Spotlight Sunday – Muriel Christensen

Spotlight Sunday is series of interviews designed to introduce and highlight Chicago Urban Sketchers individually.  Now that our chapter has reached nearly 500 members it has become more of a challenge to meet every single member in person and have a meaningful conversation. These posts concentrate on individuals and speak in their own words.




Muriel Christensen

Interviewed by Alex Zonis

For this week's Spotlight Sunday I interviewed Chicago sketcher Muriel Christensen. I love Muriel’s sketches, portraits and her use of bold color. Thank you for answering my questions, Muriel!

Alex: How did you first hear about the Urban Sketchers community and what made you decide to join Urban Sketchers Chicago?

Muriel: On Facebook. I believe it was a pop up on the recommended page. I decided to join since I wanted to enhance my drawing skills. The best way is from live drawings and I'm not very comfortable doing that alone in public, so why not join a group and sketch together. I also wanted to do sketches other than portraits.

My husband is not a sketcher, but joins me regularly, since he enjoys venturing out to the places that we did not know exist. Maybe he'll pick up a sketchbook and a pencil one of these days.

Alex: When did you start sketching?

Muriel: I've been sketching and drawing since my childhood, don't remember the age. But mainly portraits or people and mainly from photos.

I remembered selling my sketches for 10 cents (Burmese currency) in my first grade and gotten into trouble with their parents. So, from first grade for sure.

I stopped sketching or doing art during my adulthood, busy with schooling and raising family. But started doing it seriously again after joining USK.

Alex: Funny about selling your sketches and getting in trouble! Did you have any formal training in art, drawing or painting?

Muriel: Unfortunately, no. Do the workshops count? I took several oil painting workshops at Palette and Chisel. My dad was a very good cartoonist and was a professional artist when he was single, but gave it up when he got married. His art only exists in my memory as all of his work was destroyed in the fire in Burma. I did not learn much from him as his style was more gestural, drawings which I foolishly did not appreciate at that time. He gave me some pointers when I was young, but never encouraged me to go into art. Not trying to be stereotype here, ‪but I think this was a common thing in Asian culture.

Elephants, Field Museum - Muriel Christensen

Alex: What are your favorite subjects to sketch?

Muriel: I'm into portraits and figurative. People are my favorite.

Alex: What are your favorite sketching tools?

Muriel: I've been experimenting with different tools. For sketching, micron pens, markers but started using watercolor after seeing several great watercolor sketches from USK members.

Alex: Do you have a website, blog or social media accounts where people can see more of your work?

Muriel: My website went live last December - www.murielart.net 

I also have a Facebook art page for friends to view. Link to FB page is https://www.facebook.com/MACPortraits or the FB page is called Muriel Christensen Art.

Carousel horses, Architectural Artifacts - Muriel Christensen

Alex: Does your regular “day” job involve drawing? Does drawing help you in your life?

Muriel: No, I wish. My job is mainly technical. I believe my drawing and artwork helps me release some of my day-job stress. It helps in a therapeutic way. Drawing helps me to see things and it helps me to appreciate every day ordinary objects.  It is now my visual journal or diary and I take the sketchbook wherever I go. 

Alex: Thank you for sharing, Muriel! I appreciate your time!

Spotlight Sunday - Jingo de La Rosa

Spotlight Sunday is series of interviews designed to introduce and highlight Chicago Urban Sketchers individually. Now that our chapter has reached nearly 500 members it has become more of a challenge to meet every single member in person and have a meaningful conversation. These posts concentrate on individuals and speak in their own words.

Jingo de La Rosa

Interviewed by Paul Ingold

Paul: Thanks for agreeing to this interview, Jingo. Can you tell us a little about yourself?

Jingo: Sure thing! I'm a freelance illustrator, and I typically work with commercial clients. Some of the companies I've worked with are Penguin-Random House, Duncan Toys and Schmidt Peterson Motorsports. I'm also a teaching artist, which means exactly as it sounds: an artist who teaches, and it's actually a growing profession. Though I'm not officially employed as a teacher in a particular school, the job is pretty much the same as an art educator, minus the formal university training. The big difference is that it allows me the flexibility to teach anywhere based on need, whether it's a year-long residency in a private school, or even a one-and-done workshop in a church or community center. Lately, I've found myself being more involved in community-based projects.

Paul: Why do you sketch?

Jingo: I sketch for different reasons. Number one, I do it because I enjoy it and it's somewhat therapeutic. It's a nice escape from my client work, where I can just sit somewhere other than my studio, sketch something that interests me and just zone out. Second, it's a great way to stretch my observational skills, which is very important in my line of work as an artist.

Paul: I know that you do a lot of digital work for your day job. As a professional illustrator, does urban sketching help or play a role in this work? If so, do you have a favorite sketching tool or medium? 

Jingo: Apart from sharpening my observational skills, urban sketching provides an outlet where I get to revisit sketching with traditional tools, since I do work digitally a lot in my day job. I typically sketch with pencils in varying grades, but right now I'd like to venture out and use other mediums. In fact, I just bought a set of oil pastels, which I plan to use for sketching once the weather gets consistently warmer.

Paul: How did you first hear about the Urban Sketchers community and what made you decide to join Urban Sketching Chicago?

Jingo: The life of a working artist is often solitary, so I was pretty desperate to find a community of artists that I can relate to when I first moved to Chicago. Thanks to a quick Google search, I found the Urban Sketching Chicago Facebook page, and without any hesitation, I sent in a request so I can be included in the group. Thankfully, my request was accepted, and I started to join the sketch meet-ups whenever I was available. Even though I now live in Indianapolis, I try to make an effort to go to the events since it's only an easy 3-hour drive. Plus, the meet-ups are just great fun. Everyone is genuinely nice and very supportive.

Paul: What is your favorite place to sketch?

Jingo: When I lived in Chicago, I loved sketching on the train. I just love the feeling of being among strangers, and sketching faces I'll probably never see again. I like making up stories in my head about the people I sketch, and to me, that is half the fun. I still do it whenever I visit Chicago, since I'm there a lot for conventions and conferences that I attend. Now that I'm in Indy, I sketch in my favorite coffee shop, because sketching is so much better with caffeine!

Paul: You sent us four really cool urban sketches. What inspired them? Why are these scenes special to you?

Jingo: (Sue) This one is special to me because of the many times I've visited the Field Museum, I was never able to sketch Sue. When USk Chicago did their meetup at the Field in February this year, I thought it would be a mortal sin not to draw Sue, so I did!

Jingo: (Repeal Restaurant) I decided to completely jump out of my comfort zone for this one. I normally sketch in pencil, so I got rid of all my fears and just sketched with an inking pen and markers. Also, architecture is my weak spot, so this gave me the opportunity to work on that.

Jingo: (Two ladies chatting) When I first started sketching people, I was more focused on their likeness, so my sketches appeared more "realistic" in a sense. The more I did that, the more I realized that I was losing the subject's essence, which I really don't want to do. So for this one, I wanted to capture what makes these people interesting, rather than pinning down an exact likeness.

Paul: Thanks again for participating in this interview Jingo! For those that would like to see more of Jingo's work... here's his website and social media links:

www.jingoillo.com
Twitter: @jingoillo
Instagram: @jingoillo
Here's a recent "Indie Creative" short film of Jingo

Spotlight Sunday - Dave Wittekind

Spotlight Sunday is series of interviews designed to introduce and highlight Chicago Urban Sketchers individually.  Now that our chapter has reached nearly 500 members it has become more of a challenge to meet every single member in person and have a meaningful conversation.  These posts concentrate on individuals and speak in their own words.

Dave Wittekind

Interviewed by Andrew Banks

For this week's Spotlight Sunday, I had the opportunity of interviewing Chicago based illustrator Dave Wittekind.  I have always been big fan of Dave's work and have a special appreciation for his really great line work and really smart use of toned papers.  Thanks again for answering my questions, Dave! It's my pleasure to help share a little more about you and your work with our group:

Hi Dave, thanks so much for taking the time to chat.  I always enjoy seeing your sketches posted to our Facebook group.

ANDREW:  How did you first hear about the Urban Sketchers community and what made you decide to join Urban Sketching Chicago?

DAVE: Thanks very much for asking me to be a part of this series, Andrew.  I first heard of Urban Sketchers, I believe, through Twitter, though it may have been another city’s chapter. I was so happy to discover that Chicago had a chapter that met monthly.  My first meetup was the water taxi outing two years ago, and from there I was hooked.  I look forward to every outing.

ANDREW:  The water taxi event was a lot of fun.  One of the reasons I like our group is that you end up visiting places (and in this case, taking a different modes of transportation) you may not have normally gone to had it not been for the group.  I believe that is the first time we met as well.Did you sketch before finding USk Chicago?  If so, when did you start sketching?

