Michael McGuire

What I Made This Week

2012-02-05T12:23:00.000-08:00

Some see Michelle Peterson/Albandoz's infuence here. I see the influence of digital photography and specifically jpeg images. The piece is made of two layers of archival mat board, one painted, on taupe colored. I'll talk about my using paint in a later posting. The overall dimensions are 32 x 40 inches.

Large Tree Trunk Drawing

2012-01-29T14:44:00.000-08:00

I'm trying to post once a week, but this week I have nothing new to show. I've been busy working all week, cutting up paper, gluing, but completed nothing. So instead, I found a photo of a drawing from last spring. This drawing was part of the tight, photo-realistic, cross hatching drawings of last winter/spring. It was the only large one from the snowy tree series. There are pencil notes along the margins, noting what I was listening to, and what I was watching over the six days it took to cross hatch the entire thing. The texture is pretty amazing in person.

Collage, Collage, Collage

2012-01-22T11:36:00.000-08:00

I spent the last week making collages. Instead of cutting up old drawings, as I have been doing the last month, I now make drawings with the intention of cutting them up for future reassembly. In this case I made marks in India Ink with old cardboard, let it dry and cut it into strips. I had planned on further cutting the strips into squares but stopped at this stage because even I occasionally know when to stop. I'm thinking my usual June show at Las Manos will consist of collages.

Snow Day - January 12, 2012

2012-01-14T12:03:00.000-08:00

It has been a very warm winter. So the blizzard on Thursday was a bit of a shock. Not an unpleasant shock, it was beautiful in many ways, but I was not quite prepared for the cold and wet. I made this panorama from the roof of the building at the intersection of Clark and Halsted in Chicago. The parking garage is on the top of that building and it is open to the elements. My hands were numb and my back pack covered with snow by the time I finished making the individual photos for this panorama. once again I've been looking at and thinking about maps, and wondering what is the role of photography in mapping our world.

New Collage - January 2012

2012-01-14T10:41:00.000-08:00

Feeling better this week, got some work done, but I can't quite decide if and when things are finished. May cut this one up and rework it again. but as it stands now, has a direct relationship to the collage in the previous post. Has a very filmic quality to it. The size is 22 x 36, India Ink on paper.

I've been home with a cold all week....

2012-01-10T16:12:00.000-08:00

...Not a debilitating cold, but annoying and persistent, it went on for over a week. I would feel good one day and lousy the next. I feel guilty, (about so many things), but mostly about wasting time. As an antidote, I worked on a new collage for four days, thank goodness I had the materials on hand as I was not up for heading out to the art supply store. Day one; I loosely brushed India Ink on some archival grey mat board. Day two; I cut the inked mat board into free-form strips and glued those strips onto a full sheet of grey mat board. Day three; I cut that board into precise two inch strips using a metal rule.. And day four, I rearranged and glue those strips onto the third and final sheet of grey mat board. The final collage is 40 x 32 inches. I see it as referencing digital media and there is also a nice visual playfulness about it.

Small Horizontal Collage

2011-12-31T13:37:00.000-08:00

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

2011-12-31T12:36:00.000-08:00

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

2011-12-24T12:37:00.000-08:00

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

2011-12-24T10:06:00.000-08:00

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

2011-12-24T10:02:00.000-08:00

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

2011-12-17T08:53:00.000-08:00

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

2011-12-10T15:16:00.001-08:00

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.

Thanksgiving Has Cut Into My Work Schedule...

2011-11-26T12:26:00.000-08:00

But I did make a couple building drawings this week. This was the most successful one. I finally broke down and purchased a new technical pen, the previous pen lasted for over a year, and it only worked sporadically the last few months. The size is 19 x 24 inches and the media is ink on paper.

Large Housing Project Collage

2011-11-19T11:52:00.000-08:00

Small Housing Project Collage

2011-11-12T11:28:00.001-08:00

New idea. Approximate size: 12 x 26 inches.

Photo Collage

2011-11-12T10:50:00.001-08:00

Funny Story. Last year I sold a drawing to Polo Ralph Lauren. In transit the drawing was damaged. The box I built to send the drawing was crushed on its way to New York. I of course, offered to take the drawing back and exchange it for something similar, I was responsible for the inadaquate packing after all. Polo was kind enough to ship the damaged drawing back to me and in the return box, for protection I guess, there was a large section of a black and white photograph wrapped around my drawing. It was something that most likely had been used for in-store display and was damaged or for some other reason had been rejected. It was a large and the paper was of good quality. I won't mention what was depicted in the image, better to keep you guessing. It's creator and its history are not know to me. I destroyed the damaged drawing but held on to the photo thinking someday I might make of use of it, (and because I'm a packrat). Two weeks ago I had the impulse to cut the photo into two inch squares and then reassemble those pieces. It is a process I have been using in my India Ink drawings for a couple years, but had never employed using a photograph. I had some fun pieceing it together. Tried not to think about it too much. Let the pieces dictate their assembly, and employed a little problem solving for the last 15 minutes. The result; very Motherwell-like, and yet photo-based with hints of the animal world. I cannot make a decision about its orientation, I've turned it every which way. Settled on this direction but still unsure. I'd be happy to hear opinions about it, and if you have a guess as to what was depicted in the original photo....

Two New Building Drawings

2011-11-07T13:49:00.000-08:00

Two new drawings of buildings, could not be more different from each other. Both India ink on paper, both 18 by 24 inches.
The bottom drawing I used an instrument where the ink poured out of the nib. I could not control it and just dove in. I attempted to create tension between abstract mark making and the image of a building.
For the top drawing I pulled out the technical pen and made many more marks. It creates this gray tone wherein volumes are defined by the changes in density and line direction.

