We have finally moved on from art inspired by our May visit to New York City. Now we’re inspired by Chicago for a while.

To be exact, we’re inspired by Chicago and Edward Hopper for the next few weeks, although today’s art is just a small sketchy pastel study I did, which I plan to render as a large-scale acrylic painting later, with much more detail and cleaner rendering. This was just done to set the composition, colors and lightplay while it was fresh in my mind. The rendering is not really Hopperesque at all, but it should be noticeable when I get to do the big version.

This scene is based on the view of the bar in the lobby at The Canopy Hotel in Chicago as we were heading out one morning during a recent visit. This piece is probably 8 inches square, with about half an inch of sloppy border cropped out after I scanned it. It’s not based on a specific photo reference, but I did use several photos from other angles to get proportions and some details close to what they really look like.

When I go high detail on this,  I may change the setting to night, which will require altering the color balance of the whole piece, and the wardrobe of the figures in the background. We’ll see. I’ll have to save that job for a time when my fingers are more cooperative. I have a more detailed painting of another Chicago scene on my easel right now, and with any luck, it might be ready for next Monday.

To see this one bigger try clicking HERE.

Over in radioland, Monday at 2 PM on The AIR, we bring you a classic episode of Psychedelic Shack, and then at 3 PM a classic edition of Herman Linte’s weekly showcase of the Progressive Rock of the past half-century, Prognosis.  You can listen to The AIR at the website, or on the embedded radio player elsewhere on this page.

Psychedelic Shack can be heard every Monday at 2 PM, with replays Tuesday at 9 AM, Wednesday at 10 PM, Friday at 1 PM,  and Saturday at 9 AM. You can hear Prognosis on The AIR Monday at 3 PM, with replays Tuesday at 7 AM, Wednesday at 8 PM, Thursday at Noon, and Saturday at 10 AM. You can hear two classic episodes of the show Sunday at 2 PM.

At 8 PM you can hear Steve Martin on last week’s episode of The Comedy Vault.

Tonight at 9 PM the Monday Marathon presents ten hours of random weirdness from The AIR’s archives.