Seven years ago when lived in Chicago and had an abundance of free time I rarely visited the Chicago Art Institute. A few weeks ago my husband and I had the chance to visit Chicago on a work trip / vacation.
I decided to spend a full day just walking around the Chicago Institute of Art and sketching. Have you ever toured a museum by yourself? It feels decadent and glorious. Technically, sketching fine art is a vital skill-building tool for my business and I could write off my ticket on my taxes, but it felt extremely decadent.
Want to come on a quick virtual tour with me on this Monday morning? Grab a cup of coffee, click on the sketches to see the originals, and here we go.
After five hours I took a break. There was a farmers market in Daily Plaza where I grabbed some pastry and a drink. Then I wandered back to Millennium Park (misspelled in my sketchbook), stuck my feet in the man-made river and enjoyed the garden. Those trees in the distance were only four feet tall the last time I had my toes in this water. The modern art wing in the distance didn't exist at that time.
One of the highlights of my day was this guy and his friend who were, in their own words, "SUPER GOOD TIMES!" due to imbibing something special. Every time I stopped to sketch they would be behind me giggling and hugging each other, marveling at all the colors. They were pretty delightful. I hope neither of them fell in the water after I left the park for my hotel.