Poker

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There were moments of levity and even leisure between military engagements. This sketch was done in Gingelom Belgium after the Americans had won the battle re-enactment. This isn’t a location that 1st Lieutenant Arthur Thorspecken would have been at. I went to see Museum Winter 44 to get more of an overview of what happened in Belgium during the war. The museum is close to where the Battle of the Bulge happened. The 75th Infantry was in that battle but Arthur arrived in Europe after those dates.

The helmet on the table held the bets for the cards that had been dealt. This moment felt the most like history was coming alive. War isn’t always about big explosions and heroic deeds. It is more often about passing the time and waiting for what may come next.

This is the courtyard at Museum Winter 44. It had started to rain. The poker players were under a giant Coke umbrella, but I wasn’t. The sketch is covered with tiny explosions from the rain hitting the watercolor. Most rain I had experienced in Belgium was sporadic and light, never fully committed to a downpour, so I kept sketching. I would just lean over the sketch while I worked.

It  had been a long day of sketching and I was famished. After the game of poker was over and my sketch was complete, I ordered some spaghetti and pulled up to the table. I couldn’t follow all the Dutch conversations, but several  soldiers were kind enough to speak to me in English. One wanted to know all about the 75th Infantry. He was looking for a bit of information I had not provided. I finally realized he wanted to know that the 75th infantry was part of the 290th Infantry Division. It turns out he collects books about American Infantry divisions and he had several history books that took him years to find. This reminded me that I have the broad strokes of where the 75th Infantry went during WWII but for the specifics of actual battles I have very little information. I have several written memoirs from 1st Lieutenants from the 75th Infantry, but those PDF documents are on a laptop that died in the Netherlands. I think I will be doing much more research once this sketch journey is complete.

My main goal is to get a feel for each place as I sketch. That goal I feel I am accomplishing. Sometimes pure luck or providence steps in and I find I am sketching the exact same place that a 75th Infantry war photographer took a photo of. I can never be sure that any location I sketch is exactly where 1st Lieutenant Arthur Thorspecken might have been. Troops were usually spread out along a wide front.  But I am getting to know each town, city and village by walking the streets. The damage and devastation is gone but the spirit of the place remains.

February 20, 1945: Panningen Netherlands

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February 20, 1945 was the beginning of the VENLO, LIMBURG + NETHERLANDS CAMPAIGN. The 75th Infantry was sent to an assembly area near Panningen Netherlands to relive the British 6th Armored Division. I am fairly certain that 1st Lieutenant Arthur Thorspecken would have joined C-Company here or the next town they were moved to.

1st Lieutenant Dick Sassin explained the move this way, “ We’re going to move in at night. They are going to move out. We aren’t under fire.” The 75th infantry division was to operate under the command of the British Second Army’s VIII Corps, 21st Army Group under Field Marshall Bernard Montgomery. The division was to take up a defensive position along the West Bank of the Maas River. German troops were well entrenched on the East bank. The river is about 100 yards wide at the location I saw. Germans would often fire harassing mortar rounds to the far shore of the Maas River.

Panningen played a significant role in the closing stages of World War II. It became a defensive position for the Allies along the West Bank of the Maas River. Nightly patrols across the mass were a critical cactivity for the troops stationed in Panningen.

I decided to sketch the Monument Deportation Everlo. It is a memorial in remembrance of the fallen and missing residents from Panningen. In the autumn of 1944, over 1,000 boys and men in the region between the Maas and Peel rivers were rounded up by the Nazis in raids and deported to Germany for forced labor. These events cost the lives of 120 men and left lasting scars on survivors and those left behind.

There were also three metal plaques that had engravings of the names of Canadian and Royal Air Force Pilots who had crashed in the area. Also listed were names of soldiers who had died from the 15th Scottish Division, the 49th West Riding Division, the 51st Highlands Division. In all, the names of 54 soldiers were listed as fallen hero’s to the town of Panningen Netherlands.

The trip to Panningen Netherlands for the 75th Infantry troops was accomplished in weather that had turned for the better. The box cars were not a hellish ride. 1st Lieutenant Arthur Thorspecken would have been taking a similar ride on his own or with other replacements to join the 75th Infantry troops in the Netherlands.

Namur Belgium: The Citadel

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The Citadel in Namur Belgium sits on the confluence of two large rivers, The Meuse and the Sabre. The Citadel is a huge stone fort that has overlooked those two rivers for centuries. In February of 1945, the tunnels under the Citadel were used by the 75th Infantry as a command post. Napoleon nicknamed the Citadel Europe’s remote mound due to the extensive network of underground tunnels.

The importance of the Citadel diminished when 9 forts were built around the city of Namur Belgium. When the Germans attacked in 1940 the forts fell after 3 days of fighting. Namur was liberated by Allied forces on September 6, 1944. Namur is near where intense fighting incurred at the Battle of the Bulge in Decemeber of 1944. Although the city itself was not the center of the conflict. Perhaps that is why it was once again used an a command post as troops headed north to form a defensive line along the Meuse River up in the Netherlands.

