Gloria - the Finale

We are now up 60 degrees from four days ago, the snow and ice are rapidly melting, and the roads are either dry or filled with puddles along the curbs and potholes.  My car seems to have made a full recovery, thanks to the combination of maintenance and warming temperatures.  Three days from now the forecast is for rain, so I hope the apparent improvements continue through the next weather and temperature shift!

I am working to finalize all of my shopping and hope each of you who participates in gift exchanging is at a good point in the process, as well.   I am also nearing the completion of mailing cards - something I have not done for several years.  I was tempted to print an original image with a good discount coupon for printing.  Of course, in good promotion form, the coupon was only good for a very short time...but offered a very good discount.  In hindsight, I probably should have ordered double what I ordered, but......with mail-order printing, you just don't know what you are going to get..........the results were pretty good!!!!!

The meter officer in the picture below is actually called Gloria on the Chicago website.  I think this is the last in the series for her image, and the next in the series for the summertime shopper - Laura.

Gloria - finale - pencil, gouache and acrylic ink on tan 400 series Strathmore paper.

Laura - in progress - pencil, gouache and acrylic ink on tan 400 series Strathmore paper.

Maintenance Complete

Today was the big day for my car to go in for its' oil and filter change and check on whatever it is that is going on with the tires.  Evidently there has been a tremendous increase in maintenance visits for tires and tire pressure in the past week - due mostly to the weather.  First and foremost is the tire pressure issue (also the topic of the feature news story yesterday.)  The second issue frequently negatively impacting the warning system and drive-ability has been the build-up of ice and road "sludge" that freezes in the wheel wells. 

My tires were inflated appropriately (after a little 'at-home' intervention with the air compressor last week when it was 35 below zero,) and were not scheduled to be rotated.  Once inside a warm service garage, where the sludge,etc. fell off, (it was also more than 60 degrees warmer today than it was on air pressure day) the maintenance system did not indicate a tire problem any more - go figure.  The diagnostics testing DID indicate that my battery was not functioning properly, however, and so I received a new battery under the warranty replacement program.  Could that have been the cause of the maintenance system activity?  The gas gauge appears to be functioning at a more responsive rate, the dash lights are brighter (in comparison to what they have been, ) and the clock does not lose a minute + an hour.....hmmmmmmmmmmm.  Well, until we get our own personal diagnostic plug-ins, like the Progressive insurance gizmo, we're at the mercy of the service departments of the auto industry (can you tell I am a little less that confident in their practices???)

Anyway, below are the next stages in our meter officer from Chicago and our summer shopper - equipped with I-phone and ear buds (the picture this was based on was obviously taken pre-WiFi (easily lost) ear buds.

Finally back...

At long last I am able to get back into my blog site.  I am not sure what the problem has been, but I have typed many entries, only to have them disappear when I click save........the wonder of technology!

My car has been communicating frequently, these days.  Although related to the frigid cold, it necessarily because of the below zero temps or the wind chill warnings.  The first communication was about tire pressure.  The threshold seems to be 32 degrees and the warning lights flash "tire pressure, tire pressure, tire pressure.....!"  No sooner were the tires welcoming additional air pressure then the next communication alerted me to a "maintenance" update that it was time for an oil change.  Since the sticker on the windshield also marked the arrival of oil change time, this warning did not send chills of "car failure" to me like the flashing "tire pressure" did. 

The following day came alert number three to indicate the "urgent need" for a new oil filter.  Since oil change and oil filter go hand in hand, this is a "no brainer." 

Then came day four AND alert number four - tire maintenance needed.  I have no clue what this one is and digging through the layers of screens in the alert system provides no additional information.  Since I have an appointment at the dealership scheduled, I can relax a little when a new panel light flashes.  With the temperature at -20something today (and the wind chill is significantly lower,) staying home and attending to gift wrapping, tree trimming and laundry seems more prudent than driving anyway....that's one way to ensure that I will not have to deal with additional warning lights today. 

