A Slice of the (Holiday) City

Faithful readers will know that about twice a year I journey to the nearest big city for an overnight stay, to feed on all the color and energy I can, and bring it back home for inspiration. Now we are speaking of a place just one hour away, a place that many neighbors commute to daily for work. Because we don't have close by public transit, that repeat drive would wear away the charm. The traffic, the parking, the cost. For me, though, it is that special stash of somethin' I keep in the back of the closet, to bring out when I am feeling low and need a treat, some extra dose of color, noise, and surprise. It never fails to deliver. And yet, I am always glad to get in the car and return to my peaceful place. I bring with me the inspiration and the bigger picture of what is possible, and I try to fill my life with its glow.

We had a quiet stretch of holidays this year. No close-by family, just a few events with friends. We did put up a tree and lights, dress up on occasion, eat some wonderful food. But what I remember most about December are the sights and smells, the walks and talks of two married people out on a date on the town. Come along and share the memory. (And if anyone ever asks you to come visit them in Chicago, find a way.)

Christkindlmarket 2012.
 Note the "balmy" temps indicated by the ability to take off hat and gloves, if only for a little while.

It's a sort of family friendly, drunken good time with fatty foods and Christmas ornaments in the middle of of the day in the middle of Daley Plaza.

I think Elphaba was there in disguise!

This year's souvenir mug was pretty in white, and even cooler in "negative" camera effects.

The Man was a little scary this way, so I cropped him a bit. You'll just have to imagine an entire green Dave.

Taking a break from street walking with a pizza lunch at Cafe Baci, across from Millennium Park skating rink.

Refreshed we take on the wonders of the Chicago Cultural Center, always grand and beautiful...

...but accessible to the people like the library it once was.

There are always wonderful exhibits of thought provoking contemporary art, but sometimes I just enjoy photographing the beautiful galleries with the glorious views.

Finally back to the room for a rest. Our "Fiona" was waiting for us.

The first of several journal pages for the visit. I am trying to start a more regular practice of both drawing and journaling. I am starting to see some amazing improvements, and it makes me want to do more.

Friday morning breakfast, and what would a day off be for the man without a work call or several?

I got this one laid out in a jiff, took a couple of photos, then finished it  at home. We wouldn't want that egg and bacon "sammich" getting cold!

A return to Macy's to just wander, though we found some incredible bargains and made a few purchases. No, not that hat.

The basement level has a large busy food court with some rather fresh and tasty sushi.

The bargains may be on State Street, but a visit to the Mag Mile is always required. This is the controversial new Burberry Store, kind of pretty, but a rather flashy, "look at me!" neighbor.

Just getting ready to begin his "set" as I walked by and clicked.

Always some new angle to fascinate the visual palate.

Sadly this was the same day something terrible came to pass in the history of violent senseless behavior. I drew for a while while we listened to the news.

Wine hour number two, and many attempts at a self portrait in front of the fire and holiday tree.

Some great and scary masks line the stairwell to the restrooms at our Mexican restaurant, "Dos Diablos" on Hubbard Street. We chose not to ride the mechanical bull out front, but did have some excellent dinner and drinks.

As tragic and sad as the news of the day, the weather was outrageously  balmy and demanded a long and relaxing after dinner stroll, including one last walk through the late opened stores. Reflections on the Chicago River.

A truncated view of Marina City from the State Street bridge.

Watching the traffic go by.

It felt more like a summer evening (for those of us used to Chicago winters, that is.) Normally if we were walking in December we would be running to get inside a next destination.

My favorite clock at the corner of Wacker and Wabash. 

So many movies about Chicago use shots of this elevated "L-turn" on Lake Street. Sometimes we have a hotel room that looks down on this scene. I never tire of watching the trains round the corner.

The color of the city was gold, and red...

and glowing green.

Whoosh and clickety-clack.

They glow and change color, and are almost impossible to photograph realistically, so a little color editing doesn't hurt.

When you get them up close, the color washes out. I still like the way they frame the street scene.

I washed the color out of this one to turn gold to silver, and a more wintry mood. The trumpets of Macy's blare.

And of course, we had to find some Christmas red.

Oh, and this is the special "Chicago" stash I'm keeping in the closet right now. Some sinfully expensive and exotic chocolate from Vosges.
I'm all filled up and ready to begin a winter of new classes and art adventures. (Don't be surprised if you start hearing something about giraffes!)

