Artist Blog of Cheryl Radford

Virtual Beer

4/25/2020

Combining beer tasting, sketching and chatting. I was really missing the great conversations that happen over beer! Not as good as in person, but at this time... virtual beer it is!
Last week, with a friend from out of province (Rickard's Red: full-flavoured, medium-bodied Red ale) and this week a friend from London (Sweet Potato Rye: rich, golden-hued, organic ale, made with local, organic sweet potato. from London Brewing Co-operative)
Oh sooooo good!

How DId I Get Here?

4/12/2020

Volkswagen Beetle, Multi-colour

Reminds me of...
"Once In A Lifetime" by Talking Heads
And you may find yourself
Living in a shotgun shack
And you may find yourself
In another part of the world
And you may find yourself
Behind the wheel of a large automobile
And you may find yourself in a beautiful house
With a beautiful wife
And you may ask yourself, well
How did I get here?

Well, how did I get to this multi-coloured Volkswagen Beetle?
The short answer is "time". Go home and stay home.
... This all started with a search for a specific golf hole photograph to use as reference for a hole-in-one for a friend. In my search, I found a CD of photos that I took at a classic car, truck and tractor show in Bracebridge in 2012.

First, I see old tractors, I want to draw one of those... having been raised on a farm.
Then, came a red truck... red is the only colour of vehicle I have ever owned.
Then, a turquoise car,... just because it is a great colour for a classic car.
Then, came the Volkswagen Beetle, they came in such great colours!! So, I did a red one and a turquoise one.

Then, I read about how "most VW parts are interchangeable from one year to the next" so you could have a care that looked like this! See all six illustrations here.

Red Barns

4/4/2020

When you go for a drive in the country, you will notice some barns are painted red. Having lived in the city for many years, but having been raised on a farm, a drive in the country is such a pleasant experience.
Do you ever wonder why are barns painted red?

Barns are red so a farmer's cows can find their way home. Incorrect
Red Barns looked like brick and therefore considered to be a sign of wealth. Incorrect
Red paint is cheap. Well sort of...
Originally barns were not painted at all.

Red Barn No. 1

"The early farmers that settled in New England didn't have much extra money to spend on paint, so most of their barns remained unpainted. By the late 1700s, farmers looking to shield their barns' wood from the elements began experimenting with ways to make their own protective paint.
A recipe consisting of skimmed milk, lime and red iron oxide created a rusty-colored mixture that became popular among farmers because it was cheap to make and lasted for years. Farmers were able to easily obtain iron oxide the compound that lends natural red clay its coppery color from soil. Linseed oil derived from flax plants was also used to seal bare wood against rotting, and it stained the wood a dark coral hue."
Source: https://www.livescience.com/33195-barns-traditionally-painted-red.html

Virtual Beer

How DId I Get Here?

Red Barns

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