Saturday, July 28, 2012

July 28, 2012


School's out for summer—and we started our break with a field trip! We sent an open invitation to join us for some cemetery sketching (kind of like cemetery driving—a proud Chicago tradition, and a great way to learn. Except that cemetery driving is no longer permitted here). Anyway, this week we met at Graceland Cemetery, arguably Chicago's most famous cemetery and home to many of the families who built this city. If you're interested in history, architecture, sculpture, landscapes or even a brief respite from the hectic city outside, Graceland is well worth visiting. Take our word!

About 12 of us showed up. It was truly wonderful to see and catch up with people we hadn't seen in a while. Also, it was a perfect day—not too hot, and with a lovely breeze. We got maps at the front office and set off to sketch. Most of us headed to the north end, where there is a "lake" with an island and beautiful willows (see the opening picture). This is also where most of the famous people are buried. Some of us spent as much time touring as we did drawing, but for all of us, there was no shortage of incredible scenery and material. See below for some of our sketches (and sorry about the quality. It's just a camera phone!).

We had such a good time, we plan to do it again. Stay tuned for details! We'll post them here and we'll send an email as soon as we pick a place for our sketching meetup—but only one, we promise. Add a comment if you have a site suggestion. Ideally, we'd like a public place (where we don't need permits), close to public transportation and with good parking. Other requirements include a variety of things to see and draw, and maybe a coffeeshop or restaurant nearby to catch up afterwards. Stay tuned for details about our next meet-up and be sure to join us.













All in all, we had a wonderful time. Join us next week. You'll be glad you did!

One more thing....summer is a great time to start blogging. Notice that we've added a new blog to our blog roll of friends. Drop by "Don't dream it. Be it." to see some amazing art.

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