I can’t resist an interesting fire hydrant. Maybe I have some canine blood in me, or I was a dog in a past life.  I found this yellow wonder in Los Gatos, California. I’m not sure if it was the angle of the light (I’m a sucker for oblique lighting), the embossed letters or the yellow color that caused me to point and shoot:

Today’s watercolor experiment:

The watercolor I painted today is a quick sketch. This is a different than my slow, deliberate approach to the yesterday’s painting.

Los Gatos Hydrant – Sketch
12″x9″ 140# Cold Pressed Watercolor Block

That I did not spend too much time on this sketch is fairly obvious. Among the problems with this sketch are, lack of detail in the lettering and a very narrow value range (from darkest dark to lightest light). The overall presentation lacks the impression of three dimensions. The sketch is flat.

Although it is a sketch, I could also think of it as an underpainting. I would like to work on it a little bit more tomorrow perhaps, and correct the flaws.

Today’s vintage photograph:

My attraction to fire hydrants (standpipes and other plumbing fixtures) is not new. I took the photograph below at the Nashville Flea Market in the 1980s.  Although the fire plug itself was a classic, and worthy of its own portrait, I was compelled to snap the shutter on this scene by its surroundings.

Fire Hydrant – Nashville Flea Market
8″x10″ Silver Print, Fiber Paper

I love that the cinderblock wall established the horizontal line within the frame. The truck and the hydrant are parallel to each other, but deviate from the vertical.  I sometimes find myself imagining that the hydrant and the truck represent the true vertical. In that case, the cinderblock wall makes no sense.

It is an odd picture, but I really like it.