A couple of drawings of a 'once upon a time' plan.

 A number of years ago I started working on plans to move into the cabin as a permanent home.

The main log section is on a dry laid stone foundation so was not suitable for plumbing.

So I had to plan an addition that would contain the water works for a kitchen and bathroom, with heat and AC.

This is a sketch I did that I ended up really liking.

While no longer needed I think it is still a very doable plan.

Well, maybe some day.

Found

My daughter was asking if I had a drawing pad she could borrow.
I said yes and went to find her one.
Found an old pad I had not used for a very long time.

Inside was this sketch I did of one possible configuration of what I now call the Pitt's Blacksmith shop.

Needless to say it didn't turn out anything like this sketch.

In this sketch it looks like I was planning on a very large wood shed.

Often when working on one of my building projects I will find time to do a sketch of what I hope it will look like. Sometimes I do this while taking a break from the project, other times it will be when bored at some other time in my day.

I have found I have done a sketch for most of my cabins.

This one dates back to about 1994 I believe.

My last sketch was for the Adirondack project.

B2R by the fire. "A Place in the Woods", Helen Hoover.

 "A Place in the Woods" is about two people who finally took a chance on making a dream come true before their chance slipped away.

Not written by an individual or couple who were use to a remote life style, it follows their first year or so coming to terms with their choice and learning to love it.

Back in the 60's Helen's books helped inspire some of the back to nature movement.

Much of their involvement with some of their animal friends would find criticism with environmentalist, but has to be taken in context.

An easy, fun read that gives you lots of time to think who you would handle the same situations.

She doesn't mind admitting that in the beginning they were in way over their heads.

Helen Hoover

Her husband illustrated the books.

And they had a log cabin!

Some postcards of the old Roaring Branch cabins.

Roaring Branch Cabins Postcards.

 

B2R by the fire - Eric Sloane's 'Diary of an American Farm Boy'

Both of my blog followers already know I love anything by Eric Sloane.

At one point Eric Sloane came across the diary of an young farm boy named Noah Blake.
He had the diary reprinted and added his wonderful illustrations.

You could imagine a diary being pretty dry reading, but with the illustrations it is quite fun.

I have passed the book on to many young readers.

Below are some photos of a rebuilt Blake's cabin, which a group is trying to preserve, along with some of Eric Sloane's illustrations.

Happy Christmas to you all. . .!

Old post card of an Adirondack Lean-to

Just for fun.

Gonna really get my log cabin fix this weekend!

Deutsch Country Days!  I have not been to this in many years, and I know it has gotten bigger. Really looking forward to it.

A neat piece on how to build a log cabin in early WV.

Can be found here.

This drawing is dated 1885.

Paintings of log cabins - Jon Van Zyle

I discovered Jon's work when I bought the book; Mardy Murie Did for my daughter.

What follow is and example of his works. Jon Van Zyle

Nice work. . . - Paintings with log cabins.

Seerey-Lester

What follows are a few more cabin pictures from his web-site.

 Teddy Roosevelt.

It looks like John has done a wonderful book
on TR's big hunts.

The next couple are just themes I like.

Love this Log cabin/canoe painting.

Happy Holiday's from all the staff at Log Blog

Quick sketch of what it should look like in the end.

And one more to close out the Mountie/Log Cabin theme. . .

Maybe you can make this Mountie/Log Cabin one into a Christmas Card.

Paintings with Log Cabins - Hal Foster

Hal Foster is just one of my favorite artists period. And like many artists because of his chosen field he is often over looked.
Most people know Hal's work from his comic strip Prince Valiant (1937) and his work on the strip Tarzan (1928). Born in Nova Scotia in 1892. Much of his youth was spent exploring the outdoors.
He also worked as staff artist for the Hudson Bay Company for a while. In 1919 he rode his bike to Chicago to study art and soon found work as an illustrator.
While known mostly for his comic work soon of his early illustration work centered around life north of the U.S. border.

One of the first illustration I came across of his was an image of what a canoe portage was like.

If you have ever done any kind of canoe portaging you can understand this illustration.
Now imagine doing it with gear not as light weight as modern gear.

















A lot of his early works were illustrations for stories about the Mounties. And looking at one of his early works about the Mounties I came across one the had a couple of log cabins in it.

While images of Hal's other works are limited, there are a couple good books out there on his life offering a look into his early life.

A young Hal Foster with a Mountie painting in the background.

Maine Log Cabin drawing by Stanley Warren Greene

"Soliloquy in a Woodshed"

He also illustrated several of the works by Edmund Ware Smith who's cabin we talked about here.

Following are a couple of his drawings for E.W. Smiths books.

Under paintings of log cabins - Grinder's Stand.

Grinder's Stand

A little about axes from Eric Sloane