Pen and Ink

From sketch book samples, to more formal, larger pen and ink drawings of covered bridges, here are some ink drawings from my collection.

Blow-Me-Down Covered Bridge
Cornish, N.H.

Built in 1877 at a cost of $528, the bridge is nearly 86 feet long. It was built by James Tasker and is located south of N.H. Route 12A southwest of Plainfield Village on Mill Road. The bridge spans a deep gorge on the Blow-Me-Down Brook.

Swiftwater Covered Bridge
Bath, N.H.

It didn't look very swift when I visited in the fall of 2014, but natives assured me it was a lot swifter, and a lot deeper, in the spring! This reincarnation of the bridge was constructed in 1849. It is 158 feet long and is posted for six tons. It is the fourth bridge to cross the Wild Ammonoosuc River. The first, built in 1810, was swept away in the flood of 1818 and replaced the same year, to be destroyed again by the flood of 1828. The third bridge, built the following year, survived until 1849, to be dismantled and replaced by the current one. In the 1800's the river was used to float logs to the sawmill, often creating log jams threatening the bridge. In one case, dynamite was used to break the jam, and while that was mostly successful, logs had to be removed from the roof of the bridge.

Lamp, Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill, Kentucky

These utilitarian covered lamps line the paths between buildings at the historical site that was the Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, Kentucky. The durable stone buildings remain and have been restored. Even today the historic village retains its feeling of peace and tranquility, and is a wonderful place to visite to see how life was lived in this community more than a hundred years ago.

Meridan Bridge (also Mill Bridge), Plainfield, N.H.

Spanning Blood Brook in the town of Plainfield, N.H., this Multiple Kingpost Truss style covered bridge was constructed in 1880 at a cost of $685, and is 80 feet long. It is the third one on the site, the previous two were not covered, but were open timber structure. Weather conditions continue to challenge these structures - Hurricane Carol damaged the structure in 1954, and heavy snows in 1977 caused the roof to collapse. Each time the damage has been repaired. The bridge sits just upstream from a basin below where the local youth come to swim.

Turn of the Century Sawmill

This is a working sawmill typical of the last century. It has been restored and is now a working exhibit at Hale Farm and Village in Bath, Ohio.

Original: 4x6, Technical Pen

Twin Lawn Chairs

A sure sign of summer, these lawn chairs grace a broad expanse of green in York Harbor, Maine, sitting in the bright morning sun waiting for visitors. We saw them as we took the harbor walk which leads across the front lawns of many of the waterfront houses.

Original: 4x6 Technical Pen

Cathedral, Quebec

One of the many lovely cathedrals in Quebec, the Notre Dame de Quebec Basilica Cathedral sits just a few blocks downhill from the Hotel Frontenac. The downhill is important - everything in Quebec is up or down, and you have to be careful just how far down you go, because your room is inevitably somewhere uphill.

Original: 4x6 Technical Pen

Sailboats on Sunapee

The three pictures from which this picture was constructed were taken just past the lighthouse, a short high-speed motorboat ride from Joe and Amy's. As always, it was a perfect summer day, with cool water and warm sunshine, the clouds were billowing up behind Sunapee and a brisk breeze was hurrying small waves toward the far shore. Another thanks to our hosts!

Original: 4x6 Technical Pen

Grey Squirrel

One of our neighbors (perhaps even a non-paying tenant) this fearless squirrel was crossing the back patio in the cat's favorite resting place. More amazing was the time we saw one of the cats chasing a squirrel. A car backfired and both stopped dead in their tracks. Once the fright was over, they cautiously approached one another, sniffed noses, then walked off in opposite directions!

Original: 4x6 Technical Pen

Easter Lilies

Each year we visit the Cleveland Greenhouse at Easter to see their lovely display of Easter Lilies. They have one entire room filled with lilies, and it is a wonderful sight and aroma.

Original: 4x6 Technical Pen

Fort Niagara

This well preserved outpost sitting at the mouth of the Niagara River as it enters Lake Ontario was built by the French, captured by the British, and then captured by the Americans. It offers a glimpse of 1700's America.

Original: 8x5 Technical Pen

View from Mt. Kearsarge

On a chill fall morning you can climb the rugged rock faces of this old New Hampshire mountain and once you near the top, stretch your eyes until you see all the way to the Presidential Range of the White Mountains to the north.

Original 5x8 Technical Pen

Miscellaneous: The Pencil Art of Kirk Ramsey
Copyright © 2008 Kirk S. Ramsey
Last modified: March 12, 2016