#8 - Skylines of Chicago
my favorite muse, and attempts to capture her on paper
This week, I want to share with you my great muse - the city of Chicago.
I have been fortunate to see many great cities of the world. But none of them have captured my imagination the way she has. It was love at first sight when, 6 years ago, I saw her emerge from heavy snowfall, proud and powerful, undefeated and defiant.
I want to share her great beauty with a recent commission, and some SneakyArt that I made when she wasn’t looking.
Recent Commission
I was approached last month by a client looking for a painting of their favorite view of the skyline.
The spot is only half a mile from my apartment, and part of my regular jogging route!
It took me a long time to draw it, because it will be printed as a 16x20” giclee fine art print. At that size, I have to work hard on the details. Usually, I do not draw so large, so it can be difficult to understand what works and what does not. There was a lot of back and forth with the lines and colors and general appearance.
Final piece
A closer look
On my blog, I talk about the various creative decisions I took to complete this.
Skylines of Chicago
There are many beautiful Chicago skylines. Here are some that I have seen.
Who makes the City?
In the big city, it is easy to lose yourself. What makes the city, I ask myself. Are the buildings the city? Are the parks, streets and buses the city? In times of social upheaval, this is a pertinent question.
What function does an urban environment have without its people? Is a building still tall without a person standing next to it? Is it historical if nobody knows its history? Is a cafe still a cafe if no one drinks coffee there?
I conclude that people give meaning and context to their urban landscape. The people are the city. Without them, it is dystopia.
Links
[1] Buy my double award-winning book, “SneakyArt of Eau Claire”
[2] Blog post about the digital painting of Chicago skyline
[3] Timelapse video of digital painting
[4] SneakyArt on Instagram
I hope you enjoyed this issue of the SneakyArt Post. Next week, I will share some art from my life in the first months of COVID lockdown.
Neighbors played music every evening from their rooftop
I would love to hear what you think about The SneakyArt Post. Tell me what you like and what you would like to hear more about!