100 days in cleveland

i'm trying to draw a picture of something i like about cleveland every day for 100 days.

prints available at juliaincleveland.etsy.com
juliaskuo@gmail.com
Day 62/100 The Drive-In Theater I love going to the drive-in! This is Ravenna, but the one I’m more familiar with is Autorama on the west side of Cleveland. I wish the Brooklyn Heights theaters were still around - I heard that American Greetings artists used to take their paintings and drawings to the fourth floor to watch the nighttime features while working =) I’ve sat in a car, outside on a lawn chair, and in someone’s trunk - all good options as long as you have some junk food (corndogs! jalapeno poppers!) to keep you occupied. I recently saw Cowboys and Aliens and Captain America. I got so fed up with Cowboys and Aliens that halfway through I stopped watching and just stared up at the sky. Captain America, on the other hand, was amazing. I love that guy.

Day 62/100

The Drive-In Theater

I love going to the drive-in! This is Ravenna, but the one I’m more familiar with is Autorama on the west side of Cleveland. I wish the Brooklyn Heights theaters were still around - I heard that American Greetings artists used to take their paintings and drawings to the fourth floor to watch the nighttime features while working =) I’ve sat in a car, outside on a lawn chair, and in someone’s trunk - all good options as long as you have some junk food (corndogs! jalapeno poppers!) to keep you occupied. I recently saw Cowboys and Aliens and Captain America. I got so fed up with Cowboys and Aliens that halfway through I stopped watching and just stared up at the sky. Captain America, on the other hand, was amazing. I love that guy.

Day 61/100 White-tailed Deer If I had a small garden, I probably wouldn’t love these animals very much. Instead, all of my plants are safe from hungry deer in my little apartment on the fourth floor. I’ve also been lucky to have never had a run-in with one while driving. Coming from LA, the largest animals I ever saw roaming freely around were house cats and the occasional possum. Wolves and coyotes would come down from the mountains every now and then but I wouldn’t really go looking for them the way I do with deer. I’ve been visiting these two fawn over the past few weeks at the Nature Center - they’re usually in the marsh romping around, eating grass, or staring back at us curious humans. The Shaker Lakes area is so populated with deer that you can count on catching them around dusk in the wooded area and even in peoples’ yards. They’re just such beautiful and shy creatures to watch.

Day 61/100

White-tailed Deer

If I had a small garden, I probably wouldn’t love these animals very much. Instead, all of my plants are safe from hungry deer in my little apartment on the fourth floor. I’ve also been lucky to have never had a run-in with one while driving. Coming from LA, the largest animals I ever saw roaming freely around were house cats and the occasional possum. Wolves and coyotes would come down from the mountains every now and then but I wouldn’t really go looking for them the way I do with deer. I’ve been visiting these two fawn over the past few weeks at the Nature Center - they’re usually in the marsh romping around, eating grass, or staring back at us curious humans. The Shaker Lakes area is so populated with deer that you can count on catching them around dusk in the wooded area and even in peoples’ yards. They’re just such beautiful and shy creatures to watch.

Day 61/100 Horseshoe Lake I was so happy to catch a great blue heron while I was drawing today! I can often find one or two when I stand on that bridge; they’re usually hiding along the edges of the lake. The bridge is the far end of my running route - a perfect place to stop and rest. I feel like I know Horseshoe Park inside out, so I had a hard time choosing what to draw. I also like the little grove of cherry and magnolia trees, the little wooden ramps in the small forest-y area, and the outlook at the middle of the horseshoe where you can see the bridge. But I chose this view because it shows my favorite time of the year at Horseshoe. In late summer, all the algae collects at the top of the lake, creating a filmy green covering over the entire surface.

Day 61/100

Horseshoe Lake


I was so happy to catch a great blue heron while I was drawing today! I can often find one or two when I stand on that bridge; they’re usually hiding along the edges of the lake. The bridge is the far end of my running route - a perfect place to stop and rest. I feel like I know Horseshoe Park inside out, so I had a hard time choosing what to draw. I also like the little grove of cherry and magnolia trees, the little wooden ramps in the small forest-y area, and the outlook at the middle of the horseshoe where you can see the bridge. But I chose this view because it shows my favorite time of the year at Horseshoe. In late summer, all the algae collects at the top of the lake, creating a filmy green covering over the entire surface.

