Seven Simple Pleasures

I was tapped to join the FaceBook challenge to post one of my paintings/sketches every day for seven days and post them to my FB page. My challenge is complete. I thought I'd share the posts here, too.

I chose little paintings and sketches that focus on the little things that bring joy to my daily life. #simplegrace.

Day 1

Light and shadow play

Day 2

StreetWise vendor taking pride in his job

Day 3

 Loyola University Museum of Art (LUMA), Elephant Automaton Clock in the Baroque gallery.

Day 4

Fish knife, such lovely tiny details

Day 5

A touch of color to brighten a gray day in Chicago

Day 6

Car sketch that brings fall color to another gray-Chicago day

Day 7

Little truffles to spice up another gray day!

I hope they bring a smile to your face and encourage you to see the simple graces and joy in the everyday.

What to Do on a Cold Chicago Day

Garfield Park Conservatory, Chicago

Sunday USk Chicago met at the Garfield Park Conservatory for our regular sketch crawl. It was a cold day but the Desert Room was the perfect place to warm up. I was really taken by the textures and colors. What a delightful place to spend a cold afternoon! 

It's been a busy time! Urban Sketchers 8th Annual Symposium will be held in Chicago in July 2017. Admin for USk Chicago have been helping the international committee with the planning. There is so much that goes on behind the scenes to bring a successful symposium to fruition! I'm honored to lend a helping hand, but it does cut into blogging time. I'll try to do better.

Seasoned Seasons

The Newberry Library, Chicago

Where has summer gone? This is a quick sketch of the Newberry Library from Washington Sq. Park in Chicago. I walk through this park often. I think I've sketched there in every season. Every corner gives you a totally different Chicago vibe, skyscrapers, quaint townhouses, highrise condos, traffic, bikes, the homeless, the wealthy and always dogs and squirrels!

What simple graces will autumn bring for me to discover and sketch?

A Different Perspective

A quick sketch from Chicago Shakespeare Theater. The actor, Tim Crouch, was on stage, from the time the house opened to the end of the show so I had a chance to scribble this before the play began. The production "I, Malvolio" tells Shakespeare's story, "Twelfth Night", from the point of view of Malvolio, one of the minor characters, and in one hour! Tim Crouch wrote and starred in the one-man show. Hilarious and brilliant!

Ahhh!

Yay, our Monday Sketch Group didn't get frozen or rained out! Yesterday was a glorious day to be out sketching at Navy Pier! At long last, I traded my jacket for a hat and sunglasses! It was a three exclamation point day.

Surprise!

Pods like these fall all around our neighborhood. The other day I picked up these two. My intention was to practice painting subtle dark values. I accidently step on one. Whoa! What a surprise! It's incredible how something can appear so plain on the outside and, on the inside, be so colorful and bright. I think people are often the same way.

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!

Who Thinks of Summer in the City as Green?

North Sculpture Garden at the Art Institute of Chicago

It's been along time since I lost a sketchbook but… 

The sketchbook I've been using strictly for urban sketching is gone. I keep hoping I've only misplaced it but I've searched high and low with no success; it's time to move on. For awhile now I've been toying around with the idea of using a square format and working larger when on location. Monday was as good a time as any. 

This is an 8 x 8 Hand•Book I bought the last time I was in San Francisco. It's now been officially designated as my urban sketching book for USk sketch crawls and the Monday Sketch Group. It's a good way to keep a record of our outings. The Monday group met this week at the Art Institute and sketched in the north sculpture garden. We've had a lot of rain lately and also some real summer heat so there were few flowers to be seen but a million lush shades of green. For me the greens even overpowered the sculpture.

Lush greens, loud cicadas, dappled shade and sketching, despite not being thrilled with the sketch, I'll smile when I look back at this page.

What Happened to May?

Riverwalk, Chicago

I don't know! Maybe I'll catch up in June but not today. Today was a glorious day sketching at the Riverwalk. It's going to be a favorite place this summer for an evening stroll and a glass of wine!

A Pause in My Running

This was a short pause in this week's hectic schedule to take my granddaughter to cross country practice. It was a nice way to spend some time soaking up a little fall-like sun and fresh air. I did this quick sketch (15 minutes including assorted chat breaks) with a Tombow marker and water brush. It was nice to leave the running to others! Ahh.

Saving Summer

Lincoln Park Zoo

Today, our Monday sketch group went to the zoo. It was a perfect afternoon even though I think I spent more time soaking up the sun than sketching! It's hard to believe that summer is over. Even so sketches like this will remind me in January that the sun does shine in Chicago!

