452 Trees, 2011
22 December 2010
I lost my free internet connection, so uploading new stuff is put on hold for the moment. I'll start a new project after the new year involving the trees of Grant Park.
19 January 2011
452 Trees/ Butler Field Project. This is a long-term project with an end date estimated to be in the Fall of 2011 if everything goes well.
31 January 2011
January has been slow. The reality of 452 Trees project is setting in. There are a few copies I will post soon- Raphael & Correggio. Also look forward to some nudes in the next few weeks.
6 February 2011
Finding it increasingly difficult to stay organized, prepared and arrive early enough to do anything decent... ideally I would be able to spend an hour out-of-doors, but until warmer weather comes I'll do my best to sketch on-site and fill-in color later. I'm forgetting the map on a regular basis which wrecks everything. On most days there is a man standing on the stage of the Petrillo Music Shell, looking in my direction, or otherwise pacing slowly to stay warm. He must be homeless or crazy and I am starting to take note of him by writing 'man' or 'no man' next to the tree number and date in the title. For all I know he is doing the same to me.
5 March 2011
Everything on hold except tree project which might as well be on hold.
10 March 2011
452 Trees project has come to a stand-still. This morning in the park I was considering altering the course of the project, or starting over completely, raising other questions of the validity of the project, my expectations, the work itself. Decided to limit myself to using pencil and nothing else. I will work on-site from now on, no more filling in later, that is a strict rule, it will be hard, but I think it is the right way. No more color, absolutely not.
25 March 2011
Turned cold again. Very difficult to get to the park on time. I finally made a sketchbook easel that is collapsible and will fit in my backpack, it's working out just fine so far. Would still like to construct the chest-mounted easel that I will wear like a baby carrier. Would make everything much simpler. There is no way to get around working on the drawing later. Pencil is impossible as well.
6 April 2011
A few days ago I went out to the park to draw after lunch. I saw the homeless man on a bench in section 4. He was swaying back and forth. I set up in section 2 and started drawing a scene looking to the east. After a long while I looked back to the bench and he was not sitting there, he was walking straight at me, as I stood behind the easel, his eyes fixed on me, it was intense, I felt an intensity that I haven't felt in a long time from another person, I looked him in the eye, I felt an intensity that is hard to describe, as if anything could happen, the moment seemed to last for a long time, he kept getting closer to me, then finally he was near, standing at my side, he said nothing, then after a long moment of saying nothing he wanted to know what I was drawing, whether I was drawing him or not, I told him I wasn't, showed him the page, the two skinny trees roughly sketched out, I gestured at the scene in front of us, I said just the trees, not you. And he thought about it, smiled, his eyes were very cloudy and yellow, his beard was gray, he looked very unhealthy and confused. He smiled, said alright, God bless you and your family, then patted me on the back and walked away. I watched him walk away, then he stopped, turned and said, are you sure you're not drawing me, and I told him I wasn't, that I was just drawing the trees. And he said that he had enough problems in his life, he didn't need any more, and I said I know and I asked if he was ok and he walked back to the bench.
15 April 2011
Bought new tripod, hardware and fasteners today to replace my current set-up (an old West German telescoping tripod that my Dad was throwing out). The new tripod is much better in many ways, will cut the set-up time by at least 5 minutes and it's nice to have something new. Also, will begin Bridges project, a series of graphite drawings of the bridges that span the Chicago River. There are many of them. Must get waterproof boots, umbrella, guy lines.
22 April 2011
Decided to destroy all of my paintings tonight after work. I will save nothing. A fresh start. All photographs must go as well. And old t-shirts that remind me of something else. Books that I will never read again. Everything must go. Fresh start.
25 May 2011
A long period of no work. Trees series at a complete halt. New optimism for Chicago River bridges project. We're leaving on Friday for the north woods of Wisconsin, will restructure my thoughts and work outdoors for a few days.
28 June 2011
Feeling guilty about not getting out to draw, having little time anymore to spend looking at things and walking around the city, wherever, the forest, but the forest is far away, the real forest is.
Beneath the street level on the Chicago River there is a place where the drunk homeless men sleep and piss nearby. They never bother me as much as the tourists do.
4 August 2011
Everything is closed down. There is no point.
20 August 2011
Grey skies. Rain coming. Saturday, the one day this week to myself. I head out the door with paper and pencil.