Road Trip - Monticello (Home of Thomas Jefferson)

I recently returned from a trip to Virginia.  The weather was wonderful and the trees were just beginning to turn.  One of our first stops was Charlottesville where we had the opportunity to visit Monticello.  It is an absolutely wonderful place and you can really see the brilliance of Thomas Jefferson come to life.  The flip side is that you also see what it took in slave labor to keep such a plantation operating.  Definitely eye opening for sure.

It is an incredible place and it is maintained in spectacular fashion.  To see the rooms where TJ lived, worked and literally died is a great experience.  A gem of American History.

More from the trip will hopefully follow in the coming days . . . Don.

More images from my recent trip to Virginia.  Monticello was the home of Thomas Jefferson and is an absolutely phenomenal place.  Mt. Vernon was the home of George Washington and is equally as impressive in not only what it is but in where it is.  The views of the Potomac River from the back side of this house are breathtaking.  I was down to the very back page of my watercolor moleskine so I did the sketch of the cupola on Mt. Vernon that you see here.  I tried to have fun with the sketches and the color that I added.  I painted from a small Koi watercolor set that provides a different color palette than what I normally paint with.  I hope you enjoy!    Don

Just returned home from an almost two week trip to Virginia.  This sketch is of Col Alto which was built in Lexington, VA in 1827.  Stayed here in a room called the "Washington & Lee".  Beautiful place and I was glad to be able to get this sketch in a small watercolor moleskine.  I had the chance to draw and paint quite a bit on this trip and hope to post more soon.  Don . . .