Photos From My Opening At Scout II

2011-10-22T16:29:00.000-07:00

I've been home all week with a cold and have not had a chance to recap my drawing show at Scout last weekend. It all went very well; Larry and his assistants at Scout, Cheryl and Corey, could not have been more helpful, encouraging and upbeat. The Friday night opening, as in years past, was very well attended, and I had to greet people from out on the street for a time when my claustrophobia kicked in. It was great to see everyone, and thanks for all the support. And thanks to Mieke Zuiderweg for the photos from Friday nights opening.

Large Map Drawing

2011-10-10T12:24:00.000-07:00

As an offshoot of my grid drawings I've been thinking of the urban grid and particularly Chicago's street grid which has as much regularity as almost any other American city. So I thought I'd try a drawing of the city layout and I've been wanting to work larger and this thing ended up very large. The drawing is actually on a oversized box opened up and flattened, and it's overall dimensions are 50 x 80 inches. To move the finished drawing from my studio to Las Manos Gallery I was able to fold it back up to it's original configuration but even at that size I had a hard time transporting it. It would not fit in a cab, nor into most conventionally sized cars. My friend Mieke has a small open ended truck and we finally worked out a time for her to pick up the drawing. Comes to pass that the time we chose for the move was the morning of the Chicago Marathon. I happen to live in an area where the marathon, at about it's eighth mile, surrounds me within a block on three sides. I'm at the norther apex of the race, and it's turning south around me. It has always been fun to head down to the street and watch the first part of the race. There is a lot of excitement and energy with the officials, spectators, music on the ground and the helicopters buzzing around us in the air. The wheel chair participants usually move through first, followed shortly after by the elite runners. The problem is, after that point the crowd of runners grows quickly and geometrically. By about a half an hour into the race the street is packed with runners and it is impossible to cross the street for a good ninety minutes. This of course is the time we had planned for Mieke to pick up the drawing. We devised a plan that I would walk the drawing two block from my home and she would pick it up outside the area of the race. The only real challenge to that plan would be how to cross the street.

Upcoming Drawing Show at Scout

2011-10-04T13:30:00.000-07:00

Beginning October 14, I will be showing new drawings at Scout, in Chicago's Andersonville neighborhood, as part of Andersonville Art Weekend. Larry Vodak, the owner of Scout is quite the writer and has written a very nice introduction to the show that was part of the e-vite we sent out this week. I have on occasion accused Larry of overwriting, and perhaps praising me too much, but it is so gratifying to have someone this enthusiastic about my work, I can not and will not complain. I hope everyone can make it. The Friday night opening is usually quite the party with good music, nice crowd and a few drinks. If you require quieter surroundings to contemplate art, come by on Saturday or Sunday of that weekend, I will be in the store both those days. As always, there is quite a variety of work but there are a few very strong pieces if I do say so myself. Hope to see you there.

Sketchbook Lake Watercolors

2011-09-27T12:18:00.001-07:00

Recent Watercolors

2011-09-20T14:08:00.001-07:00

A new series.
A return to watercolor.
A limited investigation of color.
A metaphor for the way I occasionally feel about the world.

Each drawing (I consider watercolor a drawing medium), 12 x 16 inches, on Arches cold press watercolor paper.

Labor Day in Michigan

2011-09-15T08:47:00.001-07:00

I spent Labor Day weekend in Lake county Michigan with my friend Laura Soskin. She is part of a design collective in Three Oaks called 'Trilogy' and they were celebrating their one year anniversary with a party on Saturday night. We also took in the opening night of the Outsider Art Fair at Judith Racht's gallery in Harbart on Friday night, hit numerous farmers markets and vegetable stands, spent an afternoon at the lake, saw a very cool and retro A-frame on the lake in Lakeside and ate many a good meals. One of the highlights for me was a visit to a new retail space on Red Arrow Highway at Sawyer Road, called 'Sojourn'.

At the Lake With Chuck Meyers

2011-09-10T08:34:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Up to ninety degrees today. There can't be too many more hot and humid days left this summer. After some work at home in the morning I head over to the lakes' edge with my watercolors and my bathing suit. I jump on my bike and pedal to the old rocks behind Waveland Golf Course, one of the few remaining areas of the old lakefront infrastructure. The rocks themselves have been in bad shape for years, and this year the gravel road that allows access to this area is eroding away with each storm. Most of the lakefront in Chicago has been converted in the last ten years to a stepped concrete structure that lack character or warmth, and makes it very difficult to swim. So I treasure the old rocks. They are nostalgic and inviting. This summer I've found a particularly good spot for swimming and painting. If the water temperature is moderate there are any number of places to jump in. The bigger problem is getting out of the water gracefully. There are obstacles such as large metal pilings and large rocks at all sorts of angles. The rocks get covered with algae and become very treacherous. But I'm careful and adventurous so I come to this place often. My friend Chuck Meyers, a very talented painter, likes to swim in the lake also and we have for the last few years we have swum together here along these rocks. I'm a firm believer in never swimming alone and it's good to have a partner when swimming in Lake Michigan. Chuck likes to get in and swim down the shoreline for a good distance. He can be in the water for 30 minutes. I on the other hand, particularly when it's warm, am one to jump in and out of the water repeatedly. Swimming a bit with each immersion but never too far at one time. I like the feeling of drying off in the hot sun after a plunge into the chilly water, and then getting hot and repeating the experience. And as a note the water is cold, and clear, and refreshing, some days you can see all the golf balls that have been hit into the water over the summer. Chuck does not like me to take photos of him, and I respect that. I can usually persuade him to allow one photo for the sake of record keeping. But the photo today turned out so well, and it captures this place at the lake so nicely, I had to post it.

