Plein Air Drawings

This series of Tom's drawings are all done plein air, and are all the same basic size of 8.5 inches X 5 inches. Some are portrait and some are landscape in orientation, depending on subject matter. Most were drawn with an HB automatic pencil. A few in the early 1990's were drawn with a rapidograph ink pen.

Lucifer Falls Gorge

June 2, 2003

Ithaca, NY has many beautiful gorges to explore. Lucifer Falls Gorge is my favorite. The skill of the landscape architects and masons who created the all stone walkways and bridges, integrated sensitively into the rock formations, is very impressive.

Koln Cathedral Apse

October 21, 2002

Koln Cathedral is an enormous, amazing edifice. I sketched this one point perspective directly centered on the apse. The view is a dramatic radiating forest of spires, flying buttresses and gargoyles.

Jacobsville Chapel

September 1, 2002

This simple wooden church, in a woods at the end of the Bootjack Peninsula of the Keweenaw, is very handsome and serene.

Castello Sforzesco Milano

April 14, 2002

The massive and imposing Castello Sforzesco was built in the 15th century, and later was one of the largest military citadels in Europe. Leonardo da Vinci frescoed many of its rooms. I sketched it on a beautiful April day.

Kaiser Wilhelm Church

March 3, 2002

The stabilized WW2 ruin of the Kaiser Wilhelm Gedachtniskirche in Berlin stands in stark contrast to the modern buildings surrounding it. It is a powerful reminder of the horrors of WW2.

Reichstag

March 2, 2002

The historic Reichstag in Berlin was completely re-furbished to be the capitol building of the newly united East Germany and West Germany. Architect Sir Norman Foster designed a huge contemporary glass dome for the building, symbolizing the re-unification.

Rijksmuseum

February 1, 2002

The Rijksmuseum is one of my favorite art museums in the world. It is full of Rembrandt’s paintings and many other Dutch Masters’ works. I just about froze finishing the sketch on a very chilly, windy February day. Just across the park is the Van Gogh Museum, another of my favorites.

Isle Royale

August 21, 2001

Jill and I greatly enjoyed our visit to Isle Royale in Lake Superior. We kayaked and hiked for a couple of days. I sketched the historic Rock Harbor lodge from a rock outcropping overhanging the harbor shore, just steps from our room.

Koln Cathedral Interior

March 6, 2001

The Gothic “Dom” (Koln Cathedral) is the tallest twin spired church in the world (515 feet). The interior is enormous. It was fun sketching a soaring one point perspective of this memorable space, which I have visited many times on European business trips.

Chicago Water Tower

November 1, 2000

I love the ornate stone Water Tower building on Michigan Avenue. It is dwarfed by all of the glitzy buildings around it, but it is a beloved Windy City landmark.