It is possible the 1st Lieutenant Arthur Thorspecken might have reported here before joining troops up in the Netherlands. Since 80 years have passed since February of 1945, I decided to sketch anything that might have been around at the time. This tree with it’s age old roots growing over stone work would have certainly been alive and growing at the time.

About February 17, 1945, Le Havre Cathedral Notre Dame

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Cathedral Notre Dame in Le Havre, France suffered minor damage from WWII bombings. It is the oldest of the very few buildings in central Le Havre to have survived the devastation of World War II. While 82% of the city was destroyed by Allied bombing raids in the space of 5 days, the cathedral walls remained standing.  Arthur Thorspecken arrived in the port about February 17, 1945.

The church was built in the 16th and 17th centuries. The bell tower dates from 1520 and there are some impact scars from the bombings to this day. It is a Roman Catholic Church. My father was raised Roman Catholic but was excommunicated when he married my mother, Elvira Corr who was Methodist. They were married while my father was still in Military training in North Carolina. My oldest sister, names after Shirley Temple was born in 1943 while Arthur was in training.

As I was doing this sketch, a sea gull waked right up to me and sat down at my feet. I don’t think he was begging for food, he was just curious as to why a human was sitting still for so long. The street I was sitting at was under construction so several cars turned in and realized they had to back out and turn around.  As they did their 5 point turns the tires got close to the seagull and he was ready to move but sat still when he know they tires would not hit him. I respected his bold tenacity.

From this port city, Arthur would have likely been transported with other replacements, by truck to one of several 75th infantry headquarters that were set up as the 75th Infantry troops moved north by train to Panningen Netherlands.They had just finished operations in the Colmar Pocket where they pushed the Germans out of France.At first I thought Arthur Thorspecken  might have been involved in the fighting in  Colmar, but the timing was not right.

In early February 1945, he 75th infantry headquarters were in headquarters were in Charleville-Mézières France, Charleroi Belgium, Namur Belgium, Tongeren-Borgloon Belgium, and Weert Netherlands, before arriving in Penningen Netherlands. I decided to stop in each of these cities since Arthur probably would have reported to a command post before joining the troops assembling in Panningen Netherlands.

On February 17, 1945 the 75th Infantry was assigned to the  Ninth Army, 12th Army Group, atta hed to the British Second Army for operations. Arthur’s first experiences in battle would have been on the west bank of the Maas River. Allied troops held the west bank while the Nazis held the east bank. The Germans would constantly fire mortars at the allies. The unit history I have seemed to paint the Netherlands defensive position as an easy assignment. But as I was looking to learn more online, I found one question on Reddit that wanted to know how his father might have died in the Netherlands. His father served in the 75th infantry as well. There were endless dangers. Had my father not survived, I would not be here.

The Hound of the Baskervilles: Final Poster

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For the final Orlando Shakespeare Theater poster for the Hound of the Baskervilles, I kept the seated poses for Watson and Sherlock Holmes. In the Hound of the Baskervilles, Watson actually plays a much larger role than Holmes since he goes to the Baskerville estate to investigate alone. It is a chance to see him use his powers of deduction, but he is as swept up in the legend of the huge hound as the townspeople.

Through the mystery and intrigue Sherlock was actually investigating from afar. The Hound of the Baskervilles has been adapted so many times for movies and theater production that it is a perfect fit for a comedic farce. Most people are well aware of the story. It was required reading for me in high school.

mangling, murder and mayhem can be extremely funny when resented with tongue in cheek. In this production actors hod ornate picture frames to portray the historic Baskerville family lineage. I always love paintings that come alive, by expressing emotion.

If you get a chance to see this production, I would highly advise it. It should be laugh out loud funny.

The Hound of the Baskervilles: Third Pass

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Each time I work on a poster the image evolves. Changes are all part of the artistic process. The first pass at the poser was rather menacing. I decided with this pass to hav Sherlock and Watson sitting in easy chairs contemplating the mystery they had to solve. I gave Sherlock a quizzical look as if he were one step away from solving the crime. Watson on the other hand just looks a bit flummoxed.

I kept the misty forest in the painting of the hound between them. I considered putting them in Sherlock’s apartment but decided they too needed to be seated in the forest. I later changed my idea about the setting. The dog is rather lanky and sinister still. I remembered that picture frames played a role in the stage production, so framing the hound made sense to me.

The feedback I got to this pass was as expected. There wasn’t enough information to let the audience know they were going to see a comedy. I needed to push the expressions more for comedic effect and the hound was still too scary. I needed to push for a little more Scooby doo without getting cartoony. The new creative challenges kept the poster evolving.

Having seen a staging of a similar production, I a say that you will have a blast if you go to see this show. I was laughing out loud as I sketched.