Be sure to check out Chuck's website at: ChuckMeyers.com

What Am I Thinking?

2011-08-25T16:26:00.000-07:00

That is the question I have been asking myself all week. I continue to make drawings by dipping various materials, mostly cardboard and foamcore, in India Ink and making marks by pressing their inky edges on the paper. In a way the results are a form of monotype, just one where the print is built piece by piece, mark by mark. I've been fustrated by the results and have resolved to move on a number of times. And yet I return to this technique feeling like I haven't really pinpointed what it is I'm after conceptually and visually. There are a few things I like in the process; the removal of the hand in the mark making, the inky splattered quality of the mark, and the process moves along relativly quickly. So these are the latest drawings using this approach, created just this week. Based on simple geometry, really more arithmatic based than geometry base. In retrospect, I find both the process and the result meditative. Once the concept is determined, the execution follows, an idea straight out of Sol LeWitt's '15 sentences on art'. The finished drawings are like 'mandalas', made to be stared at. They alude to many things, I don't want to mention what, but this morning I Googled; TV test patterns, Parcheesi, various city plans, rubiks cube, Japanese window screens, Chinese window screens, mandalas, Sol LeWitt...

At this point there are four drawings in the series. I'd like to create nine all together, there seems to be a nice symmetry in that number given there are nine squares made up of nine smaller squares in each drawing. The drawings are large, the paper at this point is 42 x 50 inches, but could be trimmed at some point. The inked area is approximatly 28 by 28 inches in each drawing and all are made with India Ink on Strathmore water color paper.

Dog Sitting in Wilmette

2011-08-14T12:20:00.000-07:00

I spent the first week of August dog/house sitting in Wilmette. I always try to bring a project or two with me when I'm up in the suburbs to take advantage of the time and place to make some art. I like to thing of it as an Art Residency with a dog, a house and a car. I like this particular dog, his name is Frankie and he is adorable. He and I would sit out int he back yard and I would work on the out door table. This year it's india ink and grid-like drawings. On a dog walk I found some cardboard and it made sense to me to draw on the found materials. Here are two examples.

New City of Chicago Nighttime Panorama

2011-07-30T13:48:00.000-07:00

I found an older set of photos from a few years ago that I had never assembled into panorama. This work comes from a period when I was shooting panoramas of Chicago from the top floors of parking garages, mostly in the evening or night, always in color. The idea was all about free access to views of the city and an updating of the tradition of urban panoramic views. I still think the photos have a nice quality about them and as time goes on, the sense of a beautiful isolation becomes more evident.

Steamy Weather - A Day at the Waters Edge

2011-07-24T16:33:00.001-07:00

Thursday July 21, 2011
Another hot and humid day. My poor air conditioner can barely keep up. I live in a mid-rise building and we have what are essentially window AC units but built into our walls. Mine is old and still puts out some cool air, but is a bit noisy and we are now into day five of this hot spell and the poor thing is exhausted and dripping water. I just cannot run it all day and night so my strategy is to save it for sleep and when I need to be working in my condo during the daytime. So one of my thoughts was to spend the afternoons at the lake where, if we are lucky there will be a bit of a 'lake breeze' and I can always jump in the water if necessary. I brought along a few art supplies including my watercolor set thinking I might revisit a series of drawings I created three years ago. I like to go swimming at a spot behind a nearby public golf course. The infrastructure at the waters edge is still the old stepped rocks that made up the Chicago Lakefront since at least the 1950's. Most of these rocks have been replaced now with new, cold, unfriendly concrete steps that not only do not appeal esthetically but also are very difficult to swim from. There are only a couple place in Chicago where these old rocks remain for the most part they are in ramshackle condition. This spot is no exception. Rocks have shifted much over the years and most of the retaining wall has been worn away. Over the past winter much of the gravel road that runs between the golf course the water was eroded away and access has been restricted. You can still walk or ride your bike in but I fear that this area will be closed off completely soon.

I pull out my watercolors and sketchbook, randomly put out a color, and of course, first thing proceed to knock the paint on to the sketchbook and a little bit soaks into the edge of every page. I’m fustrated, it's hot, my sweat is mixed with sunscreen, and there is no breeze. The water is so cold that I can only jump in and get out immediately without my feet becoming numb. This does not put me in the best mood and I do not really have paper or paint to waste. But I persevere thinking it will be a good exercise. I don't really know color, I don't use it much, and have to rely on the color on the labels, which aren't particularly accurate, to indicate which colors and shades I might use. But I can see the color of the water and I can see what is on my makeshift palette and do the best I can. As the afternoon goes on, and the shadows get longer, the air cools a bit, and I become used to the chilly water. I swim between each sketch, and end up making three. This was the best one and I was able to trim the spilled paint off the edge. Maybe this spot has some potential, and next time I'll be better prepared.

Gay Pride Panorama

2011-07-05T16:31:00.000-07:00

The Gay Pride Parade took place in Chicago on Sunday June 26th. I live in the neighborhood that it meanders through and for the last nine years I have hosted a brunch before all the the start of the parade. The idea is to get a little food into people and a little sunscreen applied before we head out onto the street and cheer on our people. During the parade, if someone needs a bathroom, or a refresher on their cocktail, my condo is a half block away. When the parade is over, or as was the case this year, at the three hour mark and we couldn't take any more, we head back to my place to regroup. Some people eat, one person took a short nap, and mostly we sit on my balcony and relax. Then the hearty few that remain head out into the chaos of the post-parade street. We head to what we call 'ground zero', the corner of Halsted and Roscoe streets and take in the scene. Every year I try to make a panoramic photo of the landscape, but by this point in the day I've had one too many drinks and I can never quite make it fall together cohesively. This year was no exception. Valiant try but not quite there. You can see a few of my friends, Greg and Mike Anderson, and their niece Phyllis slightly to the left of center under the Roscoe Street sign.

My Show At Las Manos

2011-07-05T16:28:00.000-07:00

My show at Las Manos is up on the walls.

Crazy Weather-Thursday June30, 2011-10:15pm

2011-07-03T10:47:00.000-07:00

The weather this week has been quite varied; hot, cool, dry, very wet... This evening a front moved through. It was hot and sticky all day. Then the temperature dropped ten degrees late afternoon. But this crazy storm did not move in until later that night. The lightning was occurring with a frequency that I had never experienced before. Perfect conditions to capture lightning on a camera. I was on my balcony holding my finger on the camera button and mostly randomly I would take a shot. The exposures were slightly long, something near two seconds, and that increases the likelihood that one might capture something. I shot a lot. Some bolts were so close to my building, I'm on the seventeen floor, that I would run inside for a minute or two. You could feel the static electricity and hear a crackling sound just before a big bolt.

Upcoming June Show at Las Manos Gallery

2011-06-07T13:25:00.000-07:00

This is the e-vite card for my up coming show at Las Manos Gallery. I picked up the work today from the framers and I have to say it looks good. The show opens this Friday, June 10, 2011 but we will not hold the reception until the following Friday to avoid the craziness of Andersonville Midsommarfest which takes place the weekend of June 11 and 12. Stop by if you get a chance.

The Fog Rolls In

2011-05-22T14:22:00.000-07:00

Last week we had two days where the weather was sunny and warm and then come late afternoon the wind changed directions and brought in a fog off the lake. The lake temperature is still very cold and that cool moist air hits the warm land mass and you have fog. I went out both days and shot photos, here are two of my favorites.

Patriotic Dumpster

2011-05-20T13:54:00.001-07:00

This dumpster has been hanging around my neighborhood for the last month or two. It disappeared last week, presumably to be emptied and now it has reapeared and I thought I'd better photograph it before it goes away forever. The yellow sticker caught my eye initially, with it's reference to the immigration issue that hovers around our country these days. But as I was assembling it I noticed so many other wonderful details.

Extra Large Drawing

2011-05-15T11:02:00.000-07:00

I've been working on a huge drawing. I had a larger roll of good watercolor paper that I been saving for just the right project and after a bit of work 'counter rolling' it, I decided to jump in and make the largest drawing I've ever attempted. The media is India Ink and I'm using foam-core and cardboard to make the marks. Dipping the ends of the two materials into the ink and them pressing them onto the paper makes for some interesting impressions and by extension some interesting drawings. The work goes relatively quickly, given the size, but I can only work on a small portion of it at a time given my workspace, and then any section has to fully dry before I can move on to the next area. So these drawings develop over days and are difficult to view fully from any distance. The drawings can be interpreted in any numbers of ways, but of course I think of towers and the Tower of Babalon in particular. The hubris implied in the story of the Tower of Babylon is evident in a drawing that is too unweildiy to view in my studio, to large to hang in the gallery, and impossible to frame. A few photos of the process and the drawing so far.

New Crosshatch Drawings

2011-05-10T18:01:00.001-07:00

I'm in the final stages of preparing for a June show at Las Manos Gallery in Chicago. I'm working on a last few cross hatch drawings to complete two distinct series. One series is called 'Winter Trees' and the other, unnamed at this point, has to do with recreating famous art works in the crosshatch technique. The latter series includes the pictured Marilyn and a Rothko that I'm keep under wraps. Silly idea but I felt the impulse.

The June show at Las Manos begins the weekend of the 11th and will run into July. More information to follow soon.

April Drawings

2011-04-26T17:59:00.000-07:00

This month I've been making new drawings using foam-core and cardboard. I dip the ends of each material in ink and make impressions on a piece of paper. The advantage is a new type of mark-making for me. I'm still drawing with the materials but my hand is not as primary. Of course it's mostly been variations on grids but i enjoy the quality of the ink and the spills are sincere and not planned or manipulated at all. This week I'm working on a very large version of these two drawings, (these could be considered studies, even at 44 x 50 inches in scale.

Melissa's Birthday Photo

2011-04-12T16:27:00.000-07:00

My friend Melissa had a big birthday last year, I won't say which one, and I made a panoramic photograph to commemorate the occasion. I gave her a print of the image and she immediately had a unique idea on how to frame the photo. It was not an approach that had ever occurred to me, leave it to a non-artist to come up with something unusual. The framing presented some issues to my framer, Leif at 'Wall to Wall' Framing in Chicago. But he loves a challenge and after some time problem-solving, came up with a beautiful finished product. We installed the piece last weekend, made a party out of it, and I'm posting both the original photo and the finished product as it hangs on Melissa's wall. It gives me an idea for a future installation!

Queen Anne's Lace - Triptych

2011-04-10T11:15:00.000-07:00

I spent the last week of March house/dog sitting in Wilmette. I did the same thing last year for spring break and the weather was 70 degrees all week. This year the weather was cold, 30 degrees and cloudy. I always try to bring a project with me while in the suburbs and this year being trapped inside most of the time, I cross hatched a triptych of plant forms. The image came from the bird sanctuary near Montrose Harbor in Chicago. The drawing moves from chaos and density, up toward simplicity and clear form. It did take almost 40 hours of crosshatching, but they had good cable and I broke up the days with dog walks. Each panel is approximately 12 x 19 inches.

