IF: obsession

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This week’s Illustration Friday challenge word is “obsession”.
My fantasy has turned to madness and all my goodness has turned to badness.
Regular readers of my blog (all four of you) are already familiar with my obsession — the one aside  from drawing.

I love old movies, Hollywood scandals, obscure actors and actresses and stories of untimely demise. So, how do I satisfy all of those interests at one shot? I visit cemeteries, specifically the ones that are the eternal home to the famous, infamous and almost famous.

It all started on a trip to Cleveland to The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. After a full day of touring the museum (jammed with its share of tributes to famous dead people), my family and I ate dinner at the Cleveland branch of the Hard Rock Cafe restaurant chain. As is the case with touristy restaurants, the friendly waitress asked us the standard questions posed to out-of-towners —where we were from? how long are you in town? what have you visited? Then she recommended an unusual spot for sightseeing – Lake View Cemetery. She told us that it is the final resting place of James A. Garfield, 20th president of the United States and one of eight presidents from Ohio. We finished our dinner, paid and headed back to our hotel – all the while intrigued at the thought of visiting a cemetery.

On our way home to Philadelphia, we stopped at Lake View. Without a map or guidance of any kind, we blindly drove the narrow, winding roads through the grassy expanses of headstones. Garfield’s grave is housed in a huge terra cotta decorated structure that stands tall above the grounds. In addition, Lake View is home to John D. Rockefeller, G-Man Eliot Ness and Ray Chapman, the only baseball player killed as a result of an injury received during a game. It was very cool.

And so it began, my death obsession became even more intensified.

You can see where my obsession has brought me (with my poor family, in tow) at these links:

Enjoy! I know I did.

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6 Comments

  1. I hope you had a chance to see Wade Chapel http://www.deadohio.com/lakeview6.htm while at the cemetary. The chapel was designed by Tiffany, and is absolutely gorgeous. I’m wondering what it says about me if I’m one of your 4 regulars? I didn’t realize I was obsessed with dead people too. I mostly enjoy good stories, but then I’ve spent some time at Lakeview Cemetary too. I always thought the draw was all of the marble angels 🙂

  2. Great drawing! And for the record….for the most part, I do enjoy sharing this obsession with you! On a lovely day, what could possibly be more serene and tranquil than a slow drive and walk through a grassy park-like location? Okay, so we are surrounded by the deceased and often cross paths with mourners….but still a lovely day was spent at all of those Burial Gardens!!

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