I am fascinated with abandoned homes and businesses. I am always curious about what it was like before it was left to ruin. What were the people like who were there? What was life like for them? What memories were made? I can create entire stories in my mind as I bring the abandoned back to life.
The inspiration for this house came from a photo of an abandoned building by railroad tracks. I am not sure if it was a house or a depot, but I still wondered the same thing, what was it like when it was full of life?
I took that broken building and turned it into a home. And even though it is still sitting somewhere slowly rotting, on this piece of watercolor paper it has life again.
Ambiance
After I draw out the picture I'm going to paint, I light a candle. I choose scents to match the mood or season of the painting. Having specific aromas present while I paint makes the process even more enjoyable.
This candle filled the air with a musky fall scent. It almost felt like I was outside enjoying the smell of a far off fireplace and fresh fall leaves.
What Else I've Been Up To
I've spent a little time browsing the internet this week and have been pleasantly surprised at what I've found. In keeping with the theme of the painting, I was looking for sites about history and what used to be. I was lucky and found two!
The Forgotten South
Photo by Sikes Photos
The Forgotten South features stories and photos of homes and businesses that were abandoned, left to ruin. Each one tells of an interesting story and life lived. Today I read about a one room wood school house from a town that no loner exists, but in an effort to keep the only piece of history left from that era (other than some photographs) the schoolhouse has been moved multiple times (thankfully it has found a permanent home) and has since been restored.
Another story was about a railroad depot that was turned into a Mercantile with the upstairs being the office of two doctors. The stories go on and on. Check out the site at the link below.
Los Angeles Public Library
I only browse news websites on occasion, but on this day I'm glad I did. There was an article about an amateur photographer who had be taking pictures of celebrities and musicians and theater actors for 40 years. He had never made the collection public, and when he died it was auctioned off and it is now in the process of being uploaded for the public to enjoy.
Out of curiosity I went to their website and found several collections of photos from decades past. There is so much history in those photos. I can't wait to explore more. If you would like to check it out, click on the link below.
What's so great about both of these sites is that it isn't/wasn't some corporation posting these pictures and stories, it's a woman named Kelly who loves history and photography and a man who just wanted a collection of photos of famous people for himself, not for money. I hope you visit and enjoy these sites.
Have a great week!
Rebecca ~
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