 

Hound of the Baskervilles: First Pass

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My first pass at The Hound of the Baskervilles poster was done thinking this was a serious drama based on the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle book. I wanted a mysterious and ominous hound to be the primary image to catch the attention of anyone looking at the image. I wanted a deep forest with plenty of looming fog. I then decided to make to hound huge and integrate it into the surrounding landscape. The idea was a bit abstract but it represented the psychological spirit of the beast.
I then added the more straightforward image of Sherlock looking through his magnifying glass.

Of course this idea didn’t fly because the play is an adaptation  that is a comedy. My image had nothing to do with a comedy, I was looking for intrigue, mystery and a dash of horror. Most of my paining for the past four years have had all of those elements, so it is hard to shake off the dark nature of the images that first come. Out of my hands.

The Hound of the Baskervilles will be running from September 24 to November 2, 2025 at the Orlando Shakespeare Theater 812 East Rollins Street Orlando Florida. Be prepared for a hilarious time.

First Sighting of My Hound of the Baskervilles Poster

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While writing an article from France, I noticed that the Hound of the Baskervilles is coming up at the Shakespeare Theater (. This was a fun poster to work on.

I played with the replicate pattern aspect of Procreate to quickly find a pattern for the wallpaper. As usual there were multiple iterations of the poster until I dialed in this comedic image.

With my first pass at the poster I had no idea that it was a comedy. I watched several of the classic movies based on Arthur Conan Doyle‘s book and the movies were outright scary. I am never one to shy away from horrifying imagery, so I jumped in and played up the horror.

Of course the relationship between Sherlock Holmes and Watson is always rather comedic as Sherlock tests Watson’s ability to make deductions. Watson always does a passable job of making deductions based on the evidence but then Sherlock makes astounding deductions based on the smallest evidence, and of curse he is right.

I did sketch this comedy years ago and remember laughing out loud.

What I love about this version of the poser is the grinning rottweiler. With a smile like that how viscous can the hound truly be. The silhouette and sheer girth of the dog seen from the distance are what make most feel terror.

The type treatment is very much like one of the early movie posters for the Hound of the Baskervilles. I think my favorite move version of the story was in black and white starring Basel Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes.

The entirety of my poster color treatment is in warm tones except for the mysterious green glow emanating from behind the hound. I love working digitally on these posters because I can add new layers over the painting to make changes while keeping the original concept in tact. Sometime an eliminate isn’t needed and I can just turn it off. If I was painting traditionally I would have to redo the entire painting any time there was a change.

Elementary my dear Watdon. I would strongly advise you to check out Hound of the Baskervilles for yourself, starting September 24, 2025 at the Orlando Shakespeare Theater (812 East Rollins Street, Orlando FL.)

Forest to Mausoleum

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A day or two before I left for Europe to follow in my father’s footsteps in WWII, a roof was thrown up on the home being built next to the Lake County studio I was renting. The lot had been a lush forested area just a few weeks before. The sand mountain the home sat on had been leveled and built up in a day. The cinder block mausoleum had gone p in a day, and now the roof structure went up in a day. This was now the largest home in the area on its own mountaintop/

The roof beams had an interesting inverted series of beams which I suppose are to keep the roof from collapsing inward in the high winds of a hurricane. All the triangular sections were delivered to the job site pre-assembled. They were each lifted int place where workmen quickly hammered them into place.

All the workmen spoke Spanish which made me concerned for their safety in the new hate fueled policies of ICE, seizures and deportations. I have seen photos of rooms filled with workmen still in their uniforms in detention centers, having been rounded up from their work sites.

I am in Europe right now in Northern France about to cross the border into Belgium. Russia has just sent military drones over Poland  and it feels like WWIII is about to break out with Trump, a wanna be dictator, in the White House who is owned by Putin.

80 years ago America helped defeat dictators and bring about world peace. Nuclear bombs were used to stop the war in the  Pacific. That was a questionable decision which I hope is never repeated. It only takes a few petty, power hungry men to break down democracy and embrace autocracy in a lust for land, power and a desire to stay in power indefinately.

COVID Dystopia: Security

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The barefoot woman in this scene remains perfectly still while the horde of zombies shuffle through the security checkpoint without bothering to take off their shoes. The security guard gently feels between the woman’s breasts to check for any hidden virus.

I am traveling quite a bit to Film Festivals across the country promoting COVID Dystopia. Having to remove the mask for security is probably the most dangerous thing I need to do other than crowding into a sardine can with recirculated air. After a long flight it is a relief to step outside and remove the mask for a deep breath of air. I have had a  cough for over a month. I have checked for COVID and it is not that, but even if is only the remnants of a cold, I don’t think it is wise to spread it around.

COVID Dystopia is available to be seen at the Virtual Pittsburgh Shorts Film Festival happening now through November 24, 2024. COVID Dystopia can be seen in the Eventive – Chiller Theater Block 2 – Shorts online. It can be seen anywhere in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio. After you start watching the films, you have 48 hours to complete watching them. Tickets are $18.