Collecting The Sparkly Bits : Chicago Holiday, Part II

There is something so satisfying about taking bits of color and texture and artfully combining them to make a whole that is so much more interesting than any of the elements involved. As the puzzle comes together, the brain plays lovingly with the new combinations to find meaning and story to amuse and delight itself.

That combination of bits is a great part of all the arts, as in the creation of a piece of jewelry, or a painting, or a woven piece of cloth. It plays into the creation of each new memory of time well spent. It is ultimately the formula of an interesting life.

A finely crafted day is especially wonderful when the bits and pieces include the experience of wonderful art. Those details double the fascination for me, and helps to create memories that enrich with the retelling.  One of my best reasons for wanting a city life in retirement is to be surrounded by the possibility of falling into art.  I like the serendipitous nature of the hunt. Knowing that it is all around me, on the street and hidden behind walls, a day in the city is a scavenger hunt for something I've never seen before, or a deeply loved favorite that I intend to revisit. Some of the findings will come from previous announcement through the media, and some will be by fortuitous accident. Every trip to Chicago has a mixture of these elements, and stumbling upon the unplanned feels like the universe is complicit in my pleasure.

The completed bracelet from last month, a labor of love and about forty hours of work. Don't know that I'll ever wear it, but who would buy it?

Such simple unassuming parts as tiny glass beads or over-sized rhinestones (rivolis). Here you see the beginning stages of adding the fringe. After sewing about seventeen different fringes between each rivoli, others were sewn around each of the beaded bezels and then around the edge of the beaded base to achieve that sumptuous fullness seen in the finished bracelet.

Self portrait of a couple off to have a city adventure
 on a festive Friday evening.

The big city is full of big street art. Tribune plaza has hosted Cows on Parade, "American Gothic" farmers, and now, Marilyn.

A view that we never really saw in the movie or the famous photos. This is the very heart of town, just over the Michigan Avenue bridge north of the Chicago River. She draws much attention, some controversy, and frankly was more beautiful than I thought it would be. She seems to embody the bold energy and excitement that you feel when you stand in this heart of American culture.

Just like last year, one of us took great advantage of the tree-house-like space of the window seat. Looking in from the perch...

...looking out on the night (at Wabash and Wacker, and the Chicago River).

Saturday we went in search of culture at (among other places) The Chicago Cultural Center. Formerly the main branch of the city library, the building was designed in a long gone era of fine craftsmanship and bold investment in public wealth. This was a palace for the people of the city. It is still awe inspiring.

A grand entrance serves as a gallery of amazing tile work.

Newly restored to grandeur, the Tiffany dome.

Beside the beauty of the building, the Cultural Center hosts fascinating free art exhibits, often with a more controversial, modern, or local provenance than the Art Institute. As usual we were not disappointed. The outstanding current exhibit, on view through April of 2012, is "Write Now: Artists and Letterforms".  
The trifecta of enjoyment was completed when we stumbled upon a festival  sponsored by the local public radio station, WBEZ91.5, called "What's Your Art: Celebrating the Art Centers of Chicago." In the huge ballroom-like Yates Gallery, were about twenty booths and activity stations, with enough live art to keep you busy for hours if you cared to immerse yourself in talking to all the artists. In addition to getting a sales pitch to buy hand blown glass from some enthusiastic local students, and a great talk about camera lenses with a local photographer, I had a linoleum block print custom made for me for free, and watched (although I sorely wanted to participate) an "impromptu" communal dance with knitwear.

Getting ready for the reveal...

Just like children's flip books, we each got to choose which head, body and feet went together to create our unique character.

Laid out on the floor covering the center of room was a zigzag of knit tubing (the kind we all made as kids on one of those spools with nails) connecting about 100 knit and crocheted hats of every imaginable style and color.

At the designated time, the dance leader gave a few quick rules of the dance, instructed the volunteer participants to don a hat and the music began.

What good is a giant hat dance without a rousing brass section a la New Orleans and Mardi Gras?

The Man waits patiently. Because I am not dancing
 he knows we will leave sooner than later.

And so it goes, it is time to culminate the weekend's festivities with the original purpose of the trip, a yearly dinner dance sponsored by the Association of Iron and Steel Technology. Never the best of the trip, but the catalyst to prompt us to experience the rest. 

A couple of pink "cosmos" make the table and me more festive.

 Happy Holidays to all my friends and readers. I hope you have enjoyed our adventures together this year and that I will see you again in the New Year. If you aren't already doing so, I hope you will sign up to follow, and feel free to leave comments on this or any post.