Small Watercolor Still Life Sketch with Gibson Guitar

A dear friend yesterday planted the idea with me to begin a series of watercolor guitar sketches.  So, I have pulled out this one begun back around 2006 or so.  I was working in an upstairs studio space at Burson Gallery in Hillsboro, Texas during the summer.  The guitar is a pre-World War II Gibson archtop that belonged to my uncle.  He is one of the reasons that I took up guitar myself.  I watched him play before I was old enough to read, and knew I wanted to make music the way he did.  When he passed away at age 91, I purchased this from his estate, and learned that he had bought it, second-hand, after he was discharged from World War II.  It was his main “box” throughout the decades, though his collection expanded to include a Martin, a banjo, mandolin, and a couple of electric guitars.

The Aussie hat was the first I ever owned, back in 1990 (I guess I have purchased and worn three or four since this one).  The denim shirt I wore back in the 1980s.  The suitcase is the same that I painted recently (for those of you who follow this blog) with a coffee can in front of it.  Sadly, the chair, which I purchased in an antique store a long time ago, has disintegrated and been discarded.

This sketch is about 14 x 11″ in size, and rather crude.  I believe it is too small for what the subject demands.  Nevertheless, I am still tinkering with it to see if I can learn a few things from the experience of working with it.  I’m not sure if it will ever be a keeper.  But it is a diversion while I’m working on the 28 x 22″ piece that I began earlier today.

Thanks for reading.

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Tags: Gibson archtop guitar, still life