Recent Commissions

It has been a week full of commissions. That is good new in terms of the rent, but sometimes bad news in terms of creative output. But not always, and this week turned out to be quite worthwhile.

A return to the indigo drawings that some refer to as 'Winter Lake' pieces. There was a happy accident and the top portion of the indigo watercolor and it came out quite wonderfully. Perhaps I can make that accident happen again?

Michael McGuire - Untitled Drawing - Watercolor and Acrylic Paint on Arches Paper - 40'' x 26''

The next three commissions all relate directly to drawings I have made in the past. The good new is that in the course of making each one many new ideas occurred to me. Perhaps I did not initially fully explore each of these concepts. And it is interesting to me that each of these could be seen as an interpretation of the architecture and urban scheme of Chicago.

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

Michael McGuire - Untitled Drawing (Triple Cross 2) - Acrylic Paint on Arches Paper - 40'' x 26''

Michael McGuire - Girder and Panel 18 - India Ink on Arches Paper - 40'' x 26''

This final commission is a throwback to my architectural school days. I was not entirely comfortable in the process, too tight, too much preparatory drawing. But there are some aspects of the results that evoke some of my favorite illustrators and graphic novelists. Not likely to repeat this on any time soon.

Michael McGuire - Empire State Building - Acrylic Paint on Arches Paper - 36'' x 24''

Sunday, January 25, 2015

It was one of those mornings when everything was out of sync - awake too early, scratchy throat, and it was beginning to snow. The final indignity was missing my bus by 20 seconds despite the app on my phone assuring me I had another two minutes until it arrived. A snowy Sunday morning, and of course the next bus was not due for another 25 minutes. I had a good five minutes of feeling sorry for myself, not sure why that feels so good, but walked to the train and was heading up to my studio pretty quickly. It was while riding the train that I realized what a beautiful morning it was. The snow was just beginning to collect in some areas, and the city was deserted and quiet. I happily stared out the window, mesmerized by the landscape the entire fifteen minute trip.

The problem with taking the train to my studio is once I arrive at my stop (Berwyn) I still have a walk of five blocks, which at times can be a little dreary. But, in actuality it was a good day for a walk. Yesterday in the studio someone had asked me about an old panoramic photograph of mine that depicted a wall of graffiti. I had not looked at the photo in awhile but I remember where it was taken - the west wall of the Berwyn El station, where I was now disembarking. I knew the painting on the wall had evolved over the years, such is the nature of graffiti. The neighborhood may have even had a program where they encouraged young artists to work on that wall. I also knew that up until a few years ago, at least one element of the old graffiti depicted in the photograph, a large cartoon-like head, was still visible. Now, in a better mood despite still not having a coffee, I took detour to visit what remains of the graffitied wall. I'm happy to report my favorite head is still there, changed, a little duller in color, but still with a spark in its eye. And the rest of my short trek to the gallery was equally as inspiring, not for any specific reason other than it was lovely to look at the world covered with the light coat of snow on a not too cold day.

A few photos from this morning. The original panorama with the graffitied wall, and then a quick shot of the section of the wall as it exist today. Then a few photos I snapped on my walk to work. Gathering ideas, reacting, but not really over-thinking.

The snow continues to come down, and I may be less sanguine about this in five hours when I head home, but for now, lovely morning.

Addendum - February 1, 2015

The proposal in regard to the Graffiti panorama continues to move forward. The space where the photograph will resides has specifications that require reworking the proportions - which in some cases I am able, and happy to do. And we will be scaling up the image which is always exciting. Below is the reworking of the original photograph in its new cropped state. And then a playful juxtaposition of the wall ten years ago and now. 

Hello Old Friend, I Haven't Seen You In Years!

Fall - The Climbing Vines Change Color

I'm making photographs of the climbing vines again. Now that fall is in full swing and the colors are changing here in Chicago, the vines are taking on significant color. These vine flourish all over the city, but are often lushest in places where they are mostly neglected. Settings like parking lots and alleys where these plants are left unattended are where they grow best in the urban environment. I shoot them head-on, flattening the composition to landscape like configuration. There is something in them that remind me of the sensibility of Asian folding screens, paintings and scrolls.

