Playing Catch Up

Why is it every time I go away for four days it takes me two weeks to catch up?

It was worth it though. One day playing tourist with family, one day devoted to the celebration of the baptism of our new grandson, two days of travel and poof it was over. After four, way too short days, I'm playing catch up with everything.

I did manage a few sketches. The first two were done in fits and starts calling on my memory. The two on the plane were completed on the plane. The welcome home committee was done just before falling into bed when we got home.

I look at these an can't believe the same person did them! Get a style, Lady!

Reportage-Telling (Drawing) It Like It Is

These are two sketches from Saturday's class. Not great but they're a start. They were done at the Chicago Botanic Gardens. We're using a 14 x 17 sketch pad. This is a very different size for me. I usually work much smaller or much larger. Mark McMahon, our instructor, defines his work as reportage. He is an energetic and excellent teacher.

There is a definition of reportage here http://reportageillustrators.com/about-reportage/.
There are some fabulous examples on this site also. For me there is an energy and an immediacy to reportage that is different than journaling or illustration. It is telling the story of a place or event and the people in a sketch. I still haven't found a definition that explains it clearly. I'm at a point where I don't know what it is but I know it when I see it. I'd love to hear what you understand as reportage!

Good News-Bad News.01 and.02

First the good news.01- the reportage class with Mark McMahon is back on and it is fabulous! He's a great teacher. Bad news.01 -the sketch pad doesn't fit my scanner so I'll have to photograph the sketches before I can post them.
Good news.02 - our Monday sketch group met at Water Tower Park on Michigan Ave. Bad news.02- I just couldn't seem to put into practice anything I learned on Saturday in class!




The horse and buggy moved on before I could finish but I do like the rhythm of the lines.

Monday, Monday

Monday's sketch group met at the Art Institute of Chicago. It was a beautiful afternoon and we sketched in the south pocket park. There is a great fountain there and inspired by all of Laurelines' wonderful fountain sketches, I gave it a try!

I'm so disappointed! I've been enthralled with reportage drawing lately and it looks like my reportage sketch class will be cancelled. Not enough people signed up. I was really looking forward to it. Oh bla dee. Anyone out there have any good tips?

Proud as a Peacock

I never realized how much the John Hancock Center dominates our view until the other day. My granddaughter, Morgan, age four, was here and drawing. I asked her to tell me about her drawing. "It's the Hancock building, Nana!" (Duh) I draw it often, too.


Mogan's version


Nana's version