𓏟 Seb 𓃣

@chicagoseb

Illustrator of nature and cityscapes ✶✶✶✶ Photographer of same. Muysca of Colombia. Cis male and queer. I'm a hugger 🫂 🇨🇴🏳️‍🌈🇯🇵🇺🇸

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𓏟 Seb 𓃣@chicagoseb· 21d

A beautiful pigeon landed near me!

A beautiful tricolored pigeon: a white base, a gray head with some mottling and some chocolate dust wings.

A beautiful tricolored pigeon: a white base, a gray head with some mottling and some chocolate dusted wings.

𓏟 Seb 𓃣@chicagoseb· Jul 12

Okay so my post was blocked and labeled " adult content " (people at the world naked bike ride from behind so we're seeing their tushies, and one of a naked guy with a Trump mask on and a softy). I was sent the two dark images, and the light image is from my phone. Just to keep a record.

A screenshot from a third party showing my post labeled adult content, despite it being just two photos of people at the world naked bike ride in the streets of Chicago.

When the encircled [ i ] is clicked, people get this warning and my post is blocked.
It states :
Adult content
Explicit sexual images
Source: @moderation.bsky.ap

What I see when I click on the "2 content labels" button at the top of my now blocked and censored post. Infantilism at its best.

𓏟 Seb 𓃣@chicagoseb· Jul 8

Some things I saw on my sunrise walk this morning. #Chicago 🪶 #invertebrate 🐝

a little bumblebee on the hot concrete doing who knows what

An American Robin in the dappled sunlight. Grass in the foreground, asphalt street behind.

Someone had a feast! Two diembodied wings (probably cicada, but if anyone knows, I'm all ears) on the concrete. And another wing nearby.

𓏟 Seb 𓃣@chicagoseb· Jun 30

A minute and a half of a blurry #cormorant 🪶 and a blurry #turtle 🐢 hanging out on a log with birds 🐦 chirping and water flowing. (🤳🏽 Sorry aboot the blur, my equipment is basic ✨)

𓏟 Seb 𓃣@chicagoseb· Jun 23

It’s #WorldRainforestDay! A bit late but here’s a little illustration with a bunch of mammals 🦊 🙈 🐆 🌴

An illustration done in procreate of a rainforest scene. 🌳🌳 in the background is a small waterfall coming from up high with the sky shining bright. It’s lush and there are vines crossing here and there with squirrel monkeys playing, jumping, 🧗 climbing, a mother with her baby, and one resting with limbs hanging. On another vine to the right is a more coatimundi with her baby. Below her is a Jaguar watching the monkeys up high, a mammal hiding in the bushes and watching the jaguar with caution. And there’s a baby tapir in the dappled forest floor in the thick grasses and bush waiting for his mom.

𓏟 Seb 𓃣@chicagoseb· Jun 18

Over here watching former presidents and former chancellor Angela Merkel and singing divas from behind the divide with the other peasants. 🫣

𓏟 Seb 𓃣@chicagoseb· Jun 15

I made a film for my guy to give him a little smile, but I rewrote the script for U good folks to try and brighten your day 😊 This is my litto mini hammie 🐹 he has a name but I forgot what it is; because all my pets I end up calling them "litto babe" or "pooper" or "tiny babe" etc anyway ROLL EM! 🎞️

𓏟 Seb 𓃣@chicagoseb· Jun 14

I did the same with German friends a couple years back 😊 they had seen the West Coast and NYC but Chicago was by far their favorite. I took them everywhere, from UChicago to Garfield Conservatory to the Baha'i! (We have a gorgeous city IMHO)

Me (Seb, on the far left) and two friends from Germany visiting the US and Chicago for the first time. We're sitting at the edge of lake Michigan with a beautiful view of some of the city. They told me it's cool to see skyscrapers because they're not allowed where they're from!