Dog Beach Photo

2011-03-15T16:12:00.000-07:00

Someone asked me about my 'Dog Beach' photo and I pointed them to this blog. They could not find it. I would have sworn I posted it months ago, it's an older image, but I don't see it on here either. Anyway, here it is, possibly for the second time. The dog beach is in Chicago along the Lake Michigan lakefront between Montrose Avenue Beach and Foster Avenue Beach. It is very large and during the warmer months full of all types of dogs. This photo captures something of the crazy energy that happens there. I photoshopped my friend, (and Gallery owner), Michelle' dogs in years ago. She had to put one of them down this month, and he will be missed. His name was Scooter and in this photo I referred to him as 'the critic'. Take a guess at which dog I am referring to.

More Winter Drawings

2011-03-15T16:04:00.000-07:00

I find the drawings of the tree trunks are very intriuging, but I'm alternating points of view between close ups and stepping further back. Can't decide if this is one series or two or how many drawings will constitute a series; probably as long as my cross-hatching hand can hold out. Two new drawings from the series.

Winter Drawings

2011-02-27T13:16:00.000-08:00

Two new winter drawings. I crosshatched these from photographs. The first drawing is about order out of chaos and has a direct connection to the telephone pole drawings. The second drawings seems to be about an image emerging from a mass of crosshatched lines. Their dimensions are roughly 13 x 19 inches.

Polo Ralph Lauren

2011-02-17T18:12:00.000-08:00

Polo Ralph Lauren has been very supportive of my work over the last few years. They have purchased numerous drawings as they open new stores across the globe. My work has gone to Polo stores in Milan, Shanghai and Dubai to mention a few.

This month they will be displaying four of my drawings in their new store at 867 Madison Avenue in New York, in the home department. Today they sent me images of the installation and they look amazing. I'm so happy and proud to be a part of this great new space. The drawings will be for sale, so if you are in New York be sure to stop by and take a look.

Summer Pool Photo

2011-01-25T17:31:00.000-08:00

Found this photo on my hard-drive. Shot last summer from my balcony of the pool 17 floors below. The life guard had arrived early for his shift that day and after swimming his laps was soaking up the sun and warmth. I liked the image for a variety of reasons. Be sure to click on it and look at the large version. It's a big dose of summer.

New Color Photographs

2011-01-25T16:05:00.000-08:00

The next show at Las Manos Gallery focuses on color photography. I've pulled together a few new panoramas and will be participating. The show opens on February 11, 2011 and there will be a reception that evening from 7 to 10pm. The top photo is an example of a photo that I shoot 'flat', that is I shoot the images in such a way that all reference to perspective is removed. The bottom photo was made on State Street at Washington Street in Chicago. It is part of a series shot from the same spot during different times of the year. it is an example of allowing photographic perspective be evident, hence the sense of a horizon line and multiple vanishing points.

Montrose Beach

2011-01-16T13:37:00.001-08:00

It's the dead of winter and I'm fighting a cold and have cabin fever. Memories of the summer and the slowly lengthening days are what sustain me. Here is a photo from Montrose Beach shot in the late afternoon on a warm July day. Enjoy and know that warmer days will be here soon.

Labels

2010-12-14T18:20:00.000-08:00

Now that the postings are mounting, I wanted to mention how helpful the labels can be to look at a specific subject. For example if you are looking for India Ink drawings, be sure to click on the label 'india Ink' and all of the posts with that link attached to it should pop up. Some helpful labels might be: Chicago, panorama, drawing... They appear at the bottom of each post. I will include them all here. Give it a try, don't be afraid.

Mirror Lake

2010-12-14T17:39:00.000-08:00

Here are a few photos from a series I made in 2007-2008 called 'Mirror Lake'. All the original images were made in Chicago, along the lake front. I won't say anything about my manipulation of the photos, it's obvious and the title of the series, says it all. They have a quality about them that evokes, for myself, a feeling of being near the waters edge of Lake Michigan. There are still a few of the original images floating around Las Manos Gallery; and the Gage Restaurant on Michigan Avenue has a couple very large prints in their dining rooms from this series.

Winter Panorama

2010-12-14T17:35:00.000-08:00

Tulips

2010-12-14T17:27:00.000-08:00

As an antidote to all this cold weather, a tulip drawing from last summer.

Winter Storm in Chicago

2010-12-12T12:54:00.001-08:00

Early winter continues to rage on. Today it's snow, tomorrow the temperature drops dramatically. This photo is a couple years old and has never been printed or shown. I thought I might shoot a series of panoramas of pedestrians on State Street in Chicago during different times of the year. I did not get very far on the series but this winter one was fun to construct. I'm standing at the corner of State Street and Washington in the Loop. The clock is on the old Marshall Fields building, now Macy's. Some day I will finish the series, I have a good image of people in the rain, and another of people on their cell phones. Keep warm where ever you are.

The Last Telephone Pole Drawing?

2010-12-09T07:52:00.000-08:00

I have plowed my way through nine drawings in the 'Telephone Pole' series. Pictured is the ninth, and for now, the last drawing in the series. The drawings became a little more complex as the series progressed as I searched for more, and then more, over-burdened telephone poles in and around the north-side of Chicago. I would take my bike and camera out on a warmish fall days and ride up and down the alleys of Lakeview and Uptown. Neighborhoods with dense housing stock and a population of internet and cable users made for good hunting grounds. The cross hatching did not get any easier as I moved through the nine drawings; The large, inky areas generally went quickly but I sitll had anxiety when faced with all those long, thin, telephone lines. One slip and....

