David Alan Badger, formerly of Fulton, IL, will be at Heritage Canyon, 515 N. 4th Street, Fulton, to sign copies of his recent book, Ten Years–Whiteside County Barn Tour, during Dutch Days.
Last year, 2017, marked the tenth year of Badger illustrating barns and other rural architecture of Whiteside County. The Whiteside County Farm Bureau-sponsored event draws attention to rural life and the rapidly changing landscape of rural Illinois. Badger illustrates each farm on the tours. The upcoming Barn Tour is Saturday, July 7, and Sunday, July 8, 2018.
Badger will sign copies of this book as well as others, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., on Saturday, May 5, 2018.
In 2005, he began producing recipe books by collecting recipes from the local populations. It was this idea that brought him to the attention of the Early American Crafters at Heritage Canyon. He was commissioned to produce drawings of the Canyon’s sites; the Crafters supplied recipes and historical documentation. This publication is available at Heritage Canyon During Dutch Days, Saturday, May 5, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
David Alan Badger started to draw professionally in the spring of 1982. As a self-taught artist, he developed his skills by reading books about drawing and studying pen and ink drawings, through books and magazines. In his youth, he worked with his father during the summers building houses, so he naturally was attracted to architecture. In his career, Badger has created over 13,000 drawings of Illinois architecture and has published over 60 books of community and regional architecture throughout Illinois. In Whiteside County, Badger has created approximately 500 drawings, including the communities of Sterling, Rock Falls, Morrison, and Fulton, IL.
He says, “Every time I complete a drawing in Whiteside County, I get a nostalgic feeling of being home again.” It’s interesting to note that Fulton County and
Whiteside County (Fulton) are the two counties in which he has done the most work. Fulton County borders Mason County, where Badger has lived since 1979.
Early in his career, he learned that Frank Lloyd Wright had penned over 20,000 original drawings. Badger set that as his goal. Early on, he followed the work of a Southern Illinois artist, Roscoe C. Misselhorn. Misselhorn’s work inspired him to move forward. Badger, age 68, notes that Misselhorn was drawing well into his 90’s when he died. Badger is semi-retired, but he hopes to continue drawing as long as he is able. By setting a goal, he feels he has achieved more than he may have otherwise.
The main goal was to continue on in his life, finding his own direction, establishing a personal legacy while documenting the architectural legacy of Illinois, his adopted state. Badger was born in Clinton, IA. Mostly, Badger enjoys the act of discovery. He loves visiting new communities, learning about the architectural heritage and local histories. Another element of his work is combining other personal interests into the historical documentations.