For anyone interested, since the late 1800s, Chicago has, by law, left the entire coastline for public use. It's one of the things that cause me to be in love with my city, head over heels. The entirety of Chicago is sitting on the edge of a huge lake and we can all just walk up and down the coast (takes a few hours end to end). Sometimes there are concrete beaches, like here. Walk a bit south (where I live) or North and you'll find the traditional sandy beach (or three). There's actually a sand beach on the other side of the building to the far right of the photo!

𓏟 Seb 𓃣@chicagoseb· Jun 11

We lost a few trees and lots of branches last night in Chicago ⛈️🌳 the wind was ... 😬🌬️. I'm going to post a couple websites I use that are gorgeous AND give us some weather info, just under this post ↴ because it's not over, folks!

A panorama of park trees in the shade. These trees are very old and very tall, some have branches that were broken off by the wind of a storm the previous night. on the left in the distance is a tree that has been knocked down onto the grass, roots exposed. 😢

The fallen tree in the sun on the grass of the park's field. The other trees managed to survive and are looking over their fallen kin. 🥺 It's a warm sunny day, and the fence of the baseball field has been damaged by the tree.

Another angle of trees damaged at a park in Chicago. The branches of these enormous tree have broken, and some have been piled up on the right hand side of the image... most likely done by Park workers.

Chicago Park District workers chainsawing, piling up, and transporting felled branches after a strong storm last night. The large pile of debris on the left was taller than all of us. in the center, some workers are working and the truck to their right is getting filled.

𓏟 Seb 𓃣@chicagoseb· Jun 5

@jennifermach.bsky.social requested restroom pics, so here they are! Even the bathrooms are well designed and nice-looking.

A panoramic view of one of the bathrooms.
I like a good gray wall.

A view of one of the toilet stalls, for people with disabilities.

𓏟 Seb 𓃣@chicagoseb· Jun 5

I recorded my entire experience through the museum from entrance to the top. It took about 30 minutes without stopping too much or too often, so I'm glad I came once before to view things with calm. There is so much art in this museum 🥰 so many creatives and artists 😍 AND ASL interpreters??!! 👍🏼👍🏼

𓏟 Seb 𓃣@chicagoseb· Jun 5

I took a quick video of the President's Reading Room. Read the Alt Text for more details:

𓏟 Seb 𓃣@chicagoseb· Jun 5

Another thing I'm in love with is libraries & books #CPL ! This library is tiny, but it's nice quaint and quiet. FYI for Chicagoans and members of ChiPubLib: we're not allowed to check out books until the 19th!

A split panorama view of the library and the plaza with the museum building in the background. There is plenty of seating and tables. The left 2/3 of the image is the interior of the library with lots of beautiful books and bookshelves. Deep inside on the far wall you can see the mural by Aliza (The details of which are in the first post of this thread).
I'm partially colorblind, so I view colors differently than most other people, and these colors really stimulate my brain 😍 I think I can hang out here with these views.

I tried to check out some books but we're not allowed until the 19th.

A panoramic view of the President's Reading Room.
The walls are covered in bookshelves, the center of those bookshelves are filled with books and photos of The President & First Lady. In the center of a room is a long table with chairs and at the end of the table are two beautifully designed reclining seats. 🥰
The rug design is kinda nice too.

I want those chairs!!! 🪑

To the far left you can see a librarian behind her desk and computer. She is a wonderful person BTW.

A panoramic view of the Maker Space. I didn't ask about this but I assume that this is where kids come to create things in groups. This little area is so cute and I love it. In the center distance you can see shelves full of children's books.

I don't know what it is about this design, this layout, these colors ...
But I really like how it all comes together and how the colors work with each other.
I'm a fool for a good typography ... And they chose typography that I enjoy most.

𓏟 Seb 𓃣@chicagoseb· Jun 5

Panoramas of the Museum and the Forum plus a set of enormously beautiful black and white photographs. I'm a sucker for a good black and white photograph!

The first floor of the museum shows many glowing displays showing histories of the Civil Rights struggle throughout our history.

