Bringing Franklin Booth to Block Island: A Lighthouse in Ink
Hello, sketching friends and blog lovers! Today, I want to share a bit about a recent pen-and-ink piece I created that’s got a bit of a backstory and a whole lot of personal touches.
Carol and Harper riding on Block Island summer of 2023
The Inspiration: Block Island's Southeast Light Meets Franklin Booth
Original sketch done on location
The subject? The Southeast Light on Block Island, a place Carol and I visited back in 2023 during a great bike ride with Harper. Block Island is always an inspirational place to visit, and is especially fun on a bicycle. Harper has adapted well to travel by bicycle. That day while we were out by the Southeast Light, I did a small value study — just a quick pencil sketch, maybe three inches tall, while leaning against my bike taking in the view. And that little sketch has been sitting in my mind ever since.
As many of you may know, I’m a big fan of the legendary illustrator Franklin Booth. His intricate, cloud-filled skies and imaginative pen work have always been a big inspiration. So, when the Spring Bull Gallery’s “Fakes and Forgeries” show in Newport came back around this year, I thought it would be fun to “forge/fake” a Booth-style landscape of my own based on that little sketch. I would like to think that if Franklin Booth came to our little state he would seek out a place like Block Island.
The Process: From Sketchbook to Finished Piece
I started with a sheet of Strathmore 400 series archival bristol in a plate finish, a lovely surface for detailed ink work. The final drawing is about 8 by 20 inches, though the paper is a bit larger.
Starting the image, first day inking
I wanted to really capture Booth’s signature billowing clouds and dramatic cliffs, even if the landscape itself is completely invented.
My messy desk with some preliminary sketches and Booth reference, and coffee of course.
I did a fair bit of research online, pulling up images of the real Southeast Light to get the lighthouse details right. It was important to me that I get the structure of the lighthouse right, it is such a great building. Of course there are no trees around it and it is not this close to the bluffs.
Making progress, and of course I got an ink smudge on the left side - I then decided to have my gloves on both hands.
It took me about ten days of on-and-off work—probably around 15 hours total—to complete the piece. The composition was a challenge, and I had to rework it a few times to get the balance just right. But in the end, I’m really pleased with how it turned out.
The final drawing before my signature and framing
Finishing Touches: Framing and Delivering to the Gallery
Once the drawing was done, I got to work framing it. Since once again I didn’t make a drawing a standard size the option I use most is to make it myself. I also love this process and feel as though it gives the piece a more personal touch.
The Butternut was rough and required my attention
When someone purchases a piece of my work they are indeed getting my full effort. I had some rough-sawn butternut that I got at a nearby hardwood lumber yard and just needed to turn it into a frame.
I first cut the wide board into appropriate boards
It was a cold January day when I was doing this. I had to move the bicycles out of my garage to use the thickness planer to flatten and smooth the surface.
With bikes outside and snow on the ground the Butternut gradually came down to size.
Planing the wood makes lots of wood chips, cleaning up after planing is always a time consuming process. Of course I failed to take pictures of actually making the frame - I will try to do better in future posts.
Leftover Butternut littered the floor.
It took a good day and a half of planing, sanding, and fitting, but I ended up with a beautiful, sturdy frame finished with my favorite combo of shellac and furniture wax.
This is my final finishing process - moved into the studio for warmth
For a good finish I apply several light washes of shellac (seal coat) cut to less than 50%, sanded between coats and then rubbed out with furniture wax. I love leaving the wood as natural to the touch as possible, and the Butternut really came to life.
Butternut takes this wax and shellac well, and darkens with age to a nice medium brown.
Once the frame was finished and all rubbed to a final polish, the mattes and plexiglass were cut it was time for assembly. I cut an acid free backing board and began assembly. I always seal the back of any matted work from moisture intrusion. Below is a short video of that process, and I apologize in advance for the Packers T-Shirt - it is a souvenir - I am a Patriots fan!
Finally, this past Sunday, we delivered the finished piece to the Spring Bull Gallery at 55 Bellevue Avenue in Newport. If you’re in Newport, the opening is next Sunday, January 18th, from 2 to 4 p.m. I’d love to see you there. Of course I fully understand if you are not there, the Patriots are playing... go Pats!
