Four New Drawings For A Dreary Fall Day

Michael McGuire - Color Dot Study - Block Printing Ink on Arches Watercolor Paper - 40x26 inches

Michael McGuire - Color Square Study - Block Printing Ink on Arches Watercolor Paper - 40x26 inches

Michael McGuire - Untitled - Acrylic Paint on Arches Watercolor Paper - 40x26 inches

Lastly an unfinished drawing that I began in late spring. A hand drawing record of my swimming yardage this summer. I was surprisingly  faithful about recording the yardage each day, I found it motivating to keep track and I have not put in this much yardage in months. The crosshatching is time consuming and I fell behind immediately. I hope to finish it at some point but I do like it in incomplete state.

Michael McGuire - Summer 2018 Swimming Yardage - Technical Pen on Arches Watercolor Paper - 40x26 inches

If the world was flat I'd probably swim off it. ~Author Unknown

If the world was flat I'd probably swim off it. ~Author Unknown

Swimming With Chuck

Tuesday, July 17, 2012 Another ninety degree plus day. Worked in the studio most of the day, but my air conditioning is noisy and inadequate. About 3pm, tired of making watercolors of the lake, Chuck called and said he was swimming in the actual lake, and there was a bit of relief from the heat at the waters edge. It was a steamy and unpleasant ride to Lake Michigan, and the relief extended only about 20 feet from the waters edge, but once there, it was a delight. Chuck had found our old swimming spot from last year, difficult to identify due to lower water level. The rocks look altered and the logistics of entering the water vary from year to year, but this is a great spot with a stepped series of flat rocks that lead you into the water. Chuck had even scraped off some of the slippery algae to make the footing more secure. The wind was from the south, and in Lake Michigan on the west shore that means the warm water is being blown north and the cold water from the lower depths is brought to the surface. The water was cold, probably seventy two degrees, a nice surprise as the water in the pool in my condo building has be over eighty degrees for weeks now, much too warm to bring relief. The plunge into Lake Michigan was shocking for a moment and then you take in the clear coolness of the water. Chuck swims up and down the shore line, attempting to get in some real yardage. I'm more of a plunge in the water, float a bit, and out to drip dry for awhile, then repeat for as long as you are near the water. I brought along a thermos of ice and a couple sparkling sodas and we enjoyed our shady perch on the rocks. Chuck does not like to have his photo taken, but I persuaded him by falsely claiming this would be our one and only photo of him this summer. We were having a great time, until later, as the sun was low in the sky, first one, and then three raccoons made their appearance. They would pop their heads out of the spaces between the rock as unexpected places and Chuck made the comment that it reminded him of 'Laugh In', that show from the sixties where the comedians would pop their heads out of a wall and tell a joke. But no joke here, as cute as raccoons are, I'm a bit afraid. And Chuck was teasing me, he would brush my leg and claim it was a raccoon, or pretend to see one by my backpack. He eventually picked up a small rock and banged it against the ground to scare them away. I didn't do much, these raccoons are so used to people I was sure they were after our sodas. We literally made a run for our bikes and breathed a sigh of relief as we peddled away.