A wall on the left showing the history of the Obamas. In the center is a large installation displaying the words YES WE CAN. To the right of that is a video and within that video is an interpreter for the deaf and hard of hearing. My younger brother has cerebral palsy and was born completely deaf. I was born in South America and he was born here in Chicago. Inclusivity means different things for someone like me and someone like my brother.

During a rare empty moment, I took a photo of what the space looks like on one of the floors (I think the third or the fourth floor). To the right as the video installation that can be viewed on benches. Behind the benches are speakers on the floor. In the center is a large area with wooden flooring (this is the type of flooring I enjoy most) and to the left are some museum exhibitions that seem to have something to do with the economy.

Here is the public area of the Forum. People can come here sit down and work or just relax. There are many many tables and chairs all over the place for people to sit and hang out. There's a photography installation that can be seen in the center of this photograph. The prominent figure in the center of the collection photographs is Professor Angela Davis, Rest in Power. ✊🏻
I didn't take the time to look closely, but I think to her left is Gwendolyn Brooks and to her right one photograph over might be Chaka Walls, deputy minister of information for the Black Panthers who worked alongside Chairman Fred Hampton.

I'm probably wrong so please correct me if that's the case!

𓏟 Seb 𓃣@chicagoseb· Jun 5

I am in love with art. This center overflows with art and I'm here for it. The final photo of the set has a quote from Frederick Douglass in 1857: "If there is no struggle there is no progress... Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will."

Jules Julien's

The Balance of Power

All Together

All Together, a large digital mural, shows 11 thematic scenes made from thousands of small dots. Each dot symbolizes the journey from individual to collective action and the ripple effect of democratic participation. Together, they show the beauty that can come from working together to create change.

Museum | Level 3 Democracy 101 Gallery

Museum | Level 5 Imagine Your Impact

I'm obsessed with miniatures! A concert is afoot (you can see some of the footage in the video somewhere in my posts). Singing with her bowtie is Janelle Monáe, behind her and starting from above are Shakira, Patti LaBelle, Jill Scott, Tessanne Chin and Melissa Etheridge in her black suit. I have a special place in my musical heart for Patti LaBelle, Jill Scott, Shakira and Melissa Etheridge... The soundtrack of my youth.

I was flying through The museum and didn't check with this scene is about. But it looks like the first lady is lighting a candle in a beautiful yellow dress surrounded by people who are waiting for their meal.

Several floors of the Northeast corner of the building take up a large audiovisual installation. At this moment, there's a black and white photo of what appear to be Vietnam veterans in the middle of a protest, one of whom is shown in a wheelchair. On the floor are several displays of light and sound. The one pictured says the following:

Toward a More Perfect Union

The Pursuit of Freedom and Representation

Ordinary people - Black and White, Men and Women, Free and Enslaved - struggled to abolish, or end, slavery in the 1800s. By the 1830s, their call for slavery's immediate end grew stronger. Americans clash, sometimes violently, over whether slavery should persist or even spread to new states. This dispute led to the civil war (1861-1865), and the war led to abolition. Black people in their allies continued to fight for full citizenship and equality into the Reconstruction Era and beyond.

(Btw, for the grammar freaks I tend to capitalize things only that I value or honor)

"If there is no struggle there is no progress... Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will. "

-Frederick Douglass
Abolitionist and orator, 1857 (20 years after Chicago was established as a city)

𓏟 Seb 𓃣@chicagoseb· Jun 5

I'm not fond of any president, but what I AM fond of is art architecture and design & the people who create it. I had more luck when I returned for all-access once more. Here are some interiors and videos. I'll start with the muralists because one of my faves SamKirk is here. I hope you enjoy

Aliza Nisenbaum's

Reading Circles/Weaving Dreams/Seeding Futures

Reading Circles/Weaving Dreams/Seeding Futures is a mural that depicts moments of civic life within a public library. Centered on the library as a place of dreaming, storytelling, and shared histories, the work offers a living portrait of community in action.

