Buttnekkiddoodles

Back at the Palette & Chisel where I drew Anne sporting a new hairdo. You may have seen her, a model I’ve drawn several time (refer to posts “Sprints and Longer Poses” and “Nudes from the Past Month” where she can be seen with her signature Page Boy cut. A very good model, imaginative poses and really clear definition of muscles. She brings a very bright personality and baked goods. Drawn with Pitt Artist Pens and white China marker on recycled Utrecht paper.

The above drawings are from the tremendous show of WWII posters at the Art Institute of Chicago “Windows On The War”. Go on line and check out the large format, stenciled prints by the Soviet print collective TASS. I got stopped from sketching in the galleries by the guards who informed me of a sign I had walked right by without noticing that precludes tripods, flash photography, and sketching. I’ll make an effort to secure permission next week to do so but I’m not holding my breath. I guess it’s largely for insurance reasons but it’s gotten to be more of a pain in the ass trying to draw in some museums.

The blue ink is largely Noodler’s Bad Blue Heron though I make some use of Pitt Artist Brush Pens.

I sat on the back porch and knocked out this 2 page drawing of some of the most turbulent skies I’ve seen over Chicago. Those little blue grey buildings just visible above the trees on the left page are the tallest buildings in Chicago. The tallest being the Willis Tower (formerly the Sears Tower) some 6 miles from my apartment.

Even though I thing Lake Michigan is magnificent, I rarely draw it. But the day of the 4th of July was hot and brilliant so I strode out and parked my ass on the Hollywood beach jetty and banged out a sketch of some beach revelers just in time to avoid a really nasty sunburn.

Happy Birthday….

The 2 drawings to the left were done at The Press Club wine bars in SF.

James and Tilly Rex were 2 performer/juggleros/acrobatiste/clowns at the trade show in Berkeley who graciously agreed to pose for me. Tilly’s giggling made it difficult for her to keep poking her tongue at me. The small landscape was done at the conclusion of a walk around the perimeter of the Cesar Chavez Park, a nature preserve built on landfill that sits next to the Berkeley Marina. From top of the park’s hill you can see Alameda, the Bay Bridge, San Francisco, the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, the southern tip of Marin County, Tiburon, Port Richmond, Albany, the UC Berkeley Tower and the hills beyond. Being a lazy landscapist, I picked a simple view of the north wing of the Hotel, a wall of trees, and a grassy slope. It does serve a purpose as the ariel view from Google earth makes it look flat and relatively uninteresting. I think it’s a nifty little spot from which you get a lung filling sense of the bay.

Weather in San Francisco was spectacular. Dolores Park was teeming with folks. Intended on drawing the gleaming dome of the church but time and people watching robbed me of the opportunity to do a color study of it.

Strange stuff, this blue ledger paper. I’ll have to use acrylic ink/paint because white grease pencils don’t seem to have much presence on it.

Trekked my way to the Southwest corner of Michigan for an overnight right on the beach of Lake Michigan’s southeastern corner. Then shot out to the west coast to do workshops and demos in Portland, Eugene, and Seattle. Ran around a bit to much to spend the time encamped with sketchbook in front of any one of a gazillion scenic wonders.