At the Lake With Chuck Meyers

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Up to ninety degrees today. There can't be too many more hot and humid days left this summer. After some work at home in the morning I head over to the lakes' edge with my watercolors and my bathing suit. I jump on my bike and pedal to the old rocks behind Waveland Golf Course, one of the few remaining areas of the old lakefront infrastructure. The rocks themselves have been in bad shape for years, and this year the gravel road that allows access to this area is eroding away with each storm. Most of the lakefront in Chicago has been converted in the last ten years to a stepped concrete structure that lack character or warmth, and makes it very difficult to swim. So I treasure the old rocks. They are nostalgic and inviting. This summer I've found a particularly good spot for swimming and painting. If the water temperature is moderate there are any number of places to jump in. The bigger problem is getting out of the water gracefully. There are obstacles such as large metal pilings and large rocks at all sorts of angles. The rocks get covered with algae and become very treacherous. But I'm careful and adventurous so I come to this place often. My friend Chuck Meyers, a very talented painter, likes to swim in the lake also and we have for the last few years we have swum together here along these rocks. I'm a firm believer in never swimming alone and it's good to have a partner when swimming in Lake Michigan. Chuck likes to get in and swim down the shoreline for a good distance. He can be in the water for 30 minutes. I on the other hand, particularly when it's warm, am one to jump in and out of the water repeatedly. Swimming a bit with each immersion but never too far at one time. I like the feeling of drying off in the hot sun after a plunge into the chilly water, and then getting hot and repeating the experience. And as a note the water is cold, and clear, and refreshing, some days you can see all the golf balls that have been hit into the water over the summer. Chuck does not like me to take photos of him, and I respect that. I can usually persuade him to allow one photo for the sake of record keeping. But the photo today turned out so well, and it captures this place at the lake so nicely, I had to post it.

Be sure to check out Chuck's website at: ChuckMeyers.com

Steamy Weather - A Day at the Waters Edge

Thursday July 21, 2011
Another hot and humid day. My poor air conditioner can barely keep up. I live in a mid-rise building and we have what are essentially window AC units but built into our walls. Mine is old and still puts out some cool air, but is a bit noisy and we are now into day five of this hot spell and the poor thing is exhausted and dripping water. I just cannot run it all day and night so my strategy is to save it for sleep and when I need to be working in my condo during the daytime. So one of my thoughts was to spend the afternoons at the lake where, if we are lucky there will be a bit of a 'lake breeze' and I can always jump in the water if necessary. I brought along a few art supplies including my watercolor set thinking I might revisit a series of drawings I created three years ago. I like to go swimming at a spot behind a nearby public golf course. The infrastructure at the waters edge is still the old stepped rocks that made up the Chicago Lakefront since at least the 1950's. Most of these rocks have been replaced now with new, cold, unfriendly concrete steps that not only do not appeal esthetically but also are very difficult to swim from. There are only a couple place in Chicago where these old rocks remain for the most part they are in ramshackle condition. This spot is no exception. Rocks have shifted much over the years and most of the retaining wall has been worn away. Over the past winter much of the gravel road that runs between the golf course the water was eroded away and access has been restricted. You can still walk or ride your bike in but I fear that this area will be closed off completely soon.

I pull out my watercolors and sketchbook, randomly put out a color, and of course, first thing proceed to knock the paint on to the sketchbook and a little bit soaks into the edge of every page. I’m fustrated, it's hot, my sweat is mixed with sunscreen, and there is no breeze. The water is so cold that I can only jump in and get out immediately without my feet becoming numb. This does not put me in the best mood and I do not really have paper or paint to waste. But I persevere thinking it will be a good exercise. I don't really know color, I don't use it much, and have to rely on the color on the labels, which aren't particularly accurate, to indicate which colors and shades I might use. But I can see the color of the water and I can see what is on my makeshift palette and do the best I can. As the afternoon goes on, and the shadows get longer, the air cools a bit, and I become used to the chilly water. I swim between each sketch, and end up making three. This was the best one and I was able to trim the spilled paint off the edge. Maybe this spot has some potential, and next time I'll be better prepared.

Labels

Now that the postings are mounting, I wanted to mention how helpful the labels can be to look at a specific subject. For example if you are looking for India Ink drawings, be sure to click on the label 'india Ink' and all of the posts with that link attached to it should pop up. Some helpful labels might be: Chicago, panorama, drawing... They appear at the bottom of each post. I will include them all here. Give it a try, don't be afraid.

It Must Be Summer, The Pool Is Open!

A photo from a couple years ago. Shot from my balcony overlooking the pool in my building. Collaged from over 100 images, not exactly true to life, but catches the spirit of the place. Here's to a good summer for swimming.