Prior to Thanksgiving, when I was able to enter this site daily, I was sharing the work I had done using the Chicago website as a source of inspiration.  Below is the next progression in the image I was sharing at the time.  Clearly this is not a picture from 2016, December in Chicago.  Neither is the beginning of the Chicago shopper........if the pictures were from today, I would be working on a great sketch of a nose sticking out of a coat.....brrrrrrrr!

We'll see how long I am able to get back to this site....stay tuned!

Post Turkey

I am still not convinced that the Thanksgiving meal is the best eats of the pre-Christmas season.  I think I continue to land in the camp of black Friday Leftovers....OK, that sounds awful in that advertising context.  Let's just call it - leftovers.  There actually is a little of this cherry pie left, for example......a couple of people might enjoy a slice before the pan is "...put to other uses."  (yes, that's a SCAMPER skill! )

And yes I did assemble this pie, although I have to admit it is not a "from scratch" endeavor -  I did whip the egg whites to brush on the top to get that crispy, golden glow...the rest is truly assembled!  Delicious, nonetheless!

 Did you watch the dog show that followed the parade on Thursday?  (I just have to catch a little of the New York parade to make the day officially Thanksgiving, although I did switch the channel to see what was going on in Chicago.  Do you remember when several cities had parades and you would play "dial a channel" to catch glimpses of them all???) 

Anyway, I was very hopeful that the spaniel above would win the show...A striking look for a well-groomed canine and very bright-eyed as handler responsive.  I was disappointed when the greyhound was announced as the winner. 

I think this hound has nailed my sentiments regarding the announced winner - "Bah, humbug!"  Combined with the fact that they ran commercials during the presentation of the dalmatian, it was not a stellar dog show year in my book.  Of course I might feel differently if I had spend much time actually watching it...I was mostly preparing food........which brings me back to the delightful leftovers we will enjoy for today's evening meal. 

I hope your day-after-Thanksgiving is filled with the people, activities and things that you enjoy!  Let the merriment begin and the flakes fall (yep, I mean snowflakes!) Some Minnesotans are looking forward to to wonderful sonwmobiling season this year!

Happy Thanksgiving!

May you enjoy a day of peace and celebration for family, health and gathering together and take some time to reflect and give thanks for the ancestors of your past.

Gloria Progression

Once I got into the pattern, I took more regular pictures of Gloria as my work progressed.  You could think of these like the "Highlights for Children" Hidden Pictures challenge.  (That used to be the best part of going to the doctor's office!)

I think there are a couple of other walking patrol officers in different neighborhoods of the Chicago photographs - both men and women.  Gloria has the most dramatic attitude, however (probably why I selected her to sketch, then paint first!) 

So, did you find the minor differences from one image to the next? 

Gloria

One of the challenges with almost all of the Chicago photographs is the flat affect of the people being photographed.  A few are clearly disgusted, a few are flashing gang signs, and few are billowing smoke (like the "T'was the Nigh Before Christmas" reference to Santa's smoke wreath,) but most are just standing like a statue. 

I wanted to sketch and paint the image of Gloria because personality exudes from her photograph.  I think the equipment helps and the work-uniform attire, but her hair style, reflective glasses and stance all convey a strong presence.

I apologize for not capturing the initial stages of her sketch - which I do not believe was done using red pencil. 

It is clear that Gloria wants her photograph to convey a readiness to get to work - she is about business! 

Camille 3

It was amazing to me that the addition of the whispy curls in Camille's hair really popped her volume and depth.....I like it. 

Once again, I continue to learn something new with each new sketch and painting that I work on.

I love the hardware that is dangling on the handles of Camille's handbag.  Interestingly enough, I think the light bouncing off of these shapes also contributes to the depth of that side of the painting.  I think they are just embellishment for her bag, unlike the key chains that make up the hardware on my purse! 

