The John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge

Mixed media on A6 Hahnemühle watercolor book 100% cotton

 A walk by the Riverwalk next to the Ohio River led me to this spot, where the view of the  Roebling Bridge is amazing. I was on the Cincinnati side, you can see the Ohio State flag waving under the American flag over the closer side on the bridge, on the other end of the bridge the Kentucky State flag is also waving. I spend over an hour sketching the bridge under the shade of a tree, first with pencil and then ink. I watercolored it later. Cincinnati is an unexpectedly beautiful city, hot, but beautiful.

A photo of me and the view was taken.

The Fountain Square in Downtown Cincinnati

Mix media on HP watercolor paper 10 in x 7 in

 The Fountain Square in downtown Cincinnati is the hub for public events. The old fountain in the new square is so beautiful, it’s known at the Tyler Davidson Fountain. I sketched it from the small tables and chairs next to it one morning. I could feel some mist from the water fountain in my hands but it didn’t affect the watercolor paint applied on my sketch. Sketching slows you down, I observed the elements of the European fountain, from my view I sketched 3 boys in the lower level, one riding a dolphin, one playing with ducks and another riding a turtle. The design was based on the pleasures of water but by today's society standards it looks like these boys are torturing animals, ha! The next level shows a farmer aiming to the sky for water and a mother leading his boy to the bath. At the top level is a woman generously giving water from her hands. I would say I accomplished the next image in 90 minutes on location. The background I finished later.

The Cincinnati Observatory

Mixed media on Hot Press watercolor 10 in x 7 in

 

It was our first stop in Cincinnati, the Observatory. I happen to sketch the old building where the newer telescope is (from early 1900’s), next to newer building that shows the older telescope. Yes, it can be confusing. Through the old telescope I saw the Sun, and there was a little dot that shows the relative size of the Sun compared to Earth. Shocking.

The two old big pines carefully trimmed and taking cared of, flanked the old Observatory, I was impressed of how beautiful there were.