Elmhurst sketchcrawl

Sketching at Elmhurst College. 

Good Morning Sunshine!

Chicago: After all the rain and unseasonable cold at last the flowers and I could enjoy the sun coming up on the deck. Ah!

Sketching Around Downtown Chicago

I never get over how many wonderful views this city offers. From the soaring architecture, the lakefront, to the green-garden escapes tucked in every corner. I grab my sketchbook (moleskin), pencils, and travel watercolor set whenever I can fit it in my bag. Here are a few recent sketches from around town.

Looking North in Millennium Park from the great lawn infront of the stage. June 10th

Summer nights in Chicago mean free concerts and movies in Millennium Park. I staked out my patch of lawn early for the concert this past Monday night, and sketched out a quick look at the architecture behind the stage.

View South from my 10th floor patio - May 26th

Sometimes a quick sketch can be done at home - over a recent weekend I found time to sketch on my deck which offers great views of the varied south loop architecture.

Lighthouse off Navy Pier - May 20th 2013

This sketch was done on the end of Navy Pier on a bright sunny day spent on the lakefront. I tried to catch the ever-changing shades of the water and the puffy clouds as they sped by.

Chicago's Secret Garden

Lincoln Park: The Monday sketch group and several USk Chicago members met at the Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool. The park, a.k.a. Lily Pond Park, is a hidden gem. We've been sketching there annually for the last four years and it never disappoints.

Sketching at Lincoln Square, Sunday, May 19, 2013

Nice community and perfect weather today for sketching. This was done with fountain pen and watercolor.

The strange but wonderful world of "Dartball"

I was introduced to the game of competitive "dartball" about 20 years ago through the Lutheran Church I once belonged to as a way to promote fellowship amongst the men of the church. The best fast-explanation of dartball (not to be confused with the Ben Stiller movie about the competitive game of DODGEball) I can give you is to say: "Imagine if you were to combine baseball with lawn darts or horseshoes or bowling and replace any presence of a ball with a pile of sharp 7" darts?" Then add to that two teams lined up along the 20' path to the dartboard who are constantly yelling things at you to distract your ability to throw with any kind of accuracy.

What dartball does not include (as one might expect or hope) is the presence of alcohol, swearing, mean-spirited attacks on an individual, crazy weather conditions (the game is played inside of a church basement mostly) or any female players. The tradition has been long held as a men's league through the church and maintains the established guidelines of so many men's recreational activities of their time (just as many golf courses have traditions where men and women have designated days where they can golf.) Ironically, no protective clothing for the men serving as umpires (standing on either side of the board and making judgement calls on whether the dart was "safe" or "out") exists either, which requires cat-like reflexes should an errant dart come your way.

My point is not to pick on the tradition as being outdated or in any way unconstitutional. But the fact remains that many of the men playing this game can either have a great night throwing darts at a board that looks like a baseball diamond or be so frustrated with their performance that they need psychiatric help before they go home to their families. This is where commiserating with other guys from your church help to put this all in perspective: it's just a silly game.

I recently sketched these as a way to recall the days of glory when I used to play, now that I am far removed from those feelings of inadequacy from many awful nights at bat. I can laugh about it now. This sketch was created with a Sharpie Fine Point pen, grey Prismacolors, and black Verithin pencil.  

The graphic below helps to explain the architecture of the Dartball board and the equipment used. 

Monday in Old Town

Old Town: The Monday sketch group met at Nookies in Old Town and then headed out into the cool 50° temperature to sketch. I love my Stillman & Birn Beta series sketchbook. It takes watercolor and ink nicely. I love using pencil in it too. By exerting a little discipline I steered clear of sketching people and tried to expand my horizon by sketching buildings for a change – well, A building!

The name of this florist on Wells Street is Green and it's window expresses my feelings. I'm so glad to be seeing color banishing the gray Chicago winter.