No plans to show the drawings at this time. The still need to be trimmed and signed. It feels good to have a series finished and in the bag, now I need to determine just the right context in which to show them. You can see the rest of them in a couple earlier postings. Use the labels at the bottom to see posts by catagories, in this case click on telephone poles. They deserved to be framed and I'll have to save up some cash to make that happen. I see them in a three by three grid, in perhaps natural wood frames. No rush.

Winter Has Arrived Early

2010-12-09T07:08:00.000-08:00

The image is a panorama made off my balcony last weekend, during our first big snow. It's early December and we have already had two significant snowfalls and weeks of very cold weather. Winter is in full swing and we are all in a bit of shock with the sudden transition from the warm summer and prolonged fall. I'm hopeful that a cold December makes for a warmish January. That's what happened last year; frigid in December then the rest of the winter mild with an early spring.

I do love the winter view from my windows. The snow softens the city. As a word of explanation; the tall buildings on the left of the photo run along Lake Shore Drive, but there are no tall buildings directly in front my building. The roof tops at the bottom of the photo run along Hawthorne Place, as street full of many beautiful historic homes. You can usually see downtown Chicago off in the distance, but not on a snowy day. This image could become my default Holiday card.

Soskin Holiday Card

2010-11-28T09:49:00.000-08:00

For the past four years I have made the Holiday card for my friends the Soskin family. I think of it as a series in which I make one image per year. The images are usually made on or around Thanksgiving Day and I collaborate with the Soskins on ideas for the shoot. Once the images are taken I put the final version together on my own. This years card came out well; it works as a Holiday card; as a document of the family; and conceptually has some interesting things occuring. The family signs the card in there own way and I like the idea of a further intervention into my work with their own hand.

What's On My Wall

2010-11-27T12:36:00.000-08:00

I use the wall in my livingroom as a place to comtemplate visual art. New work will get taped up on the painted concrete for me to ponder upon. Different light, different times of day, different states of mind, all give me a chance to look at my own work with a fresh view. I like to catch my self off guard looking at the work as if I wasn't the creator. Often I see something I hadn't anticipated during the process of making the piece.
I hope to post a photograph regularly, (once a week may be too often, if doesn't change that quickly), to show what is currently on my mind and what I have been producing recently.
Can you spot: my new telephone pole drawings, the Soskin Holiday card, Virginia Hurley life drawing on scratch board, an old city panorama, the devil left over from Halloween, test prints from the 'Houseing Project' series....?

Article in Chicago Home and Garden

2010-11-27T11:37:00.000-08:00

The most recent inssue of 'Chicago Home and Garden' has a big article on designer Michael Del Piero and features an interior by her that includes a series of my 'Basket' drawings. Michael's work is very tonal and sophisticated; very much about texture and patina. I'm so happy to have my work incorporated into one of her spectacular spaces. Those drawings have never looked better.

Check out Michael's web site at: MichaelDelPiero.com

The Stormy Weather Moves In

2010-11-19T17:08:00.000-08:00

As much as we try to ignore it and pretend it won't happen Fall is creeping upon us. The weather at Lake Michigan has been dramatic and inspiring this season. These two photos are a few years old but the weather they depict occurs time and again in Chicago.

My Show at Scout

2010-10-26T18:05:00.000-07:00

I finally have some photos from my opening at Scout at the beginning of the month. Thanks to Mieke Zuiderweg for taking these great photos when all the rest of us forgot to pull out our cameras. Mieke is the go-to person if you need an event covered. She always manages to find the beauty in a chaotic environment. And the opening did get quite rambunctious by the final hour. We had a great crowd and the music got louder by the hour. Thanks to everyone who showed up and made it such a festive evening.

All The City Panoramas On One Page

2010-10-26T17:47:00.000-07:00

Telephone Pole Drawings

2010-10-26T17:32:00.000-07:00

I'm working on a new series of drawings this month. I know the image of the telephone pole in silhouette is a bit of a cliche but I am intrigued by the chaos of these ubiquitous totems with the addition of cable and internet to our lives. We are so overwhelmed by information in all forms now, and the drawings, based on photos, and created by cross hatching with a technical pen, are one response to the overload.

Fall Is Here

2010-10-26T17:12:00.000-07:00

Fall has arrived and to mark the occasion I'm posting a couple newish photographs. One was made last fall and the other a couple weeks ago. I'm facinated by the way vines crawl across building as if you can see the motion of their progress.

New Orchid Drawings

2010-09-28T14:21:00.000-07:00

A couple of new orchid drawings, simple, minimal, understated. They will be in the upcoming show at Scout.

Symmetrical Hosta

2010-09-26T09:13:00.000-07:00

This is a drawing from a series I made in June of this year. The drawings are large, (38 x 50 inches), and the materials are India Ink on paper. I framed a two for the upcoming show at Scout and one of these drawing we split down the middle are framing the two halves seperately and presenting them as a pair. Can't wait to see how it comes out.

Save The Date - Scout - October 2010

2010-09-26T09:06:00.000-07:00

There is a typo, can you find it?

Another Foliage Drawing

2010-09-19T17:13:00.001-07:00

I've Been Busy Preparing For The Fall

2010-09-19T16:57:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't been posting more regularly. I've been busy preparing for this fall, and some shows I have coming up in the next month. I don't have much to show today but I wanted to put up one new drawing to wet your whistle. I'm participating in the Andersonville Arts Weekend, part of Chicago Artist's Month, in October. Scout, a wonderful urban furniture store in Chicago on Clark Steet in Andersonville will show my newest drawings starting on October 8th. I've been inspired by the fantastic summer we had these past few months. The plants and foliage have responded with an explosion of growth and vitality that I have never experienced as long as I have lived in Chicago. I plan to post more soon.

Do you see faces in the facades of buildings?

