hills, valleys, and occasionally mountains,  I have enjoyed not just the various types of views but also the way the sights, the gentle breezes, the sun rays or the quiet way thoughts enter my mind and my heart.  Below are some thoughts I have enjoyed.    

The still waters of a lake reflect the beauty around it. When the mind is still, the beauty of the Self is seen reflected in it.   Anonymous

When we walk on the earth with reverence, beauty will decide to trust us.  John O’Donohue

Not every lake dreams to be an ocean. Blessed are the ones who are happy with whom they are.   Mehmet Murat ildan

Make your heart be like a lake with a calm, still surface and great depths of kindness.   Lao Tzu

Even the smallest act of caring for another person is like a drop of water. It will make ripples throughout the entire pond.  Bryan Matteo

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This is a sketch of the Killary Harbour (also known as Killary Fjord) in County Galway, Ireland. It is based on a photo from the 1986 book "This Beautiful Land Ireland" by Sue Sharp with photos by John Freeman.

"Ships are the nearest things to dreams that hands have ever made, for somewhere deep in their oaken hearts the song of a soul is laid." Robert N. Rose

[larrysland]

A friend once told me that when he was taking art classes in college they would sometimes be told that they had a 1 minute time limit to draw the image they were being shown on a screen.  Then a new image would come up and they had just one minute to draw it.   I decided to try that and I made this sketch of some the trees in my back yard when I lived in Cincinnati.  It took me longer than a minute but it was an interesting learning experience about perception and decision and action.

Here are some other thoughts about trees that I have enjoyed over the years. I especially like the last one.   

Trees are poems that the earth writes upon the sky. Kahlil Gibran 

He who plants a tree, plants a hope. Anonymous

Time spent amongst trees is never wasted time. Katrina Mayer

You know me, I think there ought to be a big old tree right there. And let's give him a friend. Everybody needs a friend.  Bob Ross

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On this New Year's Day I have been reflecting on not just the last year but on many years of my life. Many years of physical, mental, emotional and psychological journeys I have been on, and ones I am still going on. And I have said or posted the following things before but they are still important in my life and they are still guides for me. I wish you all good winds as you sail on in your lives too.

My body has certainly wandered a great deal, but I have an uneasy suspicion that my mind has not wandered enough.  Noel Coward

The more sand that has escaped from the hourglass of our life, the clearer we should see through it.  Jean Paul Richter

We've all got both light and dark inside us.  What matters is the part we choose to act on.  That's who we really are.  J.K. Rowling

A ship in a harbor is safe - but that is not what ships are built for. John Shedd

You can never cross the ocean unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.  Christopher Columbus

Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. Mark Twain

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This is the last of the wooden boxes I made and this one I made for myself.

Horse sense is the thing a horse has which keeps it from betting on people.  W.C. Fields

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This is another keepsake box that I made for my wife. Like many of the other items I've made, the wood is from the cherry trees that came from the farm where she grew up. While it is important to live in the present and to plan for one's future, it is also important to remember one's past. There are great treasures and happiness in the past, the present and the future. Treasure and value all the times that you have with loved ones.

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Like last month, this is another box made from the cherry wood from the farm where my wife grew up.  I drew the images on both sides of the box lid, then wood burned them and then painted them. The design of the mare and colt is based on a gift from my mother which is in other photos here.  

The inside of the lid has a Celtic knot known as the Triquerta and also the Trinity Knot.  It’s origin goes back to early Celtic culture and over the centuries has had different meanings applied to it.  One is the association with the natural elements of earth, air and water.  Another is the Christian Holy Trinity of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  On the website Celticstudio.shop I found the following statement, “Beyond religious meanings, the Trinity Knot is a symbol of life, death, and rebirth in Celtic tradition, reflecting the eternal cycle of existence. It also signifies the interconnectedness of the mind, body, and spirit, highlighting the unity of human experience.”

In photos 3 & 4 are the contents of the box.  The mare and colt are the last set of horses I received in my childhood.  My mother gave them to me for my 15th birthday.  There are also 2 grey horses and one tiny palomino.  The palomino was a gift from my daughter when she was about 10 years old.  These and my Turkish horses are the only ones from my childhood collection that I still have.  

The last item is not a horse but is a Hummel figurine called Goose Girl.  This was one of a few Hummel’s my mother purchased when we lived in Heidelberg, Germany in the early 1950s.

And here is a quote I found online that reflects how good a mother I had.  

"If you give a kid a horse, you'll give them more than just a ride... you'll give them confidence, courage, and a quiet kind of strength that'll stay with them for life. Because if you give a kid a horse... you'll change them forever.” 

Thanks, Mom.  Later this month my mother will celebrate her 114th birthday in heaven.  Party On !!!  

[larrysland]

This wooden box was made from a cherry tree that was on the farm where my wife grew up. A friend of mine is a expert in woodworking as he does cabinetry. He led and instructed me in the cutting and planing of the wood to form this box and others.

I wanted this box made to help preserve a gift I received for Christmas in 1958. My father was in the military and had been assigned as an aide to the Turkish Army. He was in eastern Turkey for a year working out of the city of Erzurum. But he travelled a lot in that country. He got to the border of Armenia which was at that time part of the Soviet Union. We have a photo of him and you can see Mt. Ararat (Noah's Ark resting place) in the background. He also got down to Antioch on the Mediterranean Sea, and also to a small town on the Black Sea and to the capital, Ankara.

Horses have been my favorite animal all my life. While in Turkey, Dad was able to find a place where he could order these 6 white porcelain horse and have them sent to me. Quite likely it was when he was in Antioch and he was able to order these from some place in the US. But to me, they are my Turkish horses. My understanding is that these are based on designs made during the Victorian times.

