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:

City Abstracts, acrylic and charcoal on record album cover, 12x12, 2012


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:

Cornelia Arts Building Open Studios - Friday October 5th 6-10pm

We're having our Fall Open Studios at the Cornelia Arts Building this Friday night. Details below...

Cornelia Arts Building Open Studios
Friday, October 5, 2012
6pm - 10pm

1800 W. Cornelia
Chicago, IL 60657

We painted our studio and did some re-arranging - come check it out. Studio #201 on the second floor at the top of the stairs. We'll have some wine and snacks.

I'll be showing cityscape paintings, photos, and screen prints along with abstract face paintings. Here's a sneak peek:


The SamichBox food truck will be outside selling sandwiches. Plus, live music on the porch by "Old Town Pickers" (6-8pm) and "The As Is Collective and Wednesday Mornings" (8-10pm).

Street parking is easy and free on the surrounding neighborhood streets. Or, take the bus or L to Addison stop on the brown line. Walk one block south.

Here's a map.

Hope to see you!

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.

Underneath the L Tracks, oil and acrylic on panel, 18x24, 2012

Transformers, oil and acrylic on panel, 18x24, 2012

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 Ave. L Stop Photo at South Loop Acupuncture

Chicago Ave L Stop, digitally enhanced photograph, 2006


My photograph, Chicago Ave. L Stop, is now up as part of a show at South Loop Acupuncture. It was selected through my representation by Chicago Art Leasing. The image is part of my colored cityscapes series.

The Chicago Ave. L Stop on the Brown Line is one of my favorite stops. Located in River North, it's near the gallery district and a block away from where I worked my first job in the city.

Chicago Lakefront Skyline - finished commission painting

Chicago Lakefront Skyline, acrylic on panel, 30x60, 2012

I took me two months, but the Chicago Lakefront Skyline commission painting is finished! This was a very fun and challenging project where I pushed myself creatively and physically.

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! 

I'll have the painting on view in my Studio #201 at the Cornelia Arts Building Fall Open Studios.

October 5, 2012
6 - 10pm
1800 W. Cornelia, Studio #201
Chicago, IL 60657

Inspiration from Northern Michigan

We visited Glen Arbor, MI and the Sleeping Bear Dunes with my wife's family over the long Labor Day weekend. Staying in a house in the woods about 4 miles outside of town was relaxing, active, busy, and rejuvenating all at once.

This is the house we stayed in:

There were bike rides through hilly towns and bike paths, kayaking along the Crystal River, boating and tubing on Glen Arbor lake, and being the only people swimming at a secluded Lake Michigan beach.

What stuck with me was being surrounded by beautiful nature created after the last ice age was inspiring. It felt good to be out of the city and in a new place to think and clear the head.

I even had some time to create some sketches.

Looking forward to see how the new inspiration influences my art.

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...