Beautiful Fall Days, With A Side of Bittersweet

It is late October and the past week we have been blessed with beautiful weather.  This year has been a busy year and the last couple months have been full of change with promise of more to come.  

My dad passed away almost two months ago now and my mom had auction last week and plans to move off the farm she has lived on with my dad for the last 50 years within the next month or two.  I have known about the move for the past year and had planned to sketch regularly about the place, but then dad wasn't doing well and focus shifted.  I did finish one sketch though recently and started a couple new ones at the auction. 

Sunday Afternoon sketch at Mom and Dad's

In Process Sketches from the Auction

I also took time to sketch some flowers over the last couple months.

Flowers from my garden that I took dad in the hospital.

Sketching Flowers from the Funeral

Apologies for the Long Hiatus

 I wanted to add some sketches to my posts and just never seemed to get them in my computer to post....so I kept putting off posting...but today I must.  It has been just over a year since I hopped in my car and headed off on my epic trip last Labor Day.  Today I am heading to the fair to drop off a few pictures I took on my trip as well as a few paintings my trip inspired.  

Here are the sketches from my sketchbook that I did while on my trip last year.

Sketch from the Delta Blues Museum

Sketch from the Bathhouse Row, Hot Springs NP

Next stop after leaving Hot Springs was Fort Worth, Texas to visit my cousin Karen and her husband Jerry.        

Memories of Fort Worth

                  

Japanese Garden at Fort Worth Botanical Gardens

While in Fort Worth Queen Elizabeth passed away, so that morning I used my cousin's English mug for my tea.  

Jerry and Karen showing me the sights of the area.

JFK Memorial

Downtown Fort Worth

Jerry enjoyed interacting with the statues we saw around town.

Texas flag half mast for Queen Elizabeth

A great BBQ place.  Everman, Texas

This guy was looking for shade at the Botanical Gardens.

Watching squirrels in the back yard.

Ice Cream with blueberries and cinnamon.

A game of Aggravation, one of my Aunt Betty's favorites.

A parting gift.