Greatest perk of my job… an office wherever, whenever, I want.

Today I sketched in the Scioto River. Literally. I frequent this river often for inspiration. Yet, today is the first time I’ve stumbled upon a picnic table at the bottom of a 7 ft. dirt cliff and about 5 ft. offshore. Perched securely on submerged logs and anchored to a buried steel pole, this ready-made office was definitely in the Scioto River. And on purpose. Truly, a rare gift indeed. One thing is for sure; I will be visiting this ‘office’ again!

I intend on posting smaller bite-sized entries of my journey in the future. But in the meantime, I find it only right to lead off with a full post covering the last two weeks.  I invite you all to come along in my quest to find the perfect office view. 

Today’s office: A half-submerged picnic table.

Another main goal of this blog is to give the real-life backdrop to my processes as an artist.

In some respects my occupation is quite similar to most jobs, at least in responsibilities. I have emails to reply to, meetings to attend, and deadlines to hit… just like most people. The difference is that my office-work is mobile. This is a perk that I take full advantage of. Whether it’s a coffee shop or a wooded wildlife reserve, I make sure to explore new views while I’m ‘on the clock.’

To the right: One of my favorite thinking spots. This is a junction of a railroad and a wooded park that I call, “The TreeHouse”.

Although I live in the 14th largest city in America now, I’m originally from a small farming village located in the countryside of Ohio. Nature is obviously a very important aspect of who I am and where I came from. Throughout the week I often take long rides into wooded areas and cruise along the waterways near where I live. It’s a very needed part of my thinking process. Sometimes I travel with a friend. Other times I’m alone. These moments are where I reflect the hardest about my work. I sketch, write, discuss, or simply prepare mentally for the coming week ahead.

Let’s talk nostalgia. I’m not the most sentimental when it comes to objects. But, I’m a dead sucker for ‘things that are made to last.’ Above photo: my 1978 Puch (said “Pook”) Newport, a Remington backpack/gunbag that I’ve carried everyday since about 19 years ago, and a leather motorcycle jacket that I’ve had for nearly a decade.

I traded an oil painting for my vintage moped.

The first 2 blog entries on my page and a handful of emails were written from a bench overlooking these Echinaceas and Black Eyed Susans. Such an inspirational view, don’t you think?

Does anyone else see a square hole? While sketching out ideas for the next oil painting in my still life series (called the “Absolutes”) I noticed a hole that widened and constricted with the breeze. It somehow always stayed in an impeccably squared out geometry. Pretty cool I think. 

If I’m really lucky, I make friends along the way. Below: A stowaway Katydid (aka Tettigoniidae) rode the entire way home with me. I drove miles before arriving at my destination. This miracle of an insect stayed fixed on my handlebar. The body fluttered a few times in the wind, but I finally had to gently flick it off before parking in my garage.