When my children were little I would read the book Fredrick by Leo Lionni. It's about a mouse that stored up memories of summer to savor when winter hit. I still love that book! I wonder if my kids remember it. 

Every Cloud's Silver Lining

Heading to San Francisco – Rain delay at O'Hare

Heading home to Chicago – Delayed departure in San Francisco

Another delay in Phoenix!

Recently, I spent a week in San Francisco. Let's call it a "working vacation".  My six month old grandson had surgery (all is well!).  I went to help with caring for his twin and five year old brother. Needless to say there was no time to sketch while on duty but the weather delays to and from SF gave me time for a quick sketch or two.

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

Urban Sketchers-Chicago met outside Wrigley Field today. The Cubs played the Brewers so the crowd was large and loud! Our group was small but productive. I always love how we all gather to sketch the in the same area but what catches our attention and how we interpret the scene is so different! All winners - even the Cubs!

Food Glorious (Good) Food!

 Good Food Festival is right around the corner again. It's the 13th-15th of March this year. Last year one of my images was used on the the button that identified the exhibiting local farmers. This year I've been asked for another veggie illustration for attendees. Here's the one they've chosen. I'm delighted!

They will also be using the farmers' button. A rerun post from last year  – this is an onsite sketch of a demo by Rick Bayless  and the button.

#6 Catching Up – Almost!

Navy Pier from Lake Shore Drive

I had an early appointment the other day on Lake Shore Drive. Well, actually my husband did, I just went along for the walk. This is what I saw. It almost looks as cold as it felt!

The task at hand was a layered landscape using glazes.

Muti and Ma – Marvelous!

Yo Yo Ma

Bob and I braved the cold and walked to the Symphony Center yesterday morning to attend an open rehearsal of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.  How could we resist, two Shubert pieces and a contemporary concerto for cellos and orchestra by Sollima? Sollima played the other cello along with Yo Yo Ma. Riccardo Muti was the conductor. What a way to spend a morning! I think I smiled all day!

I wasn't familiar with Sollima but I intend to remedy that starting today. Later I'll listen to his Carravagio. It seems like a good place to start.

This sketch was done on the back of my program. I added the splash of color when I got home.

Not Just Another Day at the Field Museum

Bird Habitats – Field Museum Chicago

Last Sunday, Urban Sketchers-Chicago went to the Field Museum to sketch. What a day it was! When we planned the outing to the Field we didn't realize that the Bears would be playing the Ravens at Soldier Field which is right across from the Museum. The buses, trains and parking lots were jammed, noisy and loud! And, I might add, fun. This was only the beginning of our adventure.

 It seemed we no sooner settled into sketch the Bird Habitat when we evacuated to the lower level. A tornado watch had been issued (that means a tornado had been spotted near by) and for safety's sake we were asked to stay in the Siragusa Center, the Museum's indoor picnic area. During our forty-five minute stay everyone celebrated a fellow evacuee's birthday by serenading him with Happy Birthday. We sketchers also worked on our barely started sketches from upstairs. It wasn't until later that I realized that I had totally missed a unique opportunity to sketch this rare urban experience in the Museum.

After we were allowed back upstairs we were treated to a behind the scenes tour of the Zoology Department.  Giraffe vertebrate, elephant pelvises, assorted creepy rodent pelts, it was quite a sight and experience. Thank you, Rebecca!

USk-Chicago had an exciting time but my thoughts and prayers go out to those in our area whose day was filled not with adventure but with tragedy.

Too Hot to Roar but Not to Draw

 The Lincoln Park Zoo is under a massive redesign. It's a beautiful place that they're making even better. The noise didn't seem to bother Sahar, the lion, or the four Monday sketchers who showed up to draw on a HOT (90+°) September afternoon.

With school open now the zoo was almost empty. It was a very relaxing afternoon. We had a great time chatting about methods of sketching and ideas of what to draw. There may be one or two new converts to Every Day Matters (EDM) list. 

Sahar is about two years old. His mane is just growing in and he's very proud of it. In between his quick naps he strutted his stuff around the enclosure.

Good Morning Chicago!

It's been a very long time since I've been in school or even had kids in school but for some reason, for me, the new year still starts in September! The good thing about this is all my resolutions can get a reboot in January! 

This is a 5 minute sketch done while I sipped my second cup of morning coffee.

For the Birds

What a pleasant afternoon sketching outside the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum in Chicago. Cool breeze, shade and silly geese and a duck for entertainment, a great way to start the week.

Evidence of why I sketch rather than take photos!