Buttnekkiddoodles

Last night was date night with G Babe (second night in a row). We went to the Harris Theater to hear the Grant Park Orchestra perform Mendelssohn’s Midsummer Night’s Dream, Carl Maria von Weber’s Overture to Oberon, Ralph Vaughn Williams Serenade to Music, Shostakovich’s Suite from the Incidental Music to the film Hamlet (WOW!! I enjoyed this the most of the evening’s offerings), and Tchaikovsksy’s Hamlet Fantasy Overture after Shakespeare which conductor Carlos Kalamar introduced by saying,” after you have had your fill of a big meal, sometimes you’re in the mood to have a big piece of chocolate cake, with lots of whipped cream.”
I managed a few sketches throughout the concert. Which, included the couple in the row before us. The lady in the hat appeared most drowsy and even let her head sag onto her companion’s shoulder while resting her chin on the palm of her hand. Given the way her mouth drooped open I feel confident in posting that my subject took a kitty nap. Yeeeeesss you did dear. YES YOU DID! Disinterested or exhausted from a fatiguing day taking in the delights of downtown Chicago, and a flute or two of Prosecco, (I’m permitting harmless speculation here), our patrons of the arts chose to leave early. Harrumph! They didn’t even make it to Mendelssohn’s rousing Wedding March!!!! Not to mention Shostakovich truly fabuloso ????????? !!!! film score.
Well, me and the G Babe, and the bald dude two rows in front of me, as well as the stylish lady (more speculation) with the satin top and page boy haircut more than made up for our tuckered twosome in enjoyment. Props to the seasoned cellist in the orchestra.
 
Faber-Castell Pitt Artist Pens on Japanese Mulberry paper in a sketchbook made for me by Eugene Wooddell Jr. I especially like the new Fude nib Pitt Pens which have a bit of flex to them and were used for all the contour work.

After glimpsing the Dali exhibit thru slow moving packed lines at the Art Institute of Chicago, I skipped across Michigan Ave to draw in the calm lobby of the Chicago Athletic Association.
I got much of this fellow and some of the background knocked in and was working on the tabletop reflection when he left. So, as I had most the the structural elements behind him in place it made it easy for me to put the finishing touches in.
Now, as to this WordPress platform, I’m quite frustrated with trying to upload images from my picture library only to have the image dropped. So I begin again, wait a couple minutes and it’s dropped again. After two more attempts, same thing. Ticked off so I logged off my blog. I open it up today to see if I have more luck and behold! …. the very image is now in my WordPress library, which allowed me to post today. This image is in fact in Quadruplicate. Wasn’t there at all when I tried to post before!!!! Why??!!!

Pitt Artist Pens on Tomoe River Paper.

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The finished first drawing at the Every Other Sunday sketch meetup in the West Fulton Market. Took a bit of a cluttered view. Lots of repetition with bottles and tiles but also a nice stacking center as one looks past the barfly to the food court beyond. The second sketch was to my right of the accompanying architects dramatically backlit by the afternoon sun. Fountain pen and Pitt Artist Pens on Tomoe River Paper.

 
Now I’m not sure of the source of this eye gouging coat, but I was sketching someone else when I happened to turn and see her wrapped like a chevroned cocoon. Jumped subject’s immediately and drew what just might have been the striped tail from a very, very large Coatimundi.
Fountain pen and Pitt Artist Pens on Tomoe River Paper.

Been traveling a bunch lately and adding some from here, some from there as I sit at the airport gate. Four different airports comprise this sketch.

Pitt Artist Pens on a homemade sketchbook using mulberry paper.