I live in a community which dates back to the 1700s, so there is no shortage of beautiful old houses around here. I’ve painted many of them over the years, but for this recent sketch I narrowed down my focus to some of my favorite front doors.
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| 9″ x 12″, ink & watercolor, Aquabee Super Deluxe sketchbook |
I included impressive entrances from Victorian mansions…
and simpler doors from Hansel-and-Gretel-like cottages…
a vintage brick home on the university campus…
and a generously-sized two-family frame house near the library…
houses with impressive stained glass windows…
and a 19th century home with a 1950s storm door…
I just might have to do a ‘Waynesburg Doors II” sketch – there are so many more I wanted to include but couldn’t fit on the page. During the hours I worked on this picture, I found myself wondering about the stories those doors might tell. To the people who live in these homes, that front door is where they brought a new baby home from the hospital, or where a future son-in-law stood waiting for a first date with the daughter of the house.
It’s where a first grader kissed mommy goodbye and skipped down the sidewalk to catch the
school bus. It’s where a family welcomed relatives home for the holidays
and hugged them as they went on their way.
Doors are impassive witnesses to history and the everyday life of those who live within. I’m glad I took the time to memorialize a few of them on the pages of my sketchbook. It makes me feel connected to those unknown families in some small way.
Fine art prints of “Waynesburg Doors” are available at Artbeat gallery and in my online shop.
One Comment
this is a lovely print – years ago someone took photos of doors here in Manchester (NH). It was the talk of the town and lots of memories and stories came out about the homes.