The above wasn't done in Chicago, this piece was actually made in the past couple of days after I got home. Not quite sure what I was thinking or tying out here, but the idea came to me to draw some flowers, then decided they needed some color so I added it. Various colored ink pens and one of my technical pens with black ink. Not very large only about 4 inches high, done in one of my sketchbooks, flowers are from my imagination.
I have something nibbling at the back of the brain that wants to be a project, eventually it will either come out into the light or go away, If it decides to make itself known you will read about it here.
During my Chicago visit my sister and I visited the Art Institute of Chicago. We often make a visit there at this time year. I enjoy seeing what they have in their drawing Galleries and usually we visit the Textile Galleries to see if there are any quilts hanging. On this visit we didn't make it down to the Textiles and instead went up to the Modern wing to check out the surrealists. There was a Dali painting I wanted to see, turns out it wasn't on exhibit but I did enjoy seeing some early Picasso, Chagall, and Matisse works. After the moderns we took a break for lunch then headed back toward the front to see the Drawing exhibit, Strokes of Genius, Italian drawings from the 1500's. It is marvelous by the way, if anyone reading is in Chicago prior to Feb 1, stop by the museum and check it out.
Anyway on our way to the drawings we wandered through an exhibit of Byzantine art, a couple of the exhibits were carved crosses, inspiring me to draw one of my own when I got back to my sisters. My drawing is very simple compared to the carvings but I had fun doing it just the same. Drawn with Technical pens in one of my sketchbooks.
Above is another small drawing inspired by a museum visit. The museum this time was the Chicago Nature Museum and its butterfly room. They raise live mostly tropical butterflies in this room. I spent a fun hour or so trying to make some photographs. Not terribly successful but it was fun anyway. The museum is a great place to take kids, they have a wonderful interactive exhibit on rivers and water flow where kids can dam a "river" and see what happens. In another room they have live frogs and other animals on exhibit.
My butterfly with the rose is totally from my imagination, and isn't really based on any one butterfly. Just needed to exercise the technical pens. Another drawing in my sketchbook.
Another drawing from my imagination, this time I used a brown ink pen. The goal was to see if I could draw clouds and portray distance in a landscape. I consider this only semi successful, some of these clouds are pretty oddly shaped, and have a bit too much outlining. Was also trying different strokes to create texture, my conclusions I need to do more of this type of sketch to further develop my skills in this area, right now they are sadly lacking.
As a close a couple of photographs. Above are two of the butterflies in the Butterfly room at the museum. These were thinking about mating, but for one reason or another didn't actually do so.
For the above image I have one comment, Baby it is cold outside. Our outside temps this morning when I got up were about 1 degree F, cold. And yes I know Chicago is probably even colder, still for us this is cold, and made me reconsider my plans to travel into Boston today. Think I will put that off until tomorrow when it will be warmer. Anyway the above is a photograph of frost on one of my storm windows. I enhanced it in Photoshop so there is a bit more contrast, But frost does make pretty patterns on glass. As I write this the frost has melted so I am glad I was paying attention and made the photo earlier.
That is it for today, per usual comments are welcome.
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