New/Old Drawing - 'Winter City'

I had fun with this one. The start of the drawing had been sitting in the drawer for a couple months, half finished - white acrylic buildings on a hand-washed background of diluted India Ink. My thought at the time was to continue drawing buildings at a smaller scale into the background, but I ran out of momentum. Recently I've been wanting to experiment with grids, or lines of acrylic paint on hand colored watercolor paper, and this unfinished drawing was the perfect opportunity to do so. I worked on a large sheet of paper, left over from a larger roll of Arches watercolor paper, and I tore it down after the drawing was completed. The deckled edge is very much in evidence. I'm happy with the way it came out, the traces of the under-wash still show - I already have a couple of directions that must be explored. I'm calling it 'Winter City' because it reminds me of the way Lake Michigan looked this past winter, covered in sheets of ice.

Winter City - Acrylic Paint, India Ink, Arches Watercolor Paper - 40x22 inches

Two New City Drawings

City 4 (left), City 5 (right) - Acrylic Paint on Bristol Paper - 22 x 30 inches

1122 Foster Avenue, Chicago

Rode my bike to the gallery this morning, this building caught my attention for some unknown reason as I went by.

1122 Foster Avenue, Chicago

India Ink on Cardboard - Recent Developments

I had a call from Larry Vodak as Scout this morning insisting I stop by the store ASAP. Pleasantly surprised as I walked in his front door to see an older, difficult-to-frame drawing of mine in a very nice frame. The drawing is a map of Chicago, India ink on a found piece of cardboard - folds, dents, staple and all.

Map Of Chiago - India Ink on Found Cardboard - 52 x 70 inches app. 

In the studio I continue to enjoy cardboard as a drawing surface, it is plentiful and I like the idea of it having a second life. The colors are good too. And when I come across a pristine piece of cardboard I immediately go to work. Here is a recent piece inspired when Leif from Wall to Wall Framing gave me some of his old glass boxes and I found this lovely piece inside.

Untitled - India Ink on Cardboard - 40 x 60 inches

Detail

And here is an older piece, in this case the cardboard is from old cereal boxes, and you can see the color varies from different packages.

Untitled - Recycled Cardboard, India Ink -   21 x 44 inches

Detail

Scout - http://scoutchicago.com
Wall to Wall Framing - http://www.walltowallframing.com/036fe0f.netsolhost.com/Welcome.html

A Few Photos Inside Scout - My Work on the Walls

South Wall of Scout

One of Three Cardboard American Flags

Add caption

Scout Invite

Building Study

I was looking through some old photos this week and I came across this panorama of an alley off of Devon Ave. in Chicago. This study, showing the overlaps and the uneven edges of the source photographs, was constructed quickly to test an idea and preview a potential panorama. I have been constructing panoramas in photoshop for years now, and I have some skill doing so. Now that every iPhone has a photographic panorama maker bundled in its software, it forces me to ponder the arguments for making imagery in this format. The horizontal proportion in art making has always seemed natural to me, as if this is the way I most often view the world. I happened to be walking the dog when I came upon this facade, and walking could be described as a horizontal experience. My background in architecture leads me to look at buildings and facades critically, and I'm particularly interested in architecture that derives from function more than 'design'. Hence my fascination with walls like this one; it expresses a  practical use of the building in a way that does not have much to do with proportions, materials or beauty.  It strikes me that there is a collaging aspect to architecture that becomes evident in mundane buildings - a window where needed, conduit here, a vent there. This idea of architectural collage is mirrored nicely in the collaging of the photographs that make up a panorama. By not hiding the overlaps and not cropping the edges, this photograph declares itself as a 'hand-made' digital image.

Alley Photograph

I've been biking the Chicago alleys again, not sure what I'm looking for but occasionally a spot calls out to me to make a photo. Pictured is one such spot, don't know what I'm after, but it does cross my mind that this space is a bit of an urban collage.

