Cleveland Sketchbook

Winter Sunset on Lake Erie

As the sun sets on a winter Lake Erie, the deep shadows put nearby bushes and trees in striking silhouette, and make the ice on the lake sparkle.

Market Lady

Cleveland's West Side Market is filled with produce stands such as this one. Fresh fruits and vegetables both common and exotic line the central aisle. Vendors call out their wares and shout, "Who's Next?" Shoppers of every nationality and age crowd the walk. The market has something for everyone.

Amish Barn Cluster

A working Amish farm is bustling with activity as several generations work the land, tend to livestock, and keep the buildings in tip-top shape. This is a typical sight, clusters of barns and work sheds that support a variety of agricultural tasks, from milk cows to poultry and pigs, from fields of corn to stands of wheat, oats and other grains, and a large, tidy garden close to the main house where all manner of vegetables are grown.

Cleveland Light

Linked to the shoreline by a narrow causeway, the Cleveland lighthouse weathers the storms of Lake Erie and sends out its nighttime signal indicating that the mouth of the Cuyahoga River is near.

Jackknife Bridge

Cleveland is a city of bridges, many built in the early years of the last century to provide a crossing for vehicles and trains, and many unique to this city. More than a dozen different types of bridges span the Cuyahoga River, including this "Jackknife" bridge, which raises and lowers on a pivot to allow the large lake ore ships to pass upriver.

River Tugs

Two river tugboats sit idle in a backwater of the Cuyahoga River, waiting for their next call to service when a large ore boat needs help navigating the sharp, narrow turns of the Cuyahoga River in order to reach the large steel mills upstream.

Winter Home Abandoned

The sparrows who love to flit in and out of this simple birdhouse all summer long, take leave when the fall chill arrives and do not return until the warm breezes of spring beckon them back. Would it really be that hard to just shovel out that tiny doorway for a few months...?

Cuyahoga River Firehouse

A river fireboat stands ready to answer the call of any emergency. Still maintained as a working firehouse, this structure provides a home for the firemen who man the boat, which offers the ability to pump a large volume of water onto buildings standing close to the river, and provides protection to the ships using the Cuyahoga River.

Railroad Bridge

One of the active lift bridges spanning the Cuyahoga, this bridge sees frequent use due to a high volume of rail activity through Cleveland, and a large number of ore boats, sailboats and larger pleasure boats visiting establishments and factories along the river. This entire horizontal section of track rises about sixty feet, along two vertical towers, one on each side of the river.

Cleveland Sketchbook: Kirk Ramsey Watercolors
Copyright © 2012 Kirk S. Ramsey
Last modified: March 11, 2016