Shop 'n' Sketch

Hooray! The Green City Market is open outdoors. The Market is open all year but in the warmer weather it's open outside in Lincoln Park. On Saturday mornings my husband shops and I sketch - a perfect arrangement.

I wish I had been bolder in my color choices, especially in the shadows, in this sketch. That's something I intend to work on as the season progresses.

Memorial Day - A Day to Remember

I come from a long line of veterans on both sides of my family. My cousin, Tim, sent this to me in a forwarded e-mail. I don't know who wrote it but I would like to say thank you.

It is the
VETERAN,
not the preacher,
who has given us freedom of religion.

It is
the VETERAN,
not the reporter,
who has given us freedom of the press.

It is
the VETERAN,
not the poet,
who has given us freedom of speech.

It is
the VETERAN,
not the campus organizer,
who has given us freedom to assemble.

It is
the VETERAN,
not the lawyer,
who has given us the right to a fair trial.

It is
the VETERAN,
not the politician,
Who has given us the right to vote.

TGFM-Thank God for Monday!

Yes, I know it's Thursday. Monday, our sketch group went to Navy Pier in Chicago. The weather was cold so we opted to draw inside in at the Crystal Gardens. I've been so busy at work (I'm not complaining about that!) sketching just hasn't been on my agenda. This was a wonderful refreshing pause.

When I have had time to sketch I've been trying to loosen up so I avoided using my pencil as much as possible, though not entirely. I've also joined the Illinois Watercolor Society thanks to the encouragement of Carol Hennessy. I'm hoping it will inspire me to work more in watercolor and larger.

I'm grateful to all you bloggers and Flickr people for posting your work. I learn so much from you. Even though I haven't had much time to comment lately, I have been viewing and enjoying!

There's Something About a Kite!

What is it about a kite that sets the child in us free? Last Saturday was Chicago's annual Kite Festival. We've attended the last three years and each year it gets better. Bring your kite, buy a kite there or make one there for free, you have no excuse not to take flight.

The professional kite fliers (how do you get a job like that?) were out with magnificent specimens, a squid that was the size of a bus, a cat the size of an elephant and a sea horse that swam in the wind, incredible. The weather cooperated. We had sun, clouds and wind, but no rain!

Two adults, two children, four kites, hm-m-m, we could have used two more adults. Our usual cohorts were working but we managed and had a fabulous time. All that fresh air knocked me out!