Monday, September 1, 2014

Tractors and other 'Fair' Things



Morrow county fair


This was a 'week of County Fairs.'
Above, sketches done on Saturday, while waiting for the
Morrow County Fair (Ohio) Tractor Pull to begin...
almost everyone was wearing a baseball cap.
We wore two pair of ear plugs because of the 
noise! One foam pair in our ears, and when the
trucks came out, we also put on 'ear-muff' type
ear protectors as well!  Loud engines, alcohol
flames, amazing custom paint jobs, and a very
enthusiastic and professional announcer.
The stands were full, and the people-watching
was nearly as fun as the tractor pull.  I didn't quite
get the sketch done of the tractor with the 'tank treads'--
it was 'working' the track before the show started.
A really huge monster...quite a contrast with
the antique tractor parade immediately 
preceding the tractor pull!


Morrow County fair

We visited a few barns before the tractor pull, 
and I took the opportunity to sketch this
 lovely pigeon. It was in the Poultry and Rabbit building, 
and was cream and tan, with iridescent
feathers on its neck, that changed from pink to green.


A landscaped area between two buildings- I used some 'artistic license' here!
 Fulton County Fair

The previous day, on Friday, I had driven to 'the 
top of the state' to the Fulton County (Ohio) Fair,
where my daughter and son-in-law are 4-H advisers
and Red Cross volunteers.  It is one of the largest
county fairs in Ohio, and a really nice fair...the way
I remember that county fairs 'used to be.'  Seems as
though county fairs are losing participants, as farms
get bigger and perhaps have less time to participate in
such things as fairs, schools have done away with things
such as FFA and ag, and everyone is so busy 
working and trying to make ends meet.
It's so nice to see home canning, quilts, antiques,
fabulous 4-H exhibits, and art exhibits, along with
the animals, midway rides, and of course lots of food!


Fulton County Fair

Sketch done with Sharpie pen-direct to paper- with watercolor
pencils added for color, so I could blend with water later...I used
the small book that I received from Roz Stendahl, as described here
while using a small clipboard as my drawing surface.
This is the first time I ever noticed that some folks like to leave
the legs of the lamb unshorn- all fluffy- as opposed to the
clean and lean body. 


Fulton County Fair

In the poultry and rabbit barn...these geese were very vocal!
Don't know the breed, but they were quite the pair, and 
giving me the eye because I stood near for so long.
"Suspicious woman wearing a goofy hat and doing 
something odd when she should feed us!" may
have been the translation of their honking...


Fulton County Fair

Above, these fancy birds had feathers standing straight up
on their heads like a crazy headdress!  One of them 
had its eye completely obscured by feathers-
I couldn't  see its eye at all.  Because it moved
 so much, I really did not capture the beautiful
markings of the black and white feathers...
but enjoyed the attempt.

Joining Elizabeth for T Tuesday- my T is for Tractor!
And as always, my beverage of choice today is coffee...




but I'm sharing a collage (above) from a previous post~
because those lemonades, and Slushies at the fairs
sure looked appetizing on a hot day!



15 comments:

  1. love country fairs, I have seen stuff I never get to see in the city and it makes me feel very calm and relaxed. the country folks look so relaxed.
    Love your sketches, you are so talented
    Bridget #2

    ReplyDelete
  2. Love your fair sketches . Our Mt St fair starts this week and I will be demoing spinning. I look forward to it every year and hope not to eat too much fried food!

    ReplyDelete
  3. What a lot of sketches!! Fabulous work. I wish I could sketch so quickly. The day would have been over before I got even one done! Haha.
    Your drinks page sure doses look tasty, but my beverage choice was coffeee too, this time around :D

    ReplyDelete
  4. I've also noted a lack of participation in the county fair competitions. That seems odd, since Kansas is an ag state. I don't see 4-H participation, either, even though I was in 4-H as a child (as well as Girl Scouts). None of the domestic abilities like sewing, cooking, and canning ever stuck or impressed me, though. That had to wait till I was out on my own and wanting to eat (grin).

    I've never been to a tractor pull. Saw a HUGE pickup truck I could actually walk under once, but never a tractor. As for the ear plugs, I can totally relate.

    Thanks for taking us to two county fairs this week for T.

    ReplyDelete
  5. beautifully detailed sketches!! I have to say I especially love the dove and rooster. I know how you feel about the noise-yikes-we had two neighbors -one doing power washing the outside stone on the house, another cutting down large bushes and trees with chain saws, and then my hubby using wood crafting tools downstairs-yikes! What a sigh of relief by nighttime:)

    ReplyDelete
  6. I can't believe you got all those sketches done. How long does it take you to do one? They look like you take hours, or maybe that would be me.....LOL

    LOVE the rooster and his fancy head dress!
    Happy T-day

    ReplyDelete
  7. Wow! AMAZING drawings and collage!
    Happy T-Day!
    Thank you for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  8. You were first with your T post. Yay! Great sketches, I haven't been to a County Fair in ages. I'd love to see that fancy chicken in person.

    Darla

    ReplyDelete
  9. Gorgeous sketches! You certainly take advantage of every opportunity to sketch wherever you are! Happy T Day!

    ReplyDelete
  10. I love your drawings! The livestock exhibits have always been my favorite part of the fair. Our Mid-South Fair moved down into Mississippi a few years ago, and the Delta Fair came to Memphis to take its place. The food, the rides, the exhibits of art/crafts/baking... all those are pretty much the same. The livestock at the Delta Fair, though, was a "children's barnyard" petting zoo. There was 1 cow. 3 baby potbellied pigs. lol Not what I was used to at all! lol We had fun anyway, of course, but it's not like you could bring a city child to the fair to look at all the different kinds of sheep and cattle. Things change, don't they!

    ReplyDelete
  11. I know exactly what you mean about dwindling country fairs. I live in rural Wales and there used to be one almost every weekend in the past but not any more.
    Your drawings are fabulous. I especially love the mad chicken bird one. Beautiful.
    Hugs
    xx

    ReplyDelete
  12. Oh, this was fun! I haven't been to a fair for so many years now. I always visited the animal barns and the craft buildings. Thanks! Happy T-Day! :)

    ReplyDelete
  13. NOTE: these sketches were from two different days. I didn't keep track of how long it takes me to do a sketch, but roughly 30 min.? First drawn in pen (no pencil first!) color with watercolor pencils, then add water later when I get a chance. Fun to do, but sometimes a challenge not to be in other visitors' way while standing in the aisle drawing! The people sketches were on and off during our 30 min-1 hour wait for the tractor pull to start.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Love all of your fair drawings!!! County fairs certainly aren't what they used to be. I don't even go to the ones around here any longer. They just aren't that interesting only a big carnival with concerts.

    ReplyDelete
  15. I love fairs. When I lived in New Mexico I went to the state fair every year and loved seeing all the quilts and the animals. Really enjoyed your sketches and brought back some lovely memories for me!

    ReplyDelete

I really appreciate your comments. Leave me a note and Thanks for visiting!