Saturday, March 28, 2020

Working at home today, as I am almost every day. I am grateful to have a large commission on which to work. It is tedious and will be time consuming but that is a good thing this month with so much time at home. Here is the start. My adjustment to the work table at home coming along.

Saturday, March 28, 2020  Working from home. 

The view out my window is amazing, it is the reason I live where I do. There has been a fair amount of atmosphere this week, and one amazing sunset, which I do not see directly but see the light on the buildings out my windows.

Finally I have been working on a new blog devoted to my sketchbooks. I try to scan a sketchbook every couple of days and I have been able to post four books thus far.  If you are looking for something to help you kill a little time you might enjoy looking through these. This is just a start, I hope to scan many more as the weeks go on. A few examples below and a link to my sketchbook blog at the bottom of this post. Be well, be sane, be kind. 

The view out my condo window. June 2019

December 22, 2019

Doodle from the spring of 2018. 

Testing a new pen on December 8, 2018

The link to my sketchbook blog: McGuireSketchbooks.blogspot.com

New Drawings and an Invitation

This spring has been all about black and white drawings. I have a new black acrylic paint that is so dark and dense that it almost becomes optical when applied to white paper. Thus I have been revisiting some old genres of my drawings to reevaluate my intent. The majority of the drawings have been made on 12 x 16 inch Arches Cold Press Watercolor Paper.

I will be showing many of these new drawings at Sojourn in Sawyer Michigan over Memorial Day Weekend. See the invite below. Stop by if you are able.

A selection of some of the new drawings.

New Work In Anticipation Of Andersonville Arts Weekend

Michael McGuire - 3 Untitled Collages - Block Printing Ink, White Glue, Arches Watercolor Paper - 16 x 12 inches each

Michael McGuire - Regatta 16, Regatta 17 - Watercolor On Arches Watercolor Paper - 20 x 13 inches each

Michael McGuire - Urban Grid Study (9 Panels) - Block Printing Ink on Arches Watercolor Paper - 18 x 18 each

Andersonville 'Midsommarfest'

The gallery is open. The AC is on, and I have refreshments. Stop by if you need a break for the festivities and the heat.

Michael McGuire - 2 new untitled drawings - India Ink, Acrylic Paint on Arches Watercolor Paper - 40 x 26 inches each

East Gallery Wall - 2 Framed Michael McGuire Drawings, a large Michelle Peterson Albandoz 'X' piece

The West Wall of the Gallery - All pieces by Michelle Peterson Albandoz

Michael McGuire - Untitled 'City' Drawing - Acrylic Paint on Arches - 40 x 26 inches

Recent Color Studies

Color is definitely in my head this spring. Some people say it is a reaction to the Trump era. I like to thing I'm working on adding another skill set. Color is hard,and I am not a natural, but I have learned a few things. Not sure where I am going with this impulse but small studies seem like a good place to figure it out.

I just finished a commission of large 'City' drawings that involved a bit of cautious color. These drawings will be heading to Sao Paulo and the imagery seems appropriate to a city of that size. 

Michael McGuire - 4 'City' Drawings - Acrylic Paint on Paper - 40 x 26 inches each

These drawings required me to look at both the acrylic paint and the paint pens I had on-hand and I ended up making a series of samplers that looked something like these. I had more earlier in the month but I have been giving them away as gifts. They are small and definitely have the feel of a study. My immediate impulse are the psychedelic color combinations. I was all those early rock posters on which I was raised. I think too that is has something to do with challenging my eyesight which becomes weaker every year.

Directly from these came a series of small city studies. Each of these are sized at 8.5 x 5.5 inches.

 

I got a little political on the last study.

On to something larger this weekend.

More Images of Current Work

Our next and newest show opens this Friday, April 1, 2016, 7 to 10pm at the Las Manos Gallery Space, 1515 W. Foster Ave, Chicago.

Michael McGuire - Untitled Watercolor (Klee Study 3) - Watercolor on Paper - 9.5" x 6.5"

Michael McGuire - Red/Gray City - Acrylic Paint on Archival Mat Board - 40" x 30"

Michael McGuire - Blue/Orange City - Acrylic Paint on Archival Mat Board - 40"x30"

Michael McGuire - Building Study - India Ink on Watercolor Paper - 11"x8.5"