You might not know that I’ve rowed crew on the Chicago River’s infamous Bubbly Creek for the last couple of years…but that’s a story for another day. The story here is that back in August I was on Lake Shore Drive heading to row but traffic was so bad that I wasn’t going to make it…so, being next to my beloved Lake Michigan, I exited and headed back north to Montrose Beach (my longtime favorite paddle boarding and kayaking beach). The first day there was not a soul around, I decided to draw in the sand! I started by writing a message “I missed rowing” with a sad face to send to my crew mates, but then I thought…let’s make some art! The last time I made art in the sand it was a relief sculpture, over 20 years ago, it felt good to playfully experiment again. For inquiring minds I used a pen (with the cap on!) to draw then went back in with my fingers to deepen the lines.
A few weeks later I found myself turning around again, when I found out rowing was canceled for Indigenous Peoples’ Day. I decided to go much larger this time, it was quite a workout, I was aching all over the next day, but had a total blast. This sand drawing was most likely 3 times my height and I deepened all the lines an additional 2 times. I didn’t know until I got home and looked at the photos (outside of glaring sunlight) how much easier it was to see it without all the extra work and deepening of the lines. Regardless, it felt amazing and I hope to do more of this temporary earth art in the future.
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