Paintings: faceless people -- lost in a crowd

What I like about this series of paintings is the quick, loose brush strokes I used. They are based on photos and sketches of people on the street in New York City. I tried to capture the frenetic energy and movement of being on the street in Manhattan. This is also the first time I've used multiple people in a painting. Faceless people -- lost in a crowd. Usually, I just feature one person, so this was also an experiment in subject matter.

Painted most of these in late 2009. I am currently working on a new series of water tanks/cityscapes where I'm looking to bring back some of this looseness and immediacy.

There She Goes Again, acrylic on wood panel, 20x20, 2009


Times Square Crosswalk, acrylic on panel, 18x24, 2010


Yellow Dress, acrylic on canvas paper, 12x16, 2009


Blonde Cell Phone, acrylic on canvas paper, 12x16, 2009


Heading to the Subway, acrylic on canvas paper, 12x16, 2009


Headphones and Crowd, acrylic on canvas panel, 14x18, 2009


Productive studio day

A good fall weather mix of sun, clouds, slight breeze followed by dark clouds and rain made for a productive day at the studio.

I'm working on a series of water tanks. I have 3-4 in progress. This one is a painting from a photo I took near Leonard and Varick St. in Tribeca, NYC. More layers and details to go but starting to take more shape. The conté crayons are allowing me to alternate between sketch-like marks and paint. Fun process so far!

This next one is a small sketch on paper with conté crayon painted over an inkjet photo; a viewpoint near Chelsea off of the High Line in NYC. The walk along the High Line is one of the best views you'll get in Manhattan.

This sketch is an attempt to get the composition and cropping down, which explains the various border markings. I will eventually be turning it into a large-scale painting on a 36"x36" wood panel.

I haven't touched this next painting for about a year until today. Using conté crayons, I sketched over areas of the painting to create more depth and to give it a more immediate feel. Still more to go but it's feeling a lot closer to being done now. This is based on a close-up up Boticelli's Birth of Venus.

Thanks to those supporting local artists

Earlier this month I sold these three water tank paintings along with a screen print and photo at my studio during Ravenswood Art Walk. It's always great to sell some art but nice to have the support during this downturn in the economy. My wife and I decided that we needed to add more art to our collection so we took the money and bought a few pieces ourselves recently.





CBGB's Photos - 5 years closed

CBGB's - home of underground rock since the early 70's closed 5 years ago in October 2006. I was in NYC shortly after it closed and took shots of the exterior. The next day, I rode by in a cab on the way to the airport -- and the sign and graffiti were gone -- just painted white as if it never existed. But it did, 30 years of punk and alternative music blasted away on its stage. I was there a few times in the 90's -- way beyond it's late 70's and early 80's heyday -- but it still was cool. Dark, dingy, loud, smelly. You felt the musical history oozing out of the speakers and dripping down the walls.




 









More progress - NYC watertanks

I've added some more colors with art stix and paint. Building up the layers and trying to keep it loose. Working to give this new series a more immediate and sketch-like feel. Striving to capture the frenetic energy of the city. The painting below is based on a photograph I took in New York in The Village off of Bleeker St.

Art Walk + Open Studios This Weekend

It's the 10th Annual Ravenswood Art Walk this weekend, October 1-2. The Cornelia Arts Building (where I've had my studio for 5 years) is celebrating 25 years as a working artists' building.

Lots of art to see + food, drinks, live music. Come by the art walk and be sure to stop and say hello.

Ravenswood Art Walk
From Cornelia north to Lawrence
website

Cornelia Arts Building
1800 W. Cornelia
Studio #201
map

Here's a studio sneak peak: