Madison, Indiana

After spending the last year studying the human figure, i learned that the same principles applied to anything in life. I chose to expand my work to architecture because it stays still and has endless variations


When leaving for a trip to visit Madison, In, I did not expect to use the work created for a multimedia presentation. My goal was to study architecture. Madison was a choice destination because it is famous for its historic district spanning over 100 blocks.

To reach Madison, you can drive along the Ohio River from Cincinnati along lazy country roads. The worst congestion you will encounter is the traffic heading towards the handful of Casino boats along the Indiana shore (which was not so bad). Rising Sun was my first stop, where Cincinnati's Pendleton Art Center recently opened an extension. The small river town greets visitors with 2 barns hanging a large painting (the winners of a local competition). The main street was speckled with gift shops, a harp museum, a Great old church, and of course the latest Pendleton project, a restored building housing art studios. My visit was on a Monday, and the sleepy little town was fast asleep, since the Art Center was closed. I took time to enjoy the river, and sketch the old Empire House, a historic Hotel facing the river since 1816.


When arriving in Madison, I was overwhelmed. It's main street was filled with shops, (and people shopping!) There were very few (if any) modern buildings on the very lengthy street. After driving the main street and turning towards the river, stood a beautiful mansion facing the river. Named the "Lenior Mansion", it was built in the neo-classic period in the same style as Monticello. It is a state park and museum open to the public.


Wanting to see everything i could, i parked my van along the pedestrian river walk and took a nice 10 mile jog. Every corner i turned revealed ANOTHER block of beautiful old houses. Historic Madison is very jog friendly, since most streets are 4 way stops. My only complaint was that the bridge to the Kentucky side of the river was for automobiles only. I imagine the view of Madison from KY would have been impressive.


I sketched as many houses as possible. It was difficult choosing, because there were too many choices. One house was originally a country house when Madison was just a small river town. All of the house was built with clay, stone and wood from the farm. The craftsmanship was excellent.

Overwhelmed by Madison's views, I drove a few miles downriver to Hanover College. I believe it is Indiana's oldest 4 year University. It sits on top of a hill, overlooking the Ohio River. The View was a landscape painters paradise! As beautiful and challenging as architecture can be to render. The excitement of painting a landscape outdoors can't be described with words. Hopefully, the art says it all!