The Herb Farm in Fredericksburg, TX (Pop.11,382) is a complete joy all year long. This sketch is from a visit in December, so much of the green was brown, but the garden is full of hand painted signs, charming vignettes, and lots of patina.
Sketch © Jessica Wesolek
Listening to traditional music in a small town (Pop. 390) in the Moroccan Sahara.
Sketch© nanjudson
Saturday morning market in Franschhoek, South Africa (Pop. 17,000)…music, champagne, food, children, lovely sunny but cool morning after glorious rain in the night.
Sketch© Cathy Gatland
While driving along the I-10 in southeastern Arizona, you go through a short stretch of incredibly beautiful landscape called Texas Canyon. Tucked away just to the north is a small town called Dragoon (Pop. 109). There is the beautiful Amerind Research Library and Museum, and this entryway is on the grounds, although the gate is not really turquoise.
Sketch© Jessica Wesolek
I made this journal page of an abandoned church in the small Central Florida town of Mount Dora, Florida (Pop. 13,000) on January 28. A local man is trying to get support to preserve this old church.
Sketch© Lee Kline
San Marcos Pueblo was one of the largest Pueblos in the Southwest in the 15th and 16th centuries, located in the Galisteo Basin a bit east of Santa Fe. Today it is an archeological dig (Pop. 0), but along the “Turquoise Trail”, Hwy 14, is the San Marcos Café and Feed Store, a roadside distraction worthy of a small town sketch. The café has wild Turkeys and Peacocks wandering about the grounds, and very sketch-worthy surroundings. This kiva fireplace is inside in one of the dining rooms.
Sketch© Jessica Wesolek
Molson, Washington (Pop.0). A ghost town located 2 miles south of the Canada-U.S. border. Established in 1900 when gold mining boomed. but failed one year later. Now a museum and lovely site to visit.
Sketch© Gloria Osterloh
This church was abandoned because a new church was built and no one wanted to buy this one. And yet the whole town of Necedah, WI (pop- 915) seems to be headed the same way.
Sketch© Teri Casper
Bodie, California (pop. 0)…watercolor sketch
Located in the eastern Sierra Nevadas, now it is a ghost town.
1876 saw it as a boom town after a historic gold strike
Designated a State Historic Park.
Sketch © Gloria Osterloh
Coles Watch Tower is located on Highway 21 on the outskirts of Omro, Wisconsin (pop-3,577)
The Italianate-style house was built in 1870’s where the King family lived and farmed.
In 1924, the Cole family bought the house and started a silver fox and dairy farm. The 7 story tower was added to the home in 1935 to watch over the valuable fox.. . . Read more of Teri’s post at the link below
Sketch© Teri Casper
Memorial Park, Ballston Spa, NY (pop. 5556) Looked for a geo-cache here unsuccessfully, but enjoyed sketching in the park followed by tea at the Whistling Kettle.
Sketch© Marieanne Coursen
Another sketch in New Berlin NY done during my lunch break. I have seen two old buildings demolished in this town, but this one seems to be in good shape.
Sketch© Marieanne Coursen
Back in 2006 my husband and I traveled to revisit his grandfather’s farm in North Dakota -located in Walsh county (pop-11,119). The Red River bordered the farm and across the river stood the one-room schoolhouse, now abandoned.
As the story is told . . . (follow Teri’s link for the rest of the story)
Sketcher© Teri Casper
Lake Geneva, Wisconsin (pop. 7,148) is a popular tourist attraction in southern Wisconsin, and probably the most fun thing to do is ride the mail boat tour. It travels along the shoreline for 2 reasons: to see the mansions built along the lake and to deliver their mail. As the boat nears a dock, but never stops, the mail person jumps off the front of the boat, puts the mail in the box and then a jumps back on the back of the boat. Everyone always waits to see them miss the boat and fall in the water. It happens but not very often.
Sketch© Teri Casper
I just joined #smalltownsketchers because I live in a small town and love all the small towns in western NC. This is a sketch I did a few years ago of “The Aerie” in Glenn Alpine, NC ( population about 1,525). This was the home of Dr. “Gus” Hennessee who was assassinated at the Glenn Alpine Depot after visiting a patient in Greensboro in 1918.
Sketch© Deb Austin
Davidson’s Fort, Old Fort, NC (pop. 908). My sketch is of the reconstructed fort. The original fort was built in 1776 and was the western most outpost in Colonial America. I enjoy visiting during the civil war reenactments with everyone in full costume. Old Fort is located between Asheville and Marion, NC.
Sketch© Deb Austin
Clovis, NM is a town I pass through every time I go to the Hill Country in Texas. It’s population is too high to qualify it as a small town, and it really has very little personality anyway, but this “roadside distraction” sits on Hwy 60 as you pass by the town. It has been empty for as long as I remember and I can’t find much info about it.
Sketch© Jessica Wesolek
Watercolor sketch of St James Episcopal Church in Sonora, CA. It’s the oldest Episcopal church in the state. Sonora (pop. 4823) is a charming gold rush town about 130 miles east of San Francisco.
Sketch© Diane Perin
I used to bicycle through Pescadero, a small town (pop.643) all the time. Fall or early winter is the best time to visit if you want to enjoy a day without fog. If you like a delicious piece of pie, antique shopping, or browsing a very fine art gallery called Luna Sea, you ought to stop by.
Sketch© Vivian Aldridge
Someone in Bowler, Wisconsin (pop. 293) was very creative when they made this fence with bowling pins. I just had to paint it in my journal.
Sketch© Teri Casper
Sketched from my car in New Berlin NY, population 2682. I drive through this town on my way to work.
Sketch© Marieanne Coursen
