Core Clay Watercolor Illustration

My neighbor Laura Davis is the owner of Core Clay in Norwood.  This week is her birthday so I decided to do an illustration of her building.  There are two entrances to Core Clay and I decided to draw the side entrance on Hudson Ave. This was mainly because one day I was on my walk and took a photo of this entrance... I liked the way the yellow-orange building stood out against the grey and white buildings next to it.  I didn't happen to take a photo of the front entrance that day or maybe I would have drawn that.  But something about the subtle character of this side of the building called out to me and I always see Laura's white van parked there, so it reminded me of her too.

Below you can see my workspace.  I like to print out a copy of the photo and I also compare it to the Google map images to see different angles of the building.  This was especially helpful in this case since I took the cars away in the driveway and the street and had to make up the scene behind the cars. 

Below is a close-up of the building.  I have a soft spot in my heart for old factory buildings.  I think they are beautiful inside and out.  I remember the first time Laura gave me a tour of the building.  I was like, "OMG Laura...this is impressive!"  It is a HUGE building that bends around the grey building shown below in an "L" shape.   This building also has an original, still-functioning freight elevator that can hold cars.  It always scares me a bit being inside that cage door when it closes, but it is such a cool experience to ride in it.

Outside the door they have used old kilns as planters...the perfect touch for a clay studio.  

Normally I would have made a video of the process but I was halfway through painting it before I realized I forgot.  I am out of practice.  This project was good for me to dip my brush back into the creative bucket.

If you  need the perfect holiday gift, stop by Core Clay's shop, Mason Gallery (entrance on Montgomery Rd.).  I got half my Christmas gifts there last year! 

Laura and I have gotten to know each other through playing games on the weekends at my neighbor's house.  She and I like to go for the food and pay little attention to the actual game-playing.  But I like to think we contribute some entertainment.  Mostly Laura entertains and I am her audience.  But she has definitely added some spice to game night and has most definitely broadened my naughty-word vocabulary in the past year.  So in honor of her special birthday (yes, she did get an AARP envelope in the mail this year!) I would like to wish her a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! 

"You’re mad. Bonkers. Off your head. But I’ll tell you a secret: Some of the best people are."

— Lewis Carroll, Alice In Wonderland