Even though I signed the work, I decided Camille needed a little additional sunlite-reflection on the left hand side of her face.  I think it could have gone a little further, and if this would have been a full-blown canvas painting, I would have continued the work.  Because this was supposed to be a quick work (ha ha ha,)....

I decided to stop.....always a challenge for me on a work......when to STOP!

Camille with Enhanced Lighting

The purple next to the ochre gold creates a clear edge between Camille and the background - the purple could be just a little lighter, but there is a fine line between too light and lost. 

I did continue to take liberties with Camille's color scheme to add depth and richness of color.  Making both her blouse and purse loden green, for example, push the contrasts, as well.  The grey highlights in her hair lend depth, as well, although I did not take liberties here.

I wanted the trousers to be black, but used the blue to show the lighting from the right.  Her face and hands already included the effects of lighting, so it made sense to continue to push the effects.  Adding the lighter purple to the exterior coat has worked to this point because of the lighting on the pants, shoes, face, hands, hair and handbag.....best to include the glasses in the lighting mix, as well!

Camille

I decided to sketch Camille with the red pencil, as suggested by the Strathmore artist in the third workshop.  This provided a good opportunity to see if I really want to continue to work in this way or go back to the traditional graphite that I am familiar with.

I am also going to experiment with some color variations using gouache paints.

I began laying in the background, which a different color that the dolphin grey present in all of the photographs.  It is already interesting to me that the tones of ochre gold in the background make the unpainted areas look grey and not the tan tone that they really are.  The proximity of colors and the changes that occur continue to be intriguing to me!

The addition of skin tones does not seem to warm the appearance of grey, either.

It's time for some color wheel compliment exploration! 

Pilsen

"Hello!" to Otoneil.  This man was such a dapper dresser.  His dress trousers are a pale ochre gold color, and have just been pressed (or at least have that look.)  His boot were ostrich skill and shiny, ochre gold and the belt buckle was either gold or polish brass and looked recently polished.  This is one of the rare occasions in the Chicago photo files when I got the impression that there was some advanced notification so participants could come prepared.

Otoneil was clearly ready to be photographed. 

Below are three characters you have seen before....or if you are new to this blog, you could go back and discover short progressions to each of the following images.  The beauty of these four sketches lies in the fact that all were taken from photographs in the same neighborhood in Chicago - the Pilsen Neighborhood.

I am beginning to have enough sketches that I can group them by the neighborhood in which they reside - will, that's probably a tremendous assumption.  I should probably say, the neighborhood in which their image was captured by the photo team on the day of their visit. 

If I knew Chicago better, I might better understand the community organization.  It is clear by looking at the images, that some neighborhoods have a stronger ethnic cohesiveness than others; that is part of what makes these images so interesting and valuable to me is that the diversity and variety of people provides a rich pool of subjects to sketch! 

 The more I sketch, the more I learn!  Have you read Malcome Gladwell's, "The Tipping Point"?   


 

Gloria

It has been a little while since I did this original sketch of Gloria.  At some point in time, I would like to go back and start by adding white China marker go give the sketch highlighted areas.

Then I would like to add paint - either acrylic or gouache, to give her depth and a strong sense of person that is more reflective of her photograph on the website.  I love the tradition of her decorated hat, short-handled handbag, and big bow on the front of the dress. 

 I also wanted to be sure to accurately capture her large, hoop earrings and slide footgear, with a stacked sole.  I was really curious about whether this is a "...day in the life of...." for Gloria, Sunday on the way to service, or ....headed to work.  I did get the impression that she felt somewhat inconvenienced by the time it took to capture her photo. The hand on the hip sends a clear message, doesn't it? 

Testing Tan Toned Paper as the Mid-tone Value

I did not capture any of the sketches or early layers of gouache to paint Ginger.  You'll notice that her background is very uneven, which initially bothered me.  Once I added her fluffy, whispy fur, however, the background and texture of the dog seemed to be much more harmonious. 