Day 60/100 Nelson’s Quarry Park This man made lake is the summer spot for some Ohio hippies. Trailers and converted buses in the campground around the quarry pond look so stationary that the grass and weeds have grown up around their tires. There’s always some kind of tribute band in tie-dye shirts playing, and you can usually count on the lovely smell of weed hovering in the air near the tents. I don’t want to be a hippie, but I love coming to the quarry park to picnic and swim. There’s a little cliff to jump off of (it’s something like twenty feet, but it feels like a lot more) and a small island you can swim to. After a good afternoon of jumping contests like biggest splash, smallest splash, most awesome pose and driest face/head, I always head down the street to Nelson’s ledges. Or, after sneaking into the park on a festival day and getting kicked out by a little Lost-Boys-like hippie, I like to head down to the street to Nelson’s ledges. You wouldn’t think they’re watching those back fences, but believe me - they are.

Day 60/100

Nelson’s Quarry Park

This man made lake is the summer spot for some Ohio hippies. Trailers and converted buses in the campground around the quarry pond look so stationary that the grass and weeds have grown up around their tires. There’s always some kind of tribute band in tie-dye shirts playing, and you can usually count on the lovely smell of weed hovering in the air near the tents.
I don’t want to be a hippie, but I love coming to the quarry park to picnic and swim. There’s a little cliff to jump off of (it’s something like twenty feet, but it feels like a lot more) and a small island you can swim to. After a good afternoon of jumping contests like biggest splash, smallest splash, most awesome pose and driest face/head, I always head down the street to Nelson’s ledges. Or, after sneaking into the park on a festival day and getting kicked out by a little Lost-Boys-like hippie, I like to head down to the street to Nelson’s ledges. You wouldn’t think they’re watching those back fences, but believe me - they are.

Day 59/100 Le Petit Triangle Le Petit Triangle is a charming, sweet French cafe in Ohio City just down from Momocho and Johnny Mango’s. It’s literally a triangle shaped restaurant, with its apex towards the back. Come to think of it, Le Petit Triangle is also located on a triangle shaped block, across from a triangle shaped park…that’s interesting.The place is so tiny and cozy that I feel like we are constantly overwhelming the one brave chef with our big group orders. I’ve never had a pumpkin steamer like the one they serve here, and I love their chicken cheddar chutney crepe!

Day 59/100

Le Petit Triangle

Le Petit Triangle is a charming, sweet French cafe in Ohio City just down from Momocho and Johnny Mango’s. It’s literally a triangle shaped restaurant, with its apex towards the back. Come to think of it, Le Petit Triangle is also located on a triangle shaped block, across from a triangle shaped park…that’s interesting.
The place is so tiny and cozy that I feel like we are constantly overwhelming the one brave chef with our big group orders. I’ve never had a pumpkin steamer like the one they serve here, and I love their chicken cheddar chutney crepe!

Day 58/100 Blossom Music Center (continued!) I haven’t drawn the hundreds of people that fill up this large, grassy lawn, but you can count on seeing them for every non-rainy night at Blossom. People bring lawn chairs, blankets, and baskets full of wine and food to picnic before and during the performance. Here’s a tip: bring water. A bottle of water costs $5 at the concession stand!When the sun goes down you can look up and see all the stars that you wouldn’t due normally spot to light pollution in the city. On rainy nights everyone crowds under the pavilion (there are plenty of open seats for lawn ticket holders). Amazingly enough, there are still a few brave souls out on the lawn decked out in ponchos and under their tiny umbrellas. I wonder if they love being wet or if they don’t know that they can sit in the pavilion? If you like bats, sometimes you can spot them flying around the rafters of the pavilion. If you don’t like bats, don’t look up.I need to add that I prefer Blossom to the Hollywood Bowl, which I grew up going to. There’s just so much more green here =)

Day 58/100

Blossom Music Center (continued!)

I haven’t drawn the hundreds of people that fill up this large, grassy lawn, but you can count on seeing them for every non-rainy night at Blossom. People bring lawn chairs, blankets, and baskets full of wine and food to picnic before and during the performance. Here’s a tip: bring water. A bottle of water costs $5 at the concession stand!
When the sun goes down you can look up and see all the stars that you wouldn’t due normally spot to light pollution in the city. On rainy nights everyone crowds under the pavilion (there are plenty of open seats for lawn ticket holders). Amazingly enough, there are still a few brave souls out on the lawn decked out in ponchos and under their tiny umbrellas. I wonder if they love being wet or if they don’t know that they can sit in the pavilion? If you like bats, sometimes you can spot them flying around the rafters of the pavilion. If you don’t like bats, don’t look up.
I need to add that I prefer Blossom to the Hollywood Bowl, which I grew up going to. There’s just so much more green here =)

Day 57/100 Blossom Music Center Blossom is a beautiful outdoor amphitheater set in the middle of the Cuyahoga National Park. I’m going to have to do a second post on it tomorrow because this picture doesn’t show how it’s surrounded by forest on all sides. It’s the home of the Cleveland Orchestra over the summer, and you can hear anything from classical music to popular movie soundtracks. I just went twice in a two weeks, first for Beethoven/Shostakovich and then for Tchaikovsky and the Kent Chamber Orchestra (which was fun because I happened to hear some of those students play just a few weeks ago). I want to go back for Rachmaninoff, Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Joffrey Ballet … summer’s always too short! There are also pop music concerts here, too; I think it’s pretty great that Metallica has played at Blossom before. There’s so much to say about Blossom on top of the music, so I’ll be back tomorrow with more!

