Stealth Sketching at Starbucks

Often when I'm the docent on duty at LUMA I stop in at Starbucks in between tours. It's always a great place to sketch. If you've read this Tuesday's Tips and Tricks over at Urban Sketchers-Chicago you'll quickly see why. You can sit with your back to the wall. You can choose quick sketching with the ever changing customers. If your in the mood for a slow sketch there are plenty of models to choose from.  Everyone is absorbed in their own thoughts or work so they don't notice you. AND you have a table to work on (that's a luxury for urban sketching).

Thumbs Up

A quick thumbnail of the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco as seen from Starbucks in the Persidio. Actually, I scribbled a few lines while waiting for my Grande Skinny Vanilla Latte and splashed on the color later. This little doodle is also exercise #12 in One Watercolor a Day!

I Have Good News and…

Not long ago my daughter-in-law and I were lamenting the close of "our" Starbucks, the one where we both seemed to gravitate to when out running errands etc. – not that there aren't at least four others the same distance from my place. The good news is it didn't close it just moved two blocks north! The better news is in the evening they serve wine!

A Caffeinated Mind

My last post mentioned Mandy Patinkin. His voice is incredible! That got me to thinking about some of  my favorite songs I've heard him sing. That got me to thinking about Coffee in a Cardboard Cup, a song from a musical 70, Girls, 70. That got me to thinking about Starbucks and how much time I spend there catching my breath and sketching while running errands. It's a very different take on coffee in a cardboard cup than the one presented in the song.

That got me to thinking about the song's basic premise and I still think it's a good one.

"The trouble with the world today, it seems to me,
Is coffee in a cardboard cup.
The trouble with the affluent society
Is coffee in a cardboard cup.
No one's ever casual and nonchalant,
No one waits a minute in a restaurant,
No one wants a waitress passing pleasantries
Like "How're you, Miss?"
"How're you, Sir?"
"May I take your order please?"
The trouble with the world today is plain to see,
Is everything is hurry up.
It's rush it through, and don't be slow,
And BLT on rye to go,
With coffee (I think she said)
Coffee (I know she said)
Coffee in a cardboard cup."    70, Girls, 70

The Midwest: One Drawing at a Time

Urban Sketchers is a network of artists from around the world who work to encourage on location sketching and to show the world "one drawing at a time". Now Kate (Cathy) Johnson, artist and author, has started the Midwest chapter of the group. I've added my sketches to the USK flickr group for a while and I'm excited to be a correspondent to the Urban Sketcher - Midwest blog!

In my Chicago neighborhood there are five Starbucks in a five block radius. I've visited and sketched in them all. This sketch was done in one of them during a pit stop the middle of a very busy week. On the USK – Midwest blog I'll be sharing my favorite Chicago places as well as some of the  more mundane spots. I'm also looking forward to seeing my fellow contributors' "midwest". I hope you'll stop by Urban Sketchers – Midwest and enjoy the view!

Pencil #2

Yikes! It's December!

How'd that happen?
It seems I've been stopping at Starbucks for a moment to sketch as much as for the coffee! This one's on Rush Street. There was some good news in the paper this week. "My" Borders on Michigan Avenue was do to close this month but they've decided to keep it open for another year. I have no clue why. The second floor café has a great view of the shoppers and tourists on Chicago's Magnificent Mile and when you can get a seat the unsuspecting models are endless!

Noting November

It's been a busy November so these sketches are scribbled in various books-what ever was handy when I picked up the pencil. They trace my wanderings from the Chicago History Museum with the Monday sketch group to the Art Institute's Terzo Piano for a delicious brunch to St. Lad's parking lot late in the afternoon to vegetating in front of the T/V. and a lot of Starbucks along the way! They are the "pause that refreshes"! (The sketching -more than the coffee.)