Occupational Hazard or Happy Accident?

This is a sketch I did last month while I was listening to a think tank panel discussion. I used my usual mini-travel kit. Lately, I’ve been using a larger sketchbook on my treks about town.  Surprise! Yesterday, when I went to use this little orange-covered Hahnemüehle sketchbook (nice swag from last year’s Chicago Sketch Seminar) again, this is what I found. The package of Wet Ones at the bottom of my bag leaked all over the book! More than fifty percent of the pages are covered with varying shades of bleed-through orange. At first, I just chalked it up to an occupational hazard, but when I looked at this sketch I decided it was a happy accident. I think the splash of orange adds some life to a rather mundane drawing.

Another Good Afternoon

Architectural Artifacts, Chicago

What a fun afternoon with Urban Sketcher's Chicago at Architectural Artifacts. So much to see, it's hard to focus on what to sketch.  I decided to sketch the story– artists from all over the Chicago area and artifacts from all over the world sharing their unique styles.

More fun days on the calendar, registration for the Urban Sketchers Chicago Sketch Seminar, July 9-10, opens on May first.

Donuts and Drawing = a Good Afternoon

It was a little chilly and damp today, so our Monday group met indoors. I gave a brief demonstration on seeing values and we had a great discussion. Then we sketched, chatted and ate (guess what). It was a fun afternoon. This was done in my Stillman and Birn Beta Series sketchbook, one of my favorites.

Save the Date for USk Chicago Sketch Seminar 2016!

Urban Sketchers Chicago has announced the dates for our 3rd Annual Sketch Seminar, July 9-10,2016!  The American Academy of Art will be our host. AAA is located at 332 South Michigan Avenue and within walking distance of museums, parks, architectural landmarks, shopping and Lake Michigan! So many great places to sketch and learn.

 I'm honored to be teaching a workshop, again, this year. The topic? "The Poetry of Speed Sketching". It's a great skill to have when sketching in such a lively city or simply on the move and want to tell the story. It's been such fun meeting so many of you at our past seminars. I hope to see you and meet some new faces in July! 

Here are two links that will keep you updated on the details:

Urban Sketchers Chicago Sketch Seminar 2016

Urban Sketchers Chicago FaceBook

You Can See Forever!

Looking south from E Randolph 

Our Monday sketch group is back in the swing after a brief hiatus for the holidays. Last Monday we met at a member's condo and sketched the view from her 29th-floor window! What a view! We could see Lake Michigan, Adler Planetarium, the Aquarium, the Field Museum, Soldier Field, and on, and on, and on!

An Elephant Never Forgets

17th-Century Elephant Automaton Clock  Loyola University Museum of Art (LUMA)

Sometimes when I'm the docent-on-duty at LUMA, in between tours, I sketch in the galleries. They're quick pencil sketches, almost doodles. I add the color when I get home. 

This is a sketch of a 17th-century automaton clock from the D'Arcy Collection at the museum. Jonathan Canning, LUMA's Senior Curator, was a driving force in reanimating the piece. The Turkish figures on the top move around in a circle, the elephant's handler's arm moves up and down and the entire piece parades in a circle. A remarkable achievement for when it was created as well as for today. That's the good news.

The sad news is that Jonathan is leaving LUMA and going the Glens Falls, New York, and the Hyde Collection.  He will be greatly missed. 

Thank you, Jonathan, for all you've done for LUMA and for all you taught me over the last five years. Godspeed.

Happy New Year!

At the end of the year, many of us look back and take stock of the past year, what we’ve done, what we didn’t do, and maybe, what we wish we had done. I like to page through my sketchbooks and see how my sketches have changed over the year. What worked? What didn’t? What do I need to work on more? It’s always interesting  and there’s always a surprise or two. Then there’s the look to the new year, where would I like my work to be a year from now?

Looking toward the new year, I always choose a word as a theme for the year, some trait or habit that I'd like to make part of my life. This year the word is Simplicity. In a hubbub world of buy, get, do, hurry, etc. simplicity is the goal. Just saying it is like a deep breath. Where will simplicity lead me and my work?

Stay tuned.