Usk Chicago Part 2: Chicago Theater and the L

One of my favorite parts of the day during the Symposium is an early morning sketch, squeezed in after breakfast and before the day begins. Somedays when you teach, it’s the only sketch you can squeeze into the day for yourself.

One of the most fascinating things in Chicago is the L (short for elevated). Sketching under it means capturing it’s fascinating structure and the patches of light and shade it throws on the ground beneath it and the people who walk by. Here’s my sketch of it and some shots of the morning sketch crew.
Another morning I decided to work on the piece I’d turn in for the auction at the end of the Symposium. Everyone at the Symposium is encouraged to contribute a piece toward a silent auction and all proceeds go towards supporting Urban Sketchers. Usually I scramble to do this piece at the very end but this time I worked on it at the start. I love old signs so the Chicago Theater was what I chose.

This piece is larger than my usual work: a quarter sheet sized piece on Beta paper from Stillman and Birn.

And here I am with Renata who bought the final piece. Thank you for supporting Urban Sketchers, Renata!

And since that theater sketch went home with Renata, I headed back on my last evening and sat at that same spot and sketched the crowds and the theater all over again, this time in my Beta sketchbook., so I could bring this classic theater sign home with me.

But I’m getting a little ahead of myself.
Next up: Painting the Trees of Chicago with Shari Blaukopf.

And part 1 of the Chicago posts is here.