2010-08-15T14:29:00.000-07:00

I was actually going another direction with these photos after the first few images, but this image took on a life of it's own. I was initially thinking robots or something sci-fi related when I began this series, but this image read so clearly as a face I couldn't fight it. Robot face? Perhaps, but there is something nice about the patterning in the window panes.

New Photo

2010-08-15T14:19:00.000-07:00

I have shot the facades of buildings on and off for years. I was helping my friend Melissa install her window air conditioner a few weeks ago and she had a great view directly across to a neighboring building. I shot a few images and worked on them in the computer when I got home. Once you square up the building structure you have a palette of building block with which to play. The resultant image suggests a few thing to me but I will save that for the next post.

Baskets

2010-07-30T16:15:00.000-07:00

One of my first forays into India ink was a series of basket drawings made in early 2007. I recently came across three remaining ones and think they make a nice series. You can see the connection to the later large boxes and to the most recent grids. They are modest in scale at 18 x 24 inches each.

Grids

2010-07-30T15:52:00.000-07:00

There has been interest in some grid drawings I've been making recently. I sold a couple to Polo Ralph Lauren for their new Shanghai store. Very straight forward process pieces that require some concentration and a steady hand on my part. They are difficult to make out in digital photos. Be sure to click on the thumbnail to see the larger version. It shows what to me are the most interesting qualities of the drawings; the hand, and the variation in line weight.

Photo of Me

2010-07-12T15:28:00.000-07:00

My friend Vicki Quade took this photo of me in Las Manos Gallery while my drawing show was on the walls. I don't usually like photos of my self but this one is not bad.

Box On Box

2010-07-12T15:22:00.000-07:00

A couple of drawings from last winter. I was using recycled boxes from my groceries to practice my drawing and ended up enjoying the conceptual connection, and of course the idea of reuse.

Drawings at Las Manos Gallery

2010-06-22T17:35:00.000-07:00

The show at Las Manos Gallery is going well. I put up quite a few drawings, most newish, but a few from years back, and packed the wall full. It was easy to lay out on the floor of the gallery but getting it up on the wall was a challenge, I had no reference point to work off of. I made a quick panoramic photograph the day we hung the show for a pricing guide. I thought I'd be able to better document the installation as the month went on, but of course we've sold some at the opening reception and people just had to take them with them. So this is the only photograph of the original installation. It's rough and parts of it are out of focus. But it does give you a sense of the array of work. Be sure to stop by Las Manos if you get a chance, the show is up through the end of June. Or check out the website, (lasmanosgallery.com).

New Drawings, Ode to Verdant Summer

2010-06-22T17:23:00.000-07:00

It's now officially summer. And the weather, the foliage and the temperature all indicate that we are in for a long season. A few years ago I made a series of drawings based on some Hostas in the backyard of some friends. This year, with the warm sping and plentiful rain, the plants, including hostas, are in their full glory. I've been inspired again to visit the ubiquitous hosta plant. I love the architectural nature of the leaves. I also have been folding the paper on itself to change the quality of the line and you get this wonderful mirrored, Rorsach-like, early Warholish image. Both of these drawings are large, 38 x 50 inches, and they just envelope you when you stand in front of them.

It Must Be Summer, The Pool Is Open!

2010-06-12T18:02:00.000-07:00

A photo from a couple years ago. Shot from my balcony overlooking the pool in my building. Collaged from over 100 images, not exactly true to life, but catches the spirit of the place. Here's to a good summer for swimming.

Small Studies

2010-05-30T10:37:00.000-07:00

I found a box of miscellanious pieces from an earlier project and spent part of this week assembling them into small studies. Abstract; don't know what they mean, created more instinctually than intellectually. All are India Ink on toned, archival, mat board, with overall dimensions of 8 x 10 inches. Fifteen in total.

The Straw That May Have Broke The Camels Back

2010-05-11T18:10:00.000-07:00

My most recent drawing in the branches series. I was not only abitious to begin with, but then halfway through, I pulled out my technical pen to work out a few problem areas. Suddenly I was in obsessive detail hell and it took me four days to get out of it. This was not what I intended when I began this series and it is not a way of working that I particularly enjoy. Thank goodness there was a 'Law and Order' marathon on cable. The drawing turned out well but the process was not what I am after. I may have one more drawing of this type in me, sans technical pen. There is one other image I want to explore but then I will move on to last minute things for my upcoming show.

An Older Train Photograph

2010-05-11T17:34:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder that I do take photos. The photograph here is a few years old but has been a popular one over time. I limit the editions of my photos to 25 and I believe this particular image is at number 19. This series came out of my first foray into digital photography and in a sense I created faux, idealized, panoramas of Chicago. This is a prime example. All of these structures do exist but not in the manner depicted. And now with the passage of time a number of other buildings have sprung up around the one depicted. There is a large five piece installation of this piece in the Gage Restaurant on Michigan Avenue in Chicago and it's impressive.

June Show at Las Manos Gallery

2010-05-11T17:20:00.000-07:00

This week I've been finishing drawings and making framing decisions for my up coming show at Las Manos Gallery. I will be showing with Michelle Peterson/Albandoz and Paul Clark. Each of our bodies of work, while in differnt media and about different things have a really nice connetion. It should be a really good show. If you don't know the gallery you must check out it's website (http://lasmanosgallery.com/) or stop in if you are in Chicago. Las Manos is located in Chicago's Andersonville neighborhood on the north side of the city and it's quite little design and art destination. The address is 5220 N. Clark St. (Clark and Foster) and although the hours are limited you can always call for an appointment. I'm posting the postcard images and feel free to contact the gallery with any questions.