Day 57/100

Blossom Music Center

Blossom is a beautiful outdoor amphitheater set in the middle of the Cuyahoga National Park. I’m going to have to do a second post on it tomorrow because this picture doesn’t show how it’s surrounded by forest on all sides. It’s the home of the Cleveland Orchestra over the summer, and you can hear anything from classical music to popular movie soundtracks. I just went twice in a two weeks, first for Beethoven/Shostakovich and then for Tchaikovsky and the Kent Chamber Orchestra (which was fun because I happened to hear some of those students play just a few weeks ago). I want to go back for Rachmaninoff, Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Joffrey Ballet … summer’s always too short! There are also pop music concerts here, too; I think it’s pretty great that Metallica has played at Blossom before. There’s so much to say about Blossom on top of the music, so I’ll be back tomorrow with more!

Day 56/100 Ohio beaches I grew up going to beaches like Malibu and Zuma, so Ohio beaches were a little bit of a surprise. The most amusing difference was the 15 minute timeout that lifeguards called for at one beach - I can’t imagine anyone trying that in Santa Monica. But the biggest change was quite unexpected: all those long, cold Cleveland winter months make me really desperate to get to the beach in the summer. After all those years of not appreciating what I had right next to me, I am now ridiculously happy “to go to there” =)

Day 56/100

Ohio beaches

I grew up going to beaches like Malibu and Zuma, so Ohio beaches were a little bit of a surprise. The most amusing difference was the 15 minute timeout that lifeguards called for at one beach - I can’t imagine anyone trying that in Santa Monica. But the biggest change was quite unexpected: all those long, cold Cleveland winter months make me really desperate to get to the beach in the summer. After all those years of not appreciating what I had right next to me, I am now ridiculously happy “to go to there” =)

Day 55/100 Nelson’s Ledges If you thought the setting of Pan’s Labyrinth was beautiful, you’ll love Nelson’s Ledges. It’s full of huge, mossy green walls of rock everywhere you look. If you explore a bit, you’ll find humble waterfalls next to cool, dark caves with the prettiest mushrooms. The ledges create steep passageways a dozen feet below, where I always like to imagine building a fantastical forest home =) It’s the perfect place for running around like a little kid, no matter how old you are - just remember to bring good shoes if you want to try jumping from ledge to ledge, or climbing up tree roots!

Day 55/100

Nelson’s Ledges

If you thought the setting of Pan’s Labyrinth was beautiful, you’ll love Nelson’s Ledges. It’s full of huge, mossy green walls of rock everywhere you look. If you explore a bit, you’ll find humble waterfalls next to cool, dark caves with the prettiest mushrooms. The ledges create steep passageways a dozen feet below, where I always like to imagine building a fantastical forest home =) It’s the perfect place for running around like a little kid, no matter how old you are - just remember to bring good shoes if you want to try jumping from ledge to ledge, or climbing up tree roots!

Day 54/100 Rabbit Run Theater Rabbit Run is a charming open-air barn theater in Madison, OH. For the past three summers, I’ve made the trek out to Madison to watch my talented friend B.A. star in productions like Chicago, She Loves Me, and My Way. I don’t know much about performing, but I’m always impressed by the actors here! The barn is set in the corner of a grassy meadow, with a small patio and concession area lit with Christmas lights. On some nights you can hear musicians playing in the patio during intermission. My advice: bring a picnic to the patio before the show and grab an ice cream sandwich from the concession stand to munch on during intermission, and then stick around for a bit after the show to congratulate the actors!

Day 54/100

Rabbit Run Theater

Rabbit Run is a charming open-air barn theater in Madison, OH. For the past three summers, I’ve made the trek out to Madison to watch my talented friend B.A. star in productions like Chicago, She Loves Me, and My Way. I don’t know much about performing, but I’m always impressed by the actors here!
The barn is set in the corner of a grassy meadow, with a small patio and concession area lit with Christmas lights. On some nights you can hear musicians playing in the patio during intermission. My advice: bring a picnic to the patio before the show and grab an ice cream sandwich from the concession stand to munch on during intermission, and then stick around for a bit after the show to congratulate the actors!