Urban sketching...

Here's a sketch of a mirrored reflection of the milling operation in Morrison, Colorado. The side view of the closest truck is the one I'm in. The mirror reflection is looking west and I am facing east. I don't like my interpretation of the milling machine. I do like the mirror reflection idea and despite what I don't like about the sketch, I do like it. Plus it's a cool idea, drawing things in a mirror.

I call this one mirrored tandems.

Dear Friend...

I am once again questioning my sanity for choosing to work where I am at.

Surprisingly, nothing bad or negative has happened at work. I just don't get "it" at times. I truly wish I had much better discernment than I do. I am constantly told to "hurry up" at work and then when I do the men question it and tell me to "slow down." I am informed that "commonsense" will tell me when to do either. Really??? It hasn't told me anything; nada; zippo with a capital Z; and I really have no clue. I did speak up to the comment and ask "well, what if you have no commonsense? Then what?" I was informed that I was screwed.

Now why am I here?? Oh yeah, it's a good plan and I have health insurance.


Send me all the news.
Love,
L

Urban Sketching...

and here's some sketching not at work. Palmer Lake is while I'm there and Sedalia, Colorado from a photo.

Palmer Lake, Colorado. These lake kayaks just got off the lake at it started to rain and in this area with rain there is usually lightening.

I just happened to be getting fuel in my truck which takes awhile even for a half a tank when I saw a photo op. About 15 to 20 minutes and decided a photo op was presenting itself. Imagine how long it would take to fill a tank when its empty. At the end of each day if the tank is below 3/4 of a tank we are to fill it.

This guy was having car trouble and I took the opportunity to take a photo to draw him later. the broken down Triumph is from a photo I took while getting fuel in my truck and drawing it while I wait at the plant to get loaded with asphalt. I took some artistic liberties with the Triumph sketch as the building with the flag on it is further to the right than presented. I really like my photo of this guy, not so much my sketch.

note: all photos (sketches) copyrighted by me.

Urban Sketching...work

Hello, here's some sketching I've been doing while I wait for hours in the truck. I want people to see my sketching and feel compelled to go to the places I've drawn. Most especially these industrial places. They are beautiful and ugly all at the same time. The last sketch has an apartment building in the background. And though my sketches don't exactly look like the place, it's close enough to "see" a likeness.


I named this sketch "all the pretty tandems" my coworkers and myself get in this line to obtain asphalt from one of the three cylos set up to drop asphalt. Sometimes the wait in line is 45 minutes to an hour.

Bear Creek Lake Park, Morrison, Colorado, Highway 8. This sketch was done while looking at the entrance to this park. The tandum and front loader were sitting there so nicely while we waited to get millings. These were later moved and worked very hard the rest of the day.

I named this sketch "busy as a bee" because the guy running this humongous yellow front end loader was so fast I was unable to get a photo. By humongous, I mean his tires are taller than me. I had to sketch him very quickly each time he stopped to get a load of cement blocks or dump it. They recycle the old cement blocks. Who knew? not me. I am glad to discover that it doesn't go to the dump.

This is a favorite sketch. We are all waiting in line to receive millings. My truck will get the millings before the ones you see in this truck. I am again in Morrisson, Colorado on Highway 8 between Estes Road and Wadsworth looking east on Hwy 8.

This is also a favorite done before the previous sketch. Again waiting for millings near the entrance to Bear Creek Lake Park on HWY 8 closer to Morrison, Colorado. Looking west. In fact, Morrison is just past the bridge between the two hills. The bridge is HWY C470.

This is another favorite. I like the apartment building in the background. Also, there is a creek bed with a walking path between the two areas of recycling, just over the small 3 high concrete blocks. I tried to capture the feeling that there is something there with all the trees.


Of note, its really, really dusty at the recycling asphalt plants. I can't imaging living so close to such an industry. It's also very loud. They do their best and send a guy around in a water truck watering the road to work on keeping the dust down. As I wrote that last sentence I find the irony in it, as there are places in the world with no water. And we do this for the "comfort" of those living nearby because a complaint has been filed. Such a waste of water.

note: all photos (sketches) copyrighted by me.

Dear Friend...

Life has been interesting. Work, I kinda sorta like. I don't like Mondays as I have a panic attack every Monday while driving to work as I still have trouble with the male communication thing that I have "fondly" named "man code."

This month I have learned how to obtain asphalt from the asphalt plant, take it to the project site and dump it into the paver. It's not as easy as it sounds. The guys who've been here awhile forget this as it does become rote after awhile. One of the newbs in another patrol, said what??? why do you get training and I don't. Well, it's because I asked for it (training). If your a guy, you're looked down upon if you ask for training. Irony, it's a bitch. Although on this one thing it has worked out for me since I'm female and am expected to need extra training (big grin).

I later learned how to get millings from the miller and dump it at a designated area. I was on my own on the second day of milling. It was lovely. I enjoyed it. Then more paving and was on my own for this too. It was pleasant. Although, on one of the days it was like a wild carnival ride as we were taken to the wrong asphalt plant. I finally got on the radio and got the address and then said, "hey, I got it, let's roll." Joe a long-time worker said, "we follow her." We were wasting lots of time that we could not afford. I got us to the right plant which was right around the corner from where we were. Then somehow, I lead the way back to the project. Only thing is I am not familiar with the area and had no clue how to get there. I was given good directions by one of the guys and we went through an amazingly roller coaster ride of a rain storm. There was 4 inches of rain on the road and then hail and then golf ball size hail. Windshields on cars were shattering it was so bad. Then people were stopping on this Interstate under bridges and only leaving one lane to get through. It was crazy exciting!!! One of the six trucks I was with lost his windshield wipers in the storm. We had to turn on our warning lights so he could see us. We finally made it to the project site and it was sunny with no rain at all. Go figure.

More paving after this day and then "picking." Picking is nasty stuff. It is picking up trash left on the side of the Interstate. It's so gross. At the end of it you smell like sour milk, vomit and feces. I make certain that I take a change of clothes in the car with me since the first time I did this I didn't do that and was gagging all the way home, which is an hour drive. I miss the mountain patrol I was on as we never had to do this. Those mountain folks take their area very seriously and the police enforce the no littering law. People are terribly selfish and dirty on the Interstate. It's sadly disgusting. I dislike picking the most---it's so nasty.

I then learned to take the sweepings to the landfill. I have additional petty information on the sweepings pile but I'll keep that to myself and leave the story in my written journal. This landfill is so big you could get lost in it. It's thousands of acres. I was shocked. I am so naive. Where does all our trash go? Of course it has to go somewhere it doesn't just disappear on its own. They do a good job at this landfill. It's shocking to see so much trash. What do I expect for the 5th largest city in the nation. I can't imagine how horrible the trash barges are in New York, it must be disgusting. uggh.

I've learned lots this month and it's only half gone so far. I sketch while in the truck waiting for hours at times. I'll try and figure out how I can post these and share them later.
Send me all the news,
L