Library Reading Room

Dorian Sylvain's

Pass it Forward (in collaboration with Sam Kirk)

Artist Dorian Sylvain has partnered with Sam Kirk on a collaborative mural that embodies the spirit of our connection to the past while reimagining our future through the eyes of the next generation. Sylvain’s extensive background in scenic design, public mural painting, curation, education, and community planning, explore the relationship between historical erasure and art as a tool of liberation and resistance.

Home Court

Sam Kirk's

Pass it Forward (in collaboration with Dorian Sylvain)

Artist Sam Kirk has partnered with Dorian Sylvain on a collaborative mural that celebrates the cultural legacies of Chicago's South Side, blending vibrant narrative imagery and community history to honor the neighborhoods that shaped the Obama family. Born and raised on the South Side, Kirk’s public art practice shares a longstanding commitment to creating art that honors community power and collective imagination.

Home Court | Main Court

Sam Kirk's

Pass it Forward (in collaboration with Dorian Sylvain)

Artist Sam Kirk has partnered with Dorian Sylvain on a collaborative mural that celebrates the cultural legacies of Chicago's South Side, blending vibrant narrative imagery and community history to honor the neighborhoods that shaped the Obama family. Born and raised on the South Side, Kirk’s public art practice shares a longstanding commitment to creating art that honors community power and collective imagination.

Home Court | Main Court

Dorian Sylvain's

Pass it Forward (in collaboration with Sam Kirk)

Artist Dorian Sylvain has partnered with Sam Kirk on a collaborative mural that embodies the spirit of our connection to the past while reimagining our future through the eyes of the next generation. Sylvain’s extensive background in scenic design, public mural painting, curation, education, and community planning, explore the relationship between historical erasure and art as a tool of liberation and resistance.

Home Court

Nick Cave's

This Land, Shared Sky (in collaboration with Marie Watt)

This Land, Shared Sky is a multimedia textile installation between artists Nick Cave and Marie Watt. This dynamic piece unites Native and Black traditions through beaded nets and jingle elements. Cave, best known for his soundscapes, will incorporate textiles with elements of movement and sound.

Museum | Main Lobby

Marie Watt's

This Land, Shared Sky (in collaboration with Nick Cave)

This Land, Shared Sky is a multimedia textile installation between artists Nick Cave and Marie Watt. This work unites Indigenous and Black traditions through beaded nets and sculptural jingle elements. Watt has spent more than two decades creating works that bridge Indigenous history, culture, community, and memory.

Museum | Main Lobby

𓏟 Seb 𓃣@chicagoseb· Jun 4

Here you go! 😊🧻 I just took a long video of the museum, I'll post it later!

One of the bathrooms at the Obama Center

𓏟 Seb 𓃣@chicagoseb· May 28

The shots of Africa, its people, wildlife and astounding scenery were so beautifully filmed. I love it when film is done this well and this film was done SO well IMHO.

A ceremony for keeper Bama at his village before his departure on his journey.There are 5 dancing people in costume near the center. They have large black wooden masks on and traditional clothing. There's a dancing man on the right making music with a horn from an animal, and some kids on the left below an awning of a building. Behind the people are some lovely banana trees with their big broad leaves and the rest of the forest in the background. There's a waterway barely visible at the right edge of the image.

A ceremony for keeper Bama at his village before his departure on his journey.There are 3 dancing people toward the right. They have beautiful large black wooden masks on and traditional clothing. Some kids and villagers on the left below an awning of a building. Behind the people are some lovely banana trees with their big broad leaves and the rest of the forest in the background.

Keeper Bama with his bestie Nyango playing with their hands. Nyango is having a great time and smiling with Alfred. They are in her enclosure and there is a large wooden pole between them that has a woven rope structure of some king attached to it.

Keeper Bama giving what looks like milk from a cup to a group of female gorillas in their enclosure.