DAVE: Previous to the USk Chicago meetups, I did very little sketching on my own, which I’m not proud of.  I still need to get into the regular habit of sketching in between meetups, though I am getting better at it.  I’ve always done preliminary sketches for my illustration work and would occasionally sketch people on the L or in airports, but very little outdoor or architectural sketching.  During the Occupy movement, I would sometimes go downtown and sketch the people there.

ANDREW: As a professional illustrator, does urban sketching play a role in your day to day job?  If so, how does it help you?

DAVE: Urban sketching has definitely helped my sense of observation and sharpens my fundamental skills.  Sketching also gives me a sense of connecting to a tradition that goes back centuries.  Also as a freelance illustrator, it’s nice to get out of the studio and interact with other artists.  I’ve met such great friends at USk outings!   

ANDREW: I have the same experience, working from home myself.  It's always inspiring to get together with our group, with so many people who have the same passion for art and sketching as I do.  I've also met some great friends along the way too!

I really appreciate the line work in this sketch.  The lines are very deliberate, yet loose and highly descriptive all at the same time.  I see this technique in much of your work.  Can you talk about this style and how you developed it?  Does it tie into a particular background or training you have had?

DAVE: Thanks, Andrew!  My dad was always into drawing, especially political cartooning, and he encouraged my early interest in drawing. Then there was Mad Magazine, which I devoured and introduced me to the work of caricaturists like Mort Drucker and Jack Davis.

Later, at the American Academy of  Art in Chicago, I had the late Eugene Hall as a life drawing instructor.  His enthusiasm and energetic drawing style was a big influence.

After graduation, I worked as a storyboard artist at Foote, Cone, & Belding ad agency, where we needed to further develop a quick, expressive style to convey action & emotion with just a few lines.

ANDREW:  Is there a specific subject matter you are particularly drawn to or inspired to sketch?

­

DAVE: My two dogs are always a great source of inspiration (and they never complain if I make their noses too big).  I’ve always been more comfortable drawing organic things like people, animals, and foliage as opposed to man made structures.  That’s why I’m so impressed with the work that you and others post of buildings and architectural details.  I’m hoping to get more comfortable in that area.

ANDREW:  What is your favorite medium to sketch with?

DAVE: Though my illustration work for the most part is created digitally, it always starts with a series of preliminary sketches, usually with pencil or Sharpie.  My USk sketches to this point have been done using Sharpie or Tombow brush markers on toned paper with white conté highlights.  I’ve added occasional watercolor washes too.
  

ANDREW: Are there any Urban Sketchers who inspire your own work?

DAVE: I can honestly say that everyone at USk inspires me.  It’s such a pleasure to see such a great variety of styles and medium.  I also occasionally go online and do Twitter searches for #sketchbook and #urbanSketch.  It’s astounding to me how much incredible work is being done on a daily basis.  I also recently read New York artist Molly Crabapple’s memoir “Drawing Blood”.  I like the way she uses her sketches to inspire activism.

ANDREW: If you had to narrow your sketch kit down to your three favorite sketching tools, which would you choose?

DAVE: In the previous interview, Fred Polito said that he’d like to expand his tool set, though his watercolors are so masterful, I can see why he’s tempted to stick with them.  I feel the same way about exploring additional tools, rather than getting too comfortable with a routine.  Still, if I HAD to limit it to three, I guess I’d have to go with toned paper, Tombows and white conté.

ANDREW:  Fair enough!  I threw you a curve ball there, but I can't help but agree that it's also tempting to try different media on occasion.  I think it comes naturally to creative types.

ANDREW:  Do you have any websites, blogs or social media accounts where people can see more of your work?

DAVE:  I have two sites. One, at http://davesink.com is my personal Illustration website and blog, and another website run by myself and a partner, at http://dipstickstudio.com, features graphic recording and whiteboard videos.

Thanks again Andrew. I really appreciate  all the work you and the rest of the USk Chicago organizers do for the group!

ANDREW: Thanks for your time Dave!

USK Spotlight Sunday: Fred Polito

Spotlight Sunday is series of interviews designed to introduce and highlight Chicago Urban Sketchers individually. Now that our chapter has reached nearly 500 members it has become more of a challenge to meet every single member in person and have a meaningful conversation. These posts concentrate on individuals and speak in their own words.

Meet Fred Polito

Interviewed by Wes Douglas

This week's Spotlight Sunday features the watercolor visions of Fred Polito, an architect and urban sketcher from Northbrook.  I was immediately attracted to Fred and his sketches when I first met him at The Den Theater in Wicker Park for our Urban Sketching get together last year. I personally have not mastered watercolors so I am always interested to learn more from those who do. That is why I was excited to interview Fred and have the chance to introduce him to the rest of you.