Two New Branch Drawings

2010-04-27T16:36:00.000-07:00

I've been diligent this week about making work. I have a show coming up in June and deadlines are quickly approaching. Four new branch drawings were created this week as well as a new photo, (not competely assembled yet). Here are two of the newest branch drawings. India ink on bristol paper, 13x17 inches.

Branch Drawings (From Photographs)

2010-04-18T09:16:00.000-07:00

This week I continue to make drawings of spring branches, but now from photographs. I rarely work from photos when drawing but in this case it helps disentangle the vast amount of information I have to contend with when I look at these branches. I love the systems that emerge from the chaos of the foliage. And the density and quality of contrasty black and white actually evokes the feeling of these early spring days; the budding trees and the sunlight filtering through them. All drawings are approximately 13 x17 inches, (although I may trim them a bit once the series is finished), and india ink on bristol paper.

Branch Drawings (From Observation)

2010-04-11T08:57:00.000-07:00

I spent last week dog sitting in the suburbs. It was unusually warm for late March/early April and the dog and I spent much time in the back yard. A few trees were just starting to form buds and I took advantage of three warm days in a row to make a few drawings of the branches of the surrounding trees. The drawings are all India Ink on 14 x 17 Bristol paper and have a slightly naive and simplified quality as I attempted to make sense of the complex branching systems I was observing.

I Am Hopeful About Spring

2010-03-21T15:00:00.000-07:00

The weather is up and down this month, not unusual for Chicago at this time of year, but I am hopeful that spring is on the way. I'm not sure when this photo was made but it fits my vernal mood. Shot from the Montrose Harbor Bird Sactuary (the Magic Hedge) look south towards the city.

And a New Box Drawing

2010-03-21T13:03:00.000-07:00

I just made this drawing. It is a direction which I am moving with these boxes; change in line weight and exploring dividing up the volume.

Three Old Box Drawings

2010-03-21T10:47:00.000-07:00

I had a request for a box drawing when I was in Florida so when I returned I unearthed four and was able to sell one. These three remain and I'm intrigued by the idea once again. I'm thinking of mixing up the line weight and toying with volume.

Quick Trip to Florida

2010-03-14T10:48:00.000-07:00

I'm just back from a short trip to Florida. Very quick but I worked in a sketch book while I was there; Ink drawings with a wash of Paine's Grey. It was great to see the sun, feel it's warmth and color, and hang at the beach.

Two New Drawings

2010-03-02T17:33:00.000-08:00

India ink on archival, toned, Crescent board. Two inch squares reassembled.

Horizontal Drawing

2010-03-02T17:29:00.001-08:00

Does this drawing have a connection to the photographs in the previous post? New drawing using cereal boxes, painted on with India Ink, cut into 2 inch squares and reassembled. Note the change in background colors from the differing boxes.

Two Old Photographs

2010-02-28T13:58:00.000-08:00

I've been digging through some old images and came across these two from 2007. They have connections to some of the drawing work I'm doing these days. So many of these public housing buildings are being destroyed every year, they may soon be a thing of the past.

Triptych

2010-02-17T16:05:00.000-08:00

I was over ambitious while designing and making this triptych. The original idea came together quickly but the assembly took about two weeks. My work space is really too small for a piece of this size and at least twice I had to disassemble and store it away while entertaining. The gluing took longer than I expected and I even had my friend Kathy come by one day to assist.

I'm happy with the way the whole thing fell together. The varying types of marks work with each other and the overall affect is near to what I had hoped; an overlap of Japanese Screens and my panoramic photos from the Magic Hedge. It is large, each panel is 48 x 36 inches and I'm planning on framing them separately but present them as a piece.

I Have Been Hard At Work

2010-01-24T14:11:00.000-08:00

Trying to work through the January blahs, it is a struggle some times. but I continue to cut apart old India Ink drawings and reassembling them. This is the newest one.

Black and White Magic Hedge Photos

2010-01-20T15:34:00.000-08:00

These are two black and white panoramic photos made at the magic hedge this fall. The Magic Hedge is a bird sanctuary in Chicago near Montrose Harbor. I used a negative of the top image as my Holiday card this year.

New Drawings January 2010

2010-01-20T15:27:00.000-08:00

I continue to work in a similar manner to the last drawing; that is cutting apart india ink drawings and reconstructing them. Initially they were looking very landscape like. I'm hoping to move toward a more abstract image, something that evokes mark making on a couple of different scales.

New Drawing

2009-12-30T11:38:00.000-08:00

This drawing was just finished yesterday. I cut apart some old india ink drawings and reassembled them. Interesting way of working; it still involves a brush mark, but the assembly process allows for some new and unexpected things to happen.

New Photograph

2009-12-30T11:23:00.000-08:00

I'm not sure exactly what I'm thinking here but as I was working on some new panoramas at the Magic Hedge this fall I came up with this. I was initially thinking of showing them in black and white, which is a big shift for me. I couldn't quite justify that in my mind. I often look at my photos in different modes in Photoshop and as I was looking at this one as a negative I liked how it appeared to be a winter landscape. I use a portion of this panorama as my Holiday card this year.

Tribute to Haley

2009-12-30T11:18:00.000-08:00

My favorite dog in the whole world passed away just before the Holidays. Haley was the most beloved pet of good friends of mine and I would sometimes dog sit for her. She sat for her portrait last fall as she waited for her family to return from a trip.

More Drawings December 2009

2009-12-15T18:19:00.000-08:00

Available Drawings December 2009

2009-12-01T17:28:00.001-08:00

Skating Photo

2009-11-29T11:51:00.000-08:00

This photo was made from over 100 individual photos shot at Millennium Park in Chicago.

Detail #1

Detail #2