𓏟 Seb 𓃣@chicagoseb· May 28

🥰 He traveled weeks in search of his best friend's family... and the person who killed her mother. Then he returned and told her all about it. This doc left my heart full and I love to see people actually communicating with animals 🦍 In case someone needs an uplift: www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EK9...

Keeper Alfred Bama greeting one of his gorillas who walked over to show him her new baby while the aunties gathered round

Some gorgeous baboons looking around in the sun.

A gorilla at Limbe Wildlife Center in Cameroon with an interesting facial expression and body language that suggests deep contemplation. 🦍

A pair of baboons somewhere in Africa resting on a tree. The one on top has his limbs all droopy and loose, not even hanging on to anything just looking like his belly is glued to the branch! lol 🐒 the one on the bottom is holding the other's foot and looking at it lazily while leaning on the same branch.

𓏟 Seb 𓃣@chicagoseb· May 21

Some shots of a few of the workers finishing up. I also ran into our former mayor Lightfoot and her wife... As well as former advisor to President Obama Valerie Jarrett. It was a beautiful day in #Chicago and I'm excited to come hang out here this summer, it's so close!!

𓏟 Seb 𓃣@chicagoseb· May 21

There's lots of public park space and wildlife areas. The children's play area is so nice! There's a wetland area and direct access to Jackson Park, one of my favorite parks in Chicago!

A panoramic view of the children's playground area. It's padded with soft foam flooring, and is nature-themed with different sculptures of local wildlife that kids can climb on.

Another view from the children's play area. It's a beautiful design and layout, it makes you feel like you're somewhere else in nature and not a city.

These beautiful flowers are planted all over the children's play area. Their little fluffy balls of color that float all over. I love it!

𓏟 Seb 𓃣@chicagoseb· May 21

Here is a limited collection of interior shots... If you're here, don't miss the miniatures!!

A miniature of Michelle Obama lighting a candle forecasts who are gathered at a table around her. In front of her are some wine glasses, above her is a crystal chandelier, and behind her is a fireplace with some flowers on the mantle and a painting behind them, flanked by two candles.

The architectural miniature set of the Obama Presidential Center grounds and buildings. I love miniatures! 😍

A view from one of the letters/words at the top of the museum building. You can see the Midway Plaisance cutting through the University of Chicago. You can see Rockefeller Church Tower right in the center of the "O".

Have you from the top of the museum building, starting from the bottom of the photo you can see the construction of the Women's Garden being completed, which leads to Jackson Park to the right and to the Museum of Science and Industry in the center of the photo and the shore of Hyde Park and its towers farther back in the distance.

𓏟 Seb 𓃣@chicagoseb· May 21

Different angles from the outside, some of the interior I'll show below !

I'm standing in front of the museum building on a past that leads to it. To the right of me or some pine trees and some grasses.

Work is still being done on the grounds. Here's the museum building, and some of the workers in bright yellow outfits in front of a blue fenced off area.
I'm a sucker for different hues of gray against blue.

This is our newest branch of the Chicago Public Library. Very tiny, but I appreciate the design of the architecture and the interiors.

There's an area with lots of picnic tables and grills for the public to use.

𓏟 Seb 𓃣@chicagoseb· May 21

I was fortunate enough to have been given special early access to the #ObamaCenter & new branch of #CPL #ChicagoPublicLibrary. It's also nice to get a sneak peek at a bit of my city's history. I was asked to refrain from showing too much of the interior until after June 4th, in the meantime... 🧵 👇🏻

I'm standing in front of the Museum at the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago. There's a woman photobombing behind me and a group of people farther back near the entrance to the museum and near large letters that say "MUSEUM" in a typeface style I really like and which reminds me a bit of the typeface used at the former Oriental Institute at UChicago (currently The Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures).

A view looking North from the South end of the public land and park area within nearly 20 acres of Center. It's a cloudy day, the walking paths are paved black and contrasting nicely against the lush green fluffy grass. There are trees scattered about and people walking in the distance.