One of the things I wanted to experiment with with this paint AND paper is using the paper as a middle-tone value and playing that tone into the creation of the image.  Because you do not have access to the layers in the development of Ginger, it is easy to forget (or not even thing about,) the fact that Ginger is painted on tan paper, and not white paper.  Allowing some of the tan to peek through the whispy grey, pink and lavender hair strokes, softens the overall appearance of the dog which would not be possible to do in this way were she painted on a white ground.

Going into the highlighted areas and adding 'almost white' to the surface, give more texture and depth the the dog's coat that if it were on white paper, as well. 

Being able to used a toned paper in this way was one of the 'selling points' emphasized by the Strathmore artist.  Well, I guess it worked, because I was anxious to push the paper and gouache using the tan as a mid-tone, AND I like the end effect.  I still think the background would look better, had I worked it more, but.......it's a learning painting, and I discovered a nice effect using this paper! 

Another dog image is coming.......keep in mind that from all of the Chicago pictures, many include dogs, but I have not seen one cat, rabbit, ferret, etc........perhaps dogs were the only critter allowed?????

Pushing the Gouache Learning Curve

I got so caught up in adding the details to the character to build her visual personality, that I forgot to stop and take the sequential pictures, like I had taken for the background.  At this point, all I needed to do was strengthen the shadow a little more, add some hair around the brim of the hat and solidify that left had, I it's time to move on!

I am so glad that these images represent with strong color clarity.  Recently I have been painting acrylic canvas paintings from old family photographs we stumbled across while cleaning and sorting.  Since all of those images are either black and white, or sepia, the good news/bad news is that I get to imagine colors and create my own.  I work with some caution, trying to be respectful of the environment, and the preferences I am aware of for that person BUT it is also very liberating to play with the color wheel, complementary colors, lighting and shadows that work very differently for me if my original image is in color.

Although the image below looks somewhat muted, I believe so of that can be attributed to the lighting in the photographic environment and not the actual intensity of the painting.....For a gouache painting on paper, this provided a good practice for me!!!!

Progression

I did this sketch in the style recommended by the artist on the Strathmore U-tube using the red Prisma pencil.  It seemed appropriate to give it a reasonable try to see if it is a tool I find useful.  I also decided to continue my exploration of gouache, the opaque water color paint.  Below the sketch has been completed and I am beginning to add gouache to the background.

As you can see below, the gouache on the tan toned Strathmore paper leaves something to be desired - I kept working!

......not as opaque as I had anticipated, but there is still a long ways to go!

Once I had the background completed with the first coat, I had enough of the color mixed to wait for it to dry and attack it again.  As you can see on the left-hand side, the paint is still wet on this second application, but the coverage is a little better!!!

Revisiting Chicago......

The election is behind us and, as promised, I am returning to the streets of Chicago to review the ongoing riots....oh wait,...I am returning to the streets of Chicago to look at the sketches of some of their citizens - many of which represent the diverse cultures of the many communities.

I love the name of this woman - Tranquillina.  It is interesting to imagine the storyline behind the selection of her name....was she the tenth child in a busy household?  Were parents hopeing for a calm, peaceful child?  Was her birth unusually quiet and peaceful?  Of course we'll never know, but the name selection prompts many questions.

I worked through the preliminary sketch in pencil, black marker and white China marker, then decided to add acrylic ink for color.  I ended with a somewhat impressionistic image of Tranquillina, but am still satisfied that it captures the essence of who she is.

I am also curious about the process used to go into the various communities throughout Chicago to capture the photographic images shared on the website.  Did the photographic team specifically seek out Tranquillina in her community or did she seek out the photographers????  Another question I won't know the answer to, but in either case, I am glad she was included!  I wonder if videographer Michael Morse is also filming in Chicago right now?  ...or New York or??????  Oh, I know.....more questions.......we might have some answers for these last questions, however......