Marilyn and I stepped off the Blue Line metro at Washington in downtown Chicago to visit Millennium Park. Rain had already dampened the streets but ominous clouds were still filling the gaps between tall buildings. With no umbrella in our bags, we were caught off guard. The closer we are to the Lake, Marilyn reminded me, the more unpredictable the weather. As we walked towards the Park, it began to rain so we ducked into an enclosed stairwell. Luckily, it wasn’t long before the rain paused enough for us to face the elements once more. Our first stop, “The Bean” sculpture as it’s nicknamed (real name: Cloud Gate) is quite spectacular. I watched as people laughed and smiled seeing their reflections twist and turn in the sculpture’s mirrored surface. Looking up into the interior of the sculpture gives an otherworldly view, with light and shadow playing off one another to make unusual, twisted shapes. I parked myself away from the crowd to draw this view of The Bean’s northwest side.
Wow! I’ve not yet seen The Bean “in person,” but now I don’t need to. This is an amazing sketch, Richard.
Wonderful sketch! I love your palette, I think it’s the purple hues here and there that make your sketches so deep and rich.
Thanks very much Mon! I like to use all kinds of colors for shadows because it keeps them interesting. As long as they are dark enough to bring out the light areas, I find they look like shadows regardless of their color.
Thanks very much Jean. It’s a real fun sculpture and I recommend checking it out if you are ever in the area. There’s so many cool reflections that are impossible to sketch. I could have sketched the area all day.
Looks great on the blog extra big here, Richard! Yeh!
Thanks very much Steven, I appreciate it!