Taft Ale House Sketch

Last Friday Christina Wald and I went sketching at the Taft Ale House.  It was a rainy day so we decided to sketch inside.  If you haven't been to this rehabbed old church made into a restaurant/bar then you need to go.  The renovation is quite stunning (you can see photos here).  I enjoyed their attention to all the details from the wallpaper, to the chandeliers, and even the toilet paper holders. 

Their logo is of Taft sitting in a bath tub.  If you don't know the story, Taft was a rather large man and may have gotten stuck in the White House bathtub.  An extra wide bath tub was also requested for him on his trip at sea on the USS North Carolina (more info here about these stories).  The logo for the restaurant depicts Taft in a bathtub holding a glass of beer.  You can visit their website to see their logo plus their food and drink menus. All in all a very nice way to spend a rainy afternoon.

Miami Whitewater

If you live in Cincinnati and have never taken the Miami Whitewater bike trail then you are missing out.  And the same might be said if you take the bike trail and never get off your bike, which is what I normally do.  But last time I went I let myself stop more often and I was literally "pulled over" several times by some amazing plants like the nodding thistle above. 

I know many of the plants in this blog entry are considered invasive weeds but that doesn't mean that I won't marvel at their form and structure.  The prickly, large head of the thistle in the photo above is really quite remarkable in its compact boldness.  And the many-armed star-burst structure of the wild parsnip below is also striking, but in a totally different diffuse and airy way.

About two-thirds of the way around the bike path there is a picnic table where we usually stop to take a break.  There is a horse trail that runs behind it and as I walked along the path the color, symmetry, and elegance of this spiderwort (an Ohio native) caught my eye. 

“The women loved everything that grew on God's earth, even weeds.
She knew that even the weeds were capable of doing miracles she never could.” - Emily Flim

Some of the wild parnsips (above) grow quite tall.  This one was about my height.  I love the repetition of form and scale in this plant.

The plantago below is certainly considered a weed by most everyone.  But there was something so lovely about its ephemeral, white tutu and riotous bloomers that I had to take its photo. 

I am always in awe of what I see when I slow down.  And I think this applies whether one is on a bike ride, a walk or just going about one's day. 

"Spring"field Antique Show

Last month I went to the "Spring"field Antique Extravaganza with my parents.  I usually take a zillion photos but this time I only took one.  I didn't think I was going to post it but I fell in love with this rusty, orange beauty.  Plus, I couldn't resist the pun.

I also usually buy my share of little knick-knacky items but below was my only purchase.  Well I should say my mom's only purchase for me.  It will replace the particle board drawing table I drug up from the basement.  A definite improvement I must say.  Thank you mom!

Art Exhibitions

I am so excited to be participating in two juried exhibitions this month!  The first exhibit is the Zanesville Museum of Art's 71st Ohio Annual Exhibition.  And the second is the Art Comes Alive show that will take place here in Cincinnati.  If you are interested in attending either exhibit see below and click the link to the exhibit pages.

 71st Annual Ohio Exhibition at the Zanesville Museum of Art
June 11- Aug 21
620 Military Rd.
Zanesville, OH 43701

Art Comes Alive
June 20- July 24
310 Culvert St., 5th floor
Cincinnati, OH 45202