Small Horizontal Collage

A small (10 x 30 inches) study for a larger collage. I have not yet determined it's orientation. Collaged India Ink on archival mat board. Very much derived from digital culture and fragments of the urban environment.

Two Quilt-like Collages

I found a roll of old, dusty, damaged drawings as I was cleaning the other day. I hid them away a year ago not quite knowing what to do with them at the time. Most were damaged or not entirely successful for one reason or another. I did rescue a few from the roll, flattened them and put them safely away, but the rest I have been cutting up and collaging into new pieces. I trimmed the interesting portions of the drawings into three inch triangles and proceeded arrange them in to patterns that remind me of a quilt I owned years ago. The colorful collage came first and the monochromatic was the second. I conceived them as a diptych but now that they are finished I'm less sure. Each panel; 32 x 40 inches, mixed media (including watercolor, india ink, acrylic paint, various papers...)

Greg and Mike

I came across this photo from last summer as I was preparing my Holiday gifts. It was shot on July 10, 2011 at about 5:00pm at Hollywood Beach in Chicago. Greg and Mike are dear friends of mine and we had spent the afternoon hanging out at this very crowded and active beach. Not only have I know Greg and Mike since I first moved to Chicago in 1986, but the two of them have been in a relationship since they met in college at the University of Illinois, twenty-five years ago. Over the span of our friendship I have photographed them regularly, usually in whatever style of photography I happen to be working in at the time. I have portraits of them as polaroid transfers, Kodachrome slides, digital panoramas, and various other formats. This is my most recent portrait of the two of them.

There are a number of things that I like in this image. To me the inclusion of the New York Times crossword puzzle is a connection to the photographic challenge of assembling multiple images in to one cohesive (?) image. And I guess by extension the crossword puzzle is a metaphor for all the larger questions of life and love. The stripes on Greg's green shirt, which nearer his head are almost aligned and toward the bottom are way off kilter, are an interesting measure of the challenge of piecing together photographic space. And of course the photo is such a nice record of our afternoon at the beach; the sun-screen, the thermos of cocktails, my camera case and pathetic white towel. I hope this series of Mike and Greg goes on for many more years.

India Ink Drawing on Chipboard

Recently my drawings are utilizing India Ink squeezed out of a plastic, narrow nosed, bottle as a tool. I like how inky and loose the drawings feel. And this method challenges all my perfectionist, controlling impulses. This image very much evokes the city and the built environment, but it descends into a morass of pattern toward the bottom. And how is depth indicated in a two dimensional plane anyway?

One More Train Photo

One additional train photo. Shot on Thursday, coming home from Terry's home after a lovely Birthday dinner. I was fairly bold with the camera, but then became paranoid and got off the train a stop early. It was a warmish evening and the walk home did me good after salmon, quinoa, asparagus and birthday cake.

Two Train Panoramas

This past month I've once again been making panoramic photos on the train. Not sure where this impulse comes from, except the train seems very dynamic these days. I suppose more people are riding it again, with the slow economy and all. There always seems to be some intriquing scene going on around me. I'm often on the train later in the evening, coming home from the north side. I have a good friend that lives very near the last stop on the Purple line, in Wilmette. So, at the end of most parties I have to jump on the train and make my way back to Lakeview and the Addison Red line stop. It's a little nervy of me to take out my camera (do most people mistake it for a phone?) and shoot a series of photos. To tell the truth I usually wait until I'm near my stop in case I have to make a quick exit. I get a couple looks that mark me as a perv - the things we do for art. The train is such a slice of Chicago life, not one that everyone experiences. It's a little thrilling, a little dangerous, and a lot voyeuristic.

New Collage

Very new; just finished yesterday morning, took about three days. India Ink on gray chip board, 32 x 40 inches. The pieces are made of the chip board, the black painted on a separate sheet, then cut up and applied as a layer. Consequently the collage has a 3D quality to it. If you look at the enlarged photo, (click on the small image), you can see some of the dimension.