I drew the design on the outside and inside of the box lid. I used a wood burning tool on the designs and then stained the wood. After that I painted the designs, attached the hardware, and made the foam padding.

I want to preserve these and pass them on to family members as an example of love from a parent even though that parent was under a lot of stress and was far, far way.

On other earlier posts I have written about horses and added quotes about them from other people. Some of the following quotes may be repeats but they are still meaningful to me. And in some ways, they are a reflection of my father.

Horses lend us the wings we lack.

The best part of riding isn’t the destination, but the journey shared with your horse.

Your horse may not understand your words, but they’ll always understand your heart.

A horse’s wisdom is not loud or boastful, but found in every silent lesson.

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A friend of mine who is a cabinet maker had some left over wood so he cut the wood edges for me and gave me the pieces. I found some different designs which combined with other designs and I drew on the pieces of wood. Then I used a wood burner on the designs and then stained them different colors. The hardware was different for me since the top was two pieces. But it turned out pretty good.

[larrysland]

This is a drawing I made of the Monument Valley Navajo Park located in the Colorado Plateau along the Arizona and Utah state lines. The first image here is the final colored pencil drawing. The other pictures are of the process of drawing it as a black and white pencil sketch and then going back and coloring it. The final image is the photo that I used to make this drawing.

Besides being the location for many Western Cowboy movies it also was used in the movie Forest Gump. There is a lot of great information about the geology of it on the Wikipedia page that I recommend be read.

Though I did not walk through this area I did spend many hours drawing it and that too was a wonderfully calm journey.

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Like last month's post this drawing of a cardinal was done from a jig saw puzzle toy for young children.

As I was making this drawing my mind went on a journey of memories that may seem kind of rambling here. I remembered there are sayings that when a cardinal appears it means that an angel is nearby.

Then, thinking of angels I remembered that when each of my children were young babies there were times I would hold them in my arms and sing or hum songs as they calmed and drifted off to sleep. The first one was "Angel On My Shoulder" by Shelby Flint. Other songs were "The Gypsy Rover" as sung by the The Highwaymen and "Jamaica Farewell" (also known as Kingston Town) by Harry Belafonte. And though there were no words to it I would also hum the theme song from the movie "The Sundowners."

Many years later I came across another angel song by Chuck Brodsky called "We Are Each Others Angels". There was a recording of it with another verse added by Sara Hickman which has become popular. I like that song very much.

Now my rambling is over for this post. Hope your day is good, and who knows, maybe you will see a cardinal today!

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This sketch of a dolphin was made from one of the learning toys my grandchildren used to play with. The third image is of a dolphin that I saw and was able to photograph last December when on a boat tour in Hawaii.

Here is a quote from an anonymous source about dolphins. I like it because it makes me reflect on living everyday and finding joy through all the ups and downs of life.

Dolphins speak to us of the rhythm of our emotions: breathing in joy before plunging into the depths and then rushing to the surface to do it all over again .

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This is another of the pencil sketches from the Jon Gnagy Learn to Draw Art Studio kit.

When I lived in Cincinnati there was a yearly Riverboat festival called Tall Stacks. This coming October 8-12 the celebration is now called "America's River Roots" and the cities of river cultures.

Mark Twain published a book in 1883 titled "Life on the Mississippi." In it he wrote:

When I was a boy, there was but one permanent ambition among my comrades in our village on the west bank of the Mississippi River.  That was, to be a steamboatman.  We had transient ambitions of other sorts, but they were only transient.  When a circus came and went, it left us all burning to become clowns; the first minstrel show that came to our section left us all suffering to try that kind of life; now and then we had a hope that if we lived and were good, God would permit us to be pirates.  These ambitions faded out, each in his turn; but the ambition to be a steamboatman always remained. 

It makes me think of all the dreams and adventures I had when I was growing up. Sometimes my friends and I did things that were clownish - and we were definitely laughed at! We would also sing rock and roll songs and folks songs and dream of that kind of a future. Pirates? No, I don't remember that being one of our ambitions. But we all did have dreams of many different kinds of adventures. Driving a great hot rod car was likely our equivalent of being a steamboatman. It was our way of looking for new adventures while going up and down the river of life during the times when we were growing up.

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In February 1898 my grandfather left Delaware, Ohio on a train that took him to Milford, Ohio. And from there he took a train to Chicago.  Then it was a many days ride across the northern prairies and snow covered mountains to Seattle, Washington.  From there he sailed north to Skagway, Alaska.  At that time there were no trains into the Yukon Territory so it was a lot of walking/hiking, and some boating along trails and rivers to Dawson City, Yukon and then on to his land claim, #23 at Bonanza Creek.  He returned to Ohio on a train in September 1901.

This drawing is of the type of train that was in use at that time.  This is another image from the Jon Gnagy art set.  I made a slight change to the Gnagy drawing.  You can see on the building the last few letters of the town name.  I made it to be the last letters of town of Delaware.

I have taken a few train rides in my life.  My father took the photo of the rainbow from the train window on June 2, 1953 as our family left Heidelberg, Germany headed to the port of Bremerhaven to begin sailing back to America. 

In 1966 I took a 36-hour ride from Columbus, Ohio through Indianapolis and St. Louis then to San Antonio, Texas and Ft. Sam Houston where I began my Army medical training.  I don't have any pictures of that trip. 

In 2015 my wife and I were in Skagway, Alaska and took a 2 hour or so train ride over the White Pass trail that my grandfather had hiked on back in 1898. Fortunately there was a newer train passage than the one built in the summer and fall of 1898.