City Abstracts
I've been in more of an experimental mood lately. I'm working on a series of abstract paintings but have also been creating the drawings below based on photos I took of the L tracks, steel bridges, water tanks and rooftops - focusing on the older city infrastructure. These follow a couple of other abstract paintings based on the L tracks.
I'm working to loosen up while also abstract the boring day-to-day city images we barely even notice. All images below are made with charcoal and acrylic paint on record album covers. You can view each drawing from the city abstracts series here.
Here is a shot of them all laid out on my studio floor:
Abstract paintings in progress
For the last few weeks, I've been working on a series of abstract paintings. I originally started with a bunch of sketches of abstract forms and organic shapes then moved on to the paintings. Still more layers of paint to go but here's where things are at...
These are on record album covers:
This one is on wood panel:
These are on canvas panel:
New L Tracks Paintings
This past week, I started a new series of paintings - abstracted images based on photos I shot of the L tracks. The two below were created from photos and sketches I made of the Brown Line near my studio.
After working on a very detailed skyline commission painting the last couple months, I attempted to loosen up and to create something more abstract but still recognizable. I used oil bars and acrylic on panel so the media is also somewhat of an experiment. Just changing to using oil bars gave me a more direct interaction with the image through drawing, smearing and mixing the colors with my fingers.
When placed next to each other, the wires and sharp angled lines move your eye around each painting and back-and-forth between each painting. By keeping it loose and exaggerating the shapes, I was able to give these paintings a sense of movement.
These two pieces have given me a new jumping off point both in media and subject matter. More city abstracts to come...
Chicago Lakefront Skyline - finished commission painting
I went on many long bike rides along the lakefront to take reference photos and also created images using Google Earth to get some of the views to create the composition. I even went to a professional sailboat race at Navy Pier for inspiration. Many days, I painted for 6 hours straight only taking bathroom breaks or to eat. And this was during the hottest summer ever in Chicago in a studio with no air conditioning!
Abstract Explosions
As planes buzzed the studio yesterday due to the air and water show, I worked on these two small abstracts. I painted them simultaneously to give them a cohesive color scheme. The soundtrack: Wilco's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.
Chicago Lakefront commission
The painting continues...
It's mid August and just realized I haven't made a blog post this month. Been busy helping out my wife with the Chicago Writers Conference.
Anyway, the lake/water is coming together and added some more layers to the ferris wheel and LSD this past week. Yesterday, I made some good progress on flushing out the buildings and beginning to add the details.
Next up: more building details and textures, the L train, and filling in some more Wrigley Field details...
Updated Chicago Lakefront painting
I've had to rework the boats in this painting a few times. Still some work to do but the composition is basically there. Many more layers of paint to add but I feel like it's really starting to take shape.
Chicago Lakefront Skyline - detailed views
I think it was the heat, because, yesterday this new commission painting took on some bright, psychedelic colors. Below are two shots - left-to-right, close-ups - along with a full view of the painting. The skyline has been filled out with shapes of buildings and parks. I shot some photos of sailboats over the weekend and need to re-work the boats using those images as reference. What's there now needs some work.
It was 101 degrees in the shade today - so too hot to work in a studio with no air conditioning. Time spent doing online research and household chores. But anyway, here's how the painting's looking...
Starting a new commission painting
A few weeks ago, I started a new commission painting. It's a Chicago cityscape that needs to include the lake, L train, iconic buildings, Navy Pier Ferris Wheel and Wrigley Field. A fun challenge!
I began by making sketches based on Google Earth screen captures and shooting on-site photographs while biking along the lake. Next, I made more sketches and started transferring the composition to the 30" x 60" custom wood panel surface.
Late last week I started the painting process. Some images of the work in progress are below. One is the full image and two are close-ups.
The composition is basically down and larger areas of color and shapes are starting to come together. There will definitely be a lot more details as I add more layers and flush out the cityscape. Also more details to the foreground too. Yesterday I got over a hump and was really able to add more movement and color with the additions of the boats and more details on the Ferris Wheel and Wrigley.
New water tank painting - Wicker Park - Milwaukee Ave
I finished this water tank painting last week. It's part of my cityscape series and can also be viewed on my website here.
What's new about this piece for me is the foliage in the foreground. I think it works well to create some depth and the green and yellow adds some nice contrasts to the reds and browns in the buildings. It's based on a photo I took after going to the Reckless Records in Wicker Park for Record Store Day this past April. Enjoy!