Light and Shadow, Old and New, at the Mill City Museum

By Kar-Keat Chong, AIA | January 28, 2021

Artwork by Kar-Keat Chong, AIA

POSTCARD

In the summer months, my family loves to spend time at the Mill City Farmers Market in Minneapolis. We like to sit on the concrete steps overlooking the Stone Arch Bridge and enjoy the view while we eat our fresh pastries. The pandemic interrupted our weekend ritual this past summer, but I visited on a quiet Sunday afternoon to sketch.

I’ve always been captivated by the intertwining of new and old structures at the Mill City Museum. The intense light and dramatic shadows on the various building forms that afternoon inspired this watercolor. I sketched the building outlines using a light gray watercolor marker, then applied the color washes. The looseness of the lines and the blurred edges of the forms are meant to accentuate the contextuality of the scene. Industrial relics like the Mill City Museum continue to inspire me; they’ve become a common theme in my art journey.

Our Postcard department presents artworks that capture memorable architectural scenes from across Minnesota.