Wes: Hello there Fred and thank you for agreeing to participate in my interview. 
I am interested in how you learned about Urban Sketching and what made you decide to join Urban Sketching Chicago?

Fred: My wife and I were on one of our typical weekend outings in Chicago, she with her knitting and me with my sketchbook. While walking thru Lincoln Square, Alex Zonis saw me sketching, I saw the Urban Sketchers group doing the same, we talked and I joined the group.  It was a very fortuitous meeting. I've enjoyed the energy that the Group has given me.

Wes: Fred, why do you sketch and in what ways does it help you?

Fred: When I make a sketch, I enjoy the focus it brings to my time and mind and how it uncontrollably reflects what I'm really thinking and feeling at that moment.

Wes: I am such a big fan of your work and to see you create some of the freshest views of a particular scene. I find your work inspiring. What then inspires you and the sketches you create?

Fred: When I look at these 2/20/16 sketches, I don't see the Shedd Aquarium or the inside of the Field Museum as much as I hear the sunshine and remember a sparkling, almost Spring-like day. And then a great early dinner at Uru-Swati Indian Restaurant and having Urban Sketchers to thank for getting us out of the house.

Wes:  Fantastic. Whenever I see your work, I am amazed at how you command the watercolors in your sketches. Are watercolors your favorite sketch tool or do you have others?

Fred: A 4B pencil and watercolor paints with big brushes are, perhaps too much, my favorite tools. A bigger variety of tools would help develop more variety in sketches.

USK: Now, you live in Northbrook and I know a lot of your work takes place in the Chicago area. But where is your favorite place to sketch?

Fred: A side table in a cafe on the street, preferably in France.

Wes: Haha. I need to get to France myself. What do you do when you are not Urban Sketching? Do your sketching skills play into your day job? If so, how do they help you?

Fred: My urban sketching is an off chute of all my earlier hand drawings for my architectural designs.  Now, my office makes the designs with computer produced drawings.

Samples of my drawings can be see on my website by clicking on "Artwork."

Fred Polito  Architect

https://sites.google.com/site/fredpolitoarch

Northbrook, IL   60062

Wes: Fred, I am excited to learn more about the sketches that you sent me. 
Tell me about this first one which looks like the Field Museum in Chicago.

Fred: Yes, for this first sketch, my wife and I were walking thru Grant Park toward the Field Museum and the Urban Sketching Event. We were enjoying the wonderful February weather and the people watching opportunities. We spotted a park bench.  I was feeling the energy that the day and site was giving and also feeling the time constraint for a sketch. Hence, pencil and quick washes, trying to express the monumental scale and classical architecture of the Field Museum in 15 min. I remember the park bench the most.

Wes: Thanks Fred. I do remember that warm day and how I hated to be inside the Field Museum. While I was inside drawing replicas of dinosaur fish and warthogs, you seemed to take advantage of this opportunity to sketch outside. For this second sketch, it appears that you sketched the Shedd Aquarium, is that right?

Fred: Yes. Meeting with the Urban Sketchers group inside the Museum and considering the sketch possibilities, I agreed with my wife that the day was too nice to spend all indoors. Plus the City location can't get much better. Sketch 2 was supposed to be about the color, trees and building forms of the view of the Shedd Aquarium as seen from the Field Museum steps. What I remember most was talking with students from Manitowoc, WI and a family from Springfield, IL and why I so like Chicago.

Wes: Nice! As I am looking at your third sketch, I see that you finally made it inside the Field Museum. Did the weather get colder? Was the sun going down? Tell me a little about this last sketch.

Fred: Losing my spot in the sun and getting texts from my wife that she had a front row table at the Field Museum Cafe, I headed inside, settled in and felt more relaxed and in and under control. The resulting sketch, in my mind, conveys that state.

Wes: I guess that is all the questions I have for now. Thank you Fred for being so generous with your time and sharing your talent with us. To my fellow artists and fans of Fred's work, be sure to stop by and say hello to Fred next time you see him at one of our USk Chicago Let's Sketch events. 

Note: If you are interested in coming to one of our monthly sketching events with the chance to meet Fred and other very friendly and talented artists, check out our group Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/UrbanSketchersChicago/ or the USk Chicago Blog: http://urbansketchers-chicago.blogspot.com