Union Station in Portland, Oregon, became a familiar sight as I traveled back and forth between Seattle and Portland via Amtrak for two eye surgeries in 2022. Designed by Van Brunt & Howe, the station began construction in 1890 and opened in 1896. The signature piece of the station is the 150-foot-tall Romanesque Revival clock tower featuring an 1898 Seth Thomas pendulum clock on its four faces. The station was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.
At times, we simply do not have the time to stop and sketch for more than a few minutes. Yet, we still want to capture the moment of being in a specific place at a certain time. While graphic studies done under these circumstances may not fully describe a visual scene, they serve as a reminder of where we have been and what we experienced.
These are examples sketched extremely quickly while visiting Tuskegee University Chapel, designed by Paul Rudolph of New York and the African-American firm of John A. Welch and Louis Fry, both former Tuskegee Institute Faculty members.
William J. Samford Hall houses Auburn University’s administration, planning, and public relations offices. Built in 1888 after a fire destroyed “Old Main” on the present site, the structure, with its iconic clock tower, is now part of the Auburn University Historic District.
As with the previous post, there are two images above. On the left is my first attempt at blocking out Samford Hall. You can see how the structure fills the page and the top of the clock tower appears to be cut off. Note also how the dark figures establish the scale of the forecourt.
To give the structure more breathing space, I moved back to allow the engraved Auburn University sign to frame the scene in the foreground and also enable the entire clock tower to be included.
Another lesson in composing, framing, and providing context.
After a few years’ absence, with only a smattering of postings to celebrate Lunar New Years, mark the 50th anniversary of the beginning of my teaching career, and mourn the losses caused by the devastating fire in Lahaina in 2023, I will again be posting drawings occasionally as time permits.
This first set are drawings of a stave church built in the early 13th century. While I usually advocate for including context in a scene, here I omitted the surroundings as the church was moved from Gol, Norway, to the Norsk Folkemuseum outside of Oslo, where it now resides as a set piece.
What you see on the left is my first attempt, which illustrates a common error made when beginning a drawing—that of working from the top down. Beginning with the topmost pyramidal tier and tentatively blocking out the lower tiers, I soon realized that I wouldn’t have enough room to complete the structure with the proper proportions. Rather than squeeze the structure in by distorting the proportional relationships, I began anew with the right-hand drawing.
Here, I followed an important principle—work from the whole to the parts, to keep everything in proportion and still maintain an image that will fit the page. Working this way, one first fits the overall height on the page, and then carefully subdivide the proper number of tiers. Whether beginning with the overall height of a subject, as in this case, or the overall size of a vertical plane, it is almost always a good idea to begin with as large an element in the composition as possible to ensure the subject and its context will fit the page.
In the Chinese Zodiac, this is the Year of the Snake, beginning on January 29, 2025 and marking the start of the 16-day Spring Festival. The Snake symbolizes wisdom, intuitive creativity, and transformation. Those born under this sign are said to be passionate and steadfast in pursuing goals, possess introverted and mysterious natures, and have excellent problem-solving and communication skills. Famous people born in the Year of the Snake include Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, Bob Dylan, John F. Kennedy, Audrey Hepburn, Anne Frank, Muhammad Ali, and Indira Gandhi. Kung Hee Fat Choy!
In the Chinese Zodiac, this is the Year of the Dragon, beginning on February 10, 2024. The Dragon symbolizes power, nobility, honor, wealth, and success. Those born under this sign are said to possess intelligence, confidence, tenacity, and courage; they can also be, at times, temperamental and impulsive. Famous people born in the Year of the Dragon include John Lennon, Bruce Lee, Martin Luther King Jr., Adele, Stanley Kubrick, Robert Oppenheimer, and Dr. Seuss. Kung Hee Fat Choy!
for the thousands of acres on Maui Island torched by wind-blown wildfires, and especially the devastation of Lahaina Town, these images recall what once was—Front Street in Lahaina Town, the Pioneer Inn built in 1901, and the Jodo Mission Buddhist Temple founded in 1912.
In the Chinese Zodiac, this is the Year of the Rabbit, beginning on January 22, 2023. The Rabbit embodies a quiet kindness with a strong and confident personality. Those born under this sign are said to be gentle and compassionate, with artistic sensibilities and steadfastness toward achieving their goals. Famous people born in the Year of the Ox include Julius Caesar, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Albert Einstein, George Orwell, Orson Welles, Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, and Bob Hope. Kung Hee Fat Choy!
Best wishes for a peaceful, joyous, and productive 2023.
…since I first stepped into the classroom at Ohio University to begin my teaching career. To my great good fortune, I was assigned to teach a first-year design studio with Norm Crowe, who taught me how to teach in the way he planned the course syllabus, carefully thought out studio projects, prepared for each class, and displayed admirable patience with beginning students. I also taught an architectural graphics course, the class notes for which resulted in the publication of Architectural Graphics in 1975.
Above is one of a series of posters I did to advertise the School of Architecture’s lecture series. It depicts the Athens County courthouse in the middle of town.