The daily dose of architecture MORE VICTORIANA

So many too choose from and so little time, but two days of Victoriana is enough.

Cape May NJ

San Francisco

San Francisco

Cape May

The daily dose of art VICTORIAN HOMES

I love Victorian architecture, especially the wide variety of intricate Victorian style homes.  In this regard I was fortunate to be living within 2 hours of Cape May NJ, a seashore resort town at the southern tip of the state, and home to one of this country's greatest collection of Victorian architecture.  In the late 1980s, collaborating with my dear friend at the Washington Street Gallery, I created a number of prints of Cape May's Victorian heritage.

THE DAILY URBAN LANDSCAPE - a.k.a. It's not a barn

I arrived home around 10 a.m. yesterday, and as I've done on other occasions, wondered why I ever left Paducah.  I miss it as soon as I leave.

Today we go back to the northeast to the island of  Martha's Vineyard and the town of Oak Bluff, where you can see an incredible collection of Victorian cottages.  These "doll house" like homes are situated in a circular pattern around what once was a large pavilion where church services were held.

Oak Bluff

Print  10x24" from an original watercolor

OAK PARK II

I thought I would share a few more photos from my walks in Oak Park. The lovely homes and the incredible fall weather and colors made it a delightful experience.

CAPE MAY NJ VICTORIAN - IV

I have two more Cape May streetscapes to share with you today, followed by one of my most popular posters, A Victorian Sampler. All of the houses in this print are from different towns and cities, and it will serve as an introduction to my next "series", victorian homes.


By the Sea is a collection of homes located on the ocean front in Cape May.


Jackson Street is an actual street scene in Cape May


A victorian Sampler is an open edition print...some 3000 of which have been sold. The printers proofs are long gone (the printer went out of business years ago) and I have only a few prints remaining in my files.

Most of the Cape May prints are still available and can be seen on my web site.

CAPE MAY NJ VICTORIAN - III

On one of my trips to CM I decided to explore the undeveloped areas in the NJ side of the Delaware bay, home to towns like bivalve, shellpile, and Fortesque. Once a thriving fishing port, it now remains a forgotten place with little or no marine industry. Turning off one back road onto another I suddenly found myself looking at this most amazing lighthouse, totally alone, abandoned, and without any signage or markings to identify it. I later learned it was called the East Point Lighthouse and belonged the USN. Although not in Cape May, it is close enough to be included in this tour. I have painted it with both watercolor and pastels.


East Point Lighthouse watercolor


East Point Lighthouse Pastel


Lobster House Restaurant on the back bay watercolor

We can't visit CM without seeing it's victorian architecture. This next painting is a complilation of several B&Bs in town.


B&B in Cape May watercolor

VICTORIAN CAPE MAY NJ

Cape May sketch

OK, it is time for a break from the political narratives and April's fools and to get back to some fun travel art.

For those who don't know, Cape May NJ is one of the nations oldest seashore resorts (may in fact be the oldest.) Located at the southern tip of the NJ shore line - in NJ and Philadelphia it is the "shore" and not the coast - this small town is home to an endless number of Victorian structures. So many that it is the town's identity theme, and all new construction in town has to adhere to strict architectural guidelines preserving this heritage.

Living less than 2 hours away from Cape May, my love of the architecture made me a frequent visitor with my sketch book and camera. Today I will post the first in a series of Cape May paintings.


classic Cape May home. watercolor aprox 20x16 Until about 30 years ago all of the homes were painted white with black or green shutters. Then the move to origingal Victorian colors began.


Windsor Hotel one of many old hotels from the early 20th century watercolor