Dad’s Drawings

Posted on June 12, 2009 by rbirkey

I guess it’s not hard to figure out where I got my drawing tendencies. My father loved to doodle, sketch and draw all his life. We think Dad was about 8 years old when he drew this. We’ve done some research and have not been able to figure out where he got this idea… this may have been a character of his own creation.

This skill, developed over time, eventually enabled him to supplement his pastoring and ministry income with sign painting on the side.

Professor Alec Tron - By Del Birkey - circa 1941

Another drawing probably done during his grade school years.

Del Birkey Drawing - Cartoon Character

Another one, perhaps from his teenage years.

Huba, Huba! - Dream Gal

Sketches from Valencia, Spain

Posted on April 4, 2008 by rbirkey

This pencil sketch was done in Valencia, Spain, while I was visiting my son there in March, 2008. This particular museum houses mostly religious art taken from cathedrals and churches in the area.

This sketch also done in Valencia as we spent a day at the Oceanarium of Valencia, Spain, a world-class facility. Included here are some of the building shapes, as well as the dolphin show, and a fountain that looks like a boat located on the beach of the Mediterranean Sea.

Sketches of the Alhambra in Granada, Spain

Posted on April 4, 2008 by rbirkey

Here are some additional sketches I did while in Spain last month. The first is a window detail on the side of the place of the Alhambra Palace in Granada, Spain.

This next one is a sketch of one of the older parts of the Alhambra… the castle or fortress section used to defend the original old city.

And this sketch done in Granada is of a new hotel built on the side of a mountain that mimics the style of some of the Alhambra Palace which is further up the mountain.

Another sketch is of the cathedral or chapel built on the Alhambra after the Europeans took Granada back from the Moors. The site was originally a mosque.

Back from España

Posted on April 1, 2008 by rbirkey

Sorry for the recent silence. I took a trip to Spain, and was almost completely off-line and unplugged from most technology and the Internet! I spent 1-hour online between March 20, and 31st. It’s amazing what happens when you do this. Life slows down. You can actually think about things and reflect. I read two and a half books: The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien (this must be about my 6th or 7th read of that), The End of Christendom by Malcolm Muggeridge, and Amazing Grace by Eric Metaxas. I have a few more chapters to go in Amazing Grace on the life of William Wilberforce. All are good and highly recommended.

We left Chicago on March 20th and traveled to Barcelona via London. There we met our college age son who is studying in Valencia this semester. We spent about three days in the Barcelona area, visiting many historic sites, staying with our fabulous guides, a missionary couple who are friends of ours and have lived in Spain for 25 years. We then traveled to Valencia and spent about three days in that area with our son as guide. Finally we all traveled by overnight sleeper train to Granada, exploring that ancient town that dates back to the Roman empire.

Finally, we said our “good byes” and split apart, us traveling to Madrid to return home via London, and our son traveling back to Valencia to finish his semester.

We must have walked a hundred miles over that 10 days… my legs are so tired! But it was worth it. Also took hundreds of digital photos, and even had time to do some sketching along the way. Pictured above is one I did in Granada while visiting the historic Alhambra palace site.

I love the Spanish coffee! They make a “café con leche” that is one half espresso, and one half steamed hot milk, and I add sugar. Muy Bueno!