Chicago-again...Shedd Aquarium Visit

I took another trip to Chicago this past weekend, and I really enjoyed visiting the Shedd Aquarium.  I hadn't been there since I was in grade school with my girl scout troop.  I sketched a good deal, and some of the creatures were easier to capture than others, so there are quite a few from the tanks that are not represented in my pages.  Sometimes after I draw for a bit, I just like to look and take it in.  So, besides these critters, I also saw (and loved) jellyfish, otters, a sea lion, dolphins, beluga whales, and a rehabilitated sea turtle to name a few.  Besides the jellies and the turtle, these guys were in a section based on the climate and environment of the Pacific NW.  Just another reminder of how wonderful Seattle is...I used to see sea lions on a regular basis, just chilling in the Puget Sound.  Kinda wish the guy in the Shedd was also that free...I'm not sure if he had a specific need that made him appropriate for captivity.  I'm always torn when I visit zoos and aquariums because I love to see and draw the animals, but a big part of me is sad for them.

Chicago

Recently I took a trip to Chicago.  I had a job interview for a textile artist position, and I'm pretty positive I didn't get the job because I never heard back from the interviewer after my follow up email.  However, the trip was not a complete loss because I stayed for almost a week in my cousin's apartment in the South Loop and did plenty of exploring around the city.

I had been to Chicago countless times before; my hometown is only about 5 hours away.  I have also been to the Art Institute of Chicago countless times, but I always see something new when I visit.  This time, they were featuring a show called Windows on the War, a collection of Soviet war posters by Soviet Union’s news agency, TASS.  Since I recently finished an MFA program in illustration, the posters were right up my alley.  Mainly satirical, they featured anthropomorphic images of Hitler as several different animals, ie. a rat, dog.  They were meant to bolster support for the WWII Soviet war effort and many featured symbols of the Allies working together against Hitler.  The metaphors used were biting and clever, and the culled collection of posters showed how art was successfully used as a weapon.  The work was such influential propaganda that FDR called for similar work to be advertised in the US.

Here is one picture I took with my phone:

I loved the graphic quality, the simple color use, and the way the artist took liberties with the portraits, but they are still recognizable likenesses of Mussolini and Hitler.

See more of the posters at this link: /http://tass-posters.tumblr.com/

Also while I was there, I visited the Museum of Contemporary Art.  The collection was small, though there were some nice Albers' Homages hanging.  I walked around, trying to drop off my postcards to art directors, and I stopped into a cool Jazz record store and a used bookstore.  I also sketched.  Here is a sketch of Millenium Park.

Ork Posters

Have you seen these things? We are selling them at Annie's Art and Frame, where I work. The Chicago designer does it all by herself. The design is so simple and effective.
They have been selling out weekly. I hear they are extremely hot in Brooklyn as well. I love the Great Lakes, being a Michigander (living in Seattle) and all. She just added two new screenprint color options. I've added a few images here. See more at www.orkposters.com.