The Artist on the Road – Page 13 – Richard Sheppard's Sketchbooks, Watercolors, and Journals

Redwood Empire Ice Arena

Each year I kick off the winter holidays with a visit to Charles M. Schulz’s Redwood Empire Ice Arena. The festive atmosphere is enhanced with holiday decorations, seasonal music, and bundled-up ice skaters, all of which bring back childhood memories and provides a unique opportunity to sketch. But once my fingers get too cold to paint, I head into the Warm Puppy café for a cup of hot chocolate and park myself next to the table where Schulz himself use to sit every day before working on his beloved comic strip, Peanuts.

Signs of the Seasons

Today my story and sketches of the Oak Hill Farm appeared in the TOWNS section of the Press Democrat Newspaper. I was disappointed to see the tree roots sketch printed so small but hey, I’ve already taken over almost the entire first page.

Union Hotel, Occidental

The Ready, Set, Sketch! group met today in the beautiful town of Occidental. This tiny town, located directly west of Sebastopol, has a number of good places to shop and eat. One of those places is the Union Hotel and Restaurant.

Back in 1925, Giovanna Gobetti Giovanna sold the Union Saloon to Carlo Panizzera for $2,500.00. Carlo turned it into the Union Hotel, which is still owned and run by his descendants today.

Lately I’ve been practicing sketching without ink lines. Sometimes I feel I’m successful and sometimes I don’t. Ultimately this sketch is overworked, but I picked up some new ideas which makes it all worth while.

Mural for Taverna Sofia in Healdsburg

Just finished painting a mural in Taverna Sofia, a great new Greek restaurant here in Healdsburg. After viewing a copy of my book “Impressions of Greece” Sofia asked me to paint the map.

Ghirardelli Sketches and Watercolor

Recently, I was asked by Ghirardelli Chocolate to do an illustration of their downtown San Francisco building. I started by sketching on location to get the right view. Once a view was selected, I worked from photographs to complete a final drawing and then watercolored it. The final ink drawing will be printed onto craft bags for point of purchase. The final watercolor will be printed on the packaging of a 5 lbs chocolate bar!

Dry Creek Valley Sketch Tour

Last weekend, the Ready, Set Sketch! group toured the Dry Creek Valley by bike. It’s one of the most beautiful rides in Sonoma County. Resting on a hilltop along Chiquita road, I sketched an owl box standing high above the vineyard covered landscape.

Lambert Bridge crossing Dry Creek, located just outside of Healdsburg in the Dry Creek Valley.

Quivira Vineyards, a beautiful winery located on the far end of the Dry Creek Valley has both, arresting views and great wine. This sketch shows a nearby barn, neck deep in vineyards.

Patterson’s Pub, Windsor CA

Sketch of downtown Windsor. I have yet to check out Patterson’s Pub but I’m sure the inside is worthy of a sketch and a pint.

Oak Hill Farm

Traveling highway 12 just outside of Glen Ellen, it’s nearly impossible to miss the towering tree roots designating the entrance to 40-acre Oak Hill Farm. The roots are what’s left of an overturned eucalyptus that met its fate during a winter storm in 1974. Part of 700 wild acres owned by the Sonoma Land Trust, the farm, in operation for over 50 years, produces more than 200 varieties of heirloom vegetables, fruit, flowers, perennial greenery, and herbs.

The Red Barn Store, set in a rustic 100-year old barn, offers for purchase sustainably harvested produce, flowers, and handcrafted wreaths and bouquets. Once a small farm stand, the Red Barn Store has grown to support the local Sonoma community for over 30 years.