Here I am pretending to be presidential (but looking goofy) at the recreation of the oval office during Obama's era. I'm sitting at a large wooden desk carved with the tailed reliefs, which include the seal of the United States with an eagle spreading its wings. In front of the desk is a chair. I'm sitting behind the desk and behind me is a table full of photos of the Obama family. Flanking the table are two flags.

A beautiful sculpture just outside one of the rooms of the library. I'm a sucker for beautiful arts and architecture... The sculpture seems like it represents an open book with something bursting out of the center.

𓏟 Seb 𓃣@chicagoseb· May 15

I'm playing around with watercolors this time. Here's a gouache illustration and 2 watercolor silhouettes of a #BlueHeron 🪶. I've also included a little peek into a portion of my Studio setup for curiosity's sake. 🎨😊🖌️

Watercolor and gouache blue herons. The heron on the top left corner is painted in bright gouache blues, greens, browns and yellows.
The other two are silhouettes. The silhouette in bottom shows the aftermath of a hunt. The heron is holding a fish freshly caught and dripping with water.

Part of my little studio. For smaller paintings I use a small simple easel that sits on the desktop. Behind it & to the left is a mug full of colored pencils and covered in little Stitch characters (One is actually sculpted and hanging on the edge from the inside next to the handle... I'm obsessed, I have three other mugs with different designs and a little Stitch hanging there >°<). To the right of that is a little sculpture bonsai made of Jade and other precious stones (it's inside the hole of the desk so you can't see the little square pot that it's in). Below that is a cup of coffee and the ceramic white pellets on top of a lazy Susan. Below my little easel are two little round white ceramic dishes that I use for paint. To the right of that is a lacquerware cup with a beautiful relief of a forest all around it in which I keep my brushes. Behind that is a small globe made of precious stones. Next to that is a tiny stand with three photos of me and my guy at a wedding. Below that is another little white ceramic dish full of pencil shavings. Below that is a pack of colored pencils next to a Bluetooth keyboard.
I tend to jump back and forth between watercolor, gouache, acrylic, colored pencil, pastels and graphite... Unless I want to sculpt something lol I'm all over the place!
I am lucky to have a window in the roof that I paint under and some studio lights for my photography.

𓏟 Seb 𓃣@chicagoseb· May 13

Pink #LilyOfTheValley blooming! 🌺

Tiny little bells of the lily of the valley in bloom, there are 8 and are probably less than 1/2 inch or maybe 3 or 4cm wide.

Tiny little bells of the lily of the valley in bloom, there are 3 plants full of them and they are probably less than 1/2 inch or maybe 3 or 4cm wide. >°< so litto

𓏟 Seb 𓃣@chicagoseb· May 11

A hungry #CubanTreeFrog 🐸 and a #CottonStainerBug 🪲 on a leaf Colored pencils, acrylic and fine-liner on sketch paper

An illustration of a Cuban Tree Frog ( Osteopilus septentrionalis ) patiently looking at a red Cotton Stainer Bug (Dysdercus suturellus) on a green leaf

𓏟 Seb 𓃣@chicagoseb· Apr 30

Here he is! There a point nearby It was early so he was probably getting warmed up

A beautiful Green Darner (Anax junius) clinging vertically to a branch on a flowering tree, probably a Juneberry tree.

𓏟 Seb 𓃣@chicagoseb· Apr 30

Can you see the invertebrate hiding among the flowers in this pic? 🪲 🌺 I'll post the close-up below! I went out to enjoy the sun and the blooms in #Chicago recently

A blooming Juneberry tree against a bright blue sky, a street and green grass. Somewhere among the white flowers is a beautiful insect hiding!

A shot of Chicago from a green grassy park. Some Juneberry trees are blooming to the left and some rocky climbing structures can be seen to the right. The grass is full of yellow dandelions 💛

𓏟 Seb 𓃣@chicagoseb· Apr 28

#Hyena mother and her cubs 🦊 There's a pencil sketch in the corner of a hyena face with a plump nose, but I might erase it 🤔