Free Handed Architectural Drawings

I uncovered a forgotten series of drawings yesterday as I was preparing for a client visit. These are not large drawings, approximately 12 x 18 inches, but they are made freehand, that is they are made with out the benefit of a straight edged tool as a guide. It is subtle but I enjoy the movement and irregularity that happens in these drawings. The unpredictable qualities of the human hand work against the regularity of the patterning, and against the whole concept of architectural drawing, which often involves precise and measured drawing. These drawings are not difficult to make, only time consuming, and are based on a process that starts with drawing the largest elements first and working your way down to the small details. And of course in a abstract way they refer to Chicago Architecture and buildings I see everyday on the street and out my window.

New Photo Subject

It has been a cool and wet spring in Chicago. Hence very lush and healthy foliage. The vines crawl over everything. And when the surface is flat and graphic it catches my eye. Mostly abstract but I think I see a landscape in there.

Ralph Lauren Windows

The summer windows of the Chicago Michigan Avenue Ralph Lauren store feature some Michael McGuire watercolors. Ralph Lauren has long supported and encouraged my work over an entire range of media. This latest collaboration was coordinated by Daniel Cornell and I'm happy to be a part of the endeavor. Below are a few photos of the windows. They are somewhat inadequate and I hope to get better images once the windows are professionally shot by RL. Thank You Ralph Lauren.

On the Wall of Las Manos Gallery

The show at Las Manos is on the walls until early July. Check with gallery for precise dates. lasmanosgallery.blogspot.com

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And a detail of one piece.

What's On My Wall - June 2, 2013

I have finally cleared my living room wall of art as I transported all the recent work went up to Las Manos Gallery for the current show. But nature abhors a vacuum, and I dislike the unsightly defects in my wall, so I was hanging new work up there quickly. Two new things of interest: Firstly I found a collection of 'Kit Kat' boxes that called out to be cut apart and reassembled. And secondly, for a few months I've been thinking about the old Prentice Women's Hospital building, which I love, and wanted to make something related to that rare and unique building. I would be a crime if this structure were razed, and I'd be so ashamed of Chicago as cultural entity if they allowed it's destruction. Chicago that prides itself as an architectural city, that just last year held a show at the Art Institute to celebrate the architect, Bertram Goldberg, shame on you! You can tell I have strong feelings about this and I could go on, but I won't, only to say here are a couple of ideas related to the reuse of the building and the fact that no one associated with this situation cannot come up with a plan to save it show a distinct lack of imagination that perhaps defines Chicago.

What's On My Wall - May 26, 2013

Busy week getting ready for a show at Las Manos Gallery. I work in my home, a one bedroom condo in the Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago, and it is not really large enough to do double duty as both a home and a artist studio. I really notice the cramped conditions when I'm working on multiple things simultaneously. This week I've been collaging cardboard, making watercolors of Lake Michigan and trying to fit a few things into store-bought frames. On the wall are two large stapled collage pieces headed for the Gallery. The new funky cardboard one was created out of leftover pieces of cardboard over a couple days of mad assembly this week. I haven't quite decided on it's orientation but if fit on the wall here and hanging gets it out of my way until the show. On the floor you can see some recent watercolors. They are created in layers and each layer has to dry completely before the next can go on. So I work on multiples at the same time and step over them as they dry. This photo shows the weeks worth, and it strikes me that these watercolors are a visual diary of the lakes changing colors and conditions. I use photos as reference for this series, mostly for color and tonalities. I hang my head and camera off my balcony and shoot between the buildings on Lake Shore Drive with the telephoto lens extended. Every once in a while I get a nice photo.

41 Train Rides #25 - April 20, 2013

Garages of Wilmette Redux

It is spring break in the north suburbs of Chicago and I spent the week in Wilmette dog sitting. It took me five days to get into the grove of the north shore; big houses, cable on demand and driving everywhere. The dog walks were the pleasant exception to an otherwise uneventful daily routine, but once again it took me about five days, and a warm-up in the weather, to figure out my take on the experience. Frankie (the dog) and I found ourselves walking the alley as much as the streets. Walking the dog actually legitimizes what otherwise might be considered slightly irregular suburban behavior. If anyone glared at me aggressively I would mime dropping off the dogs 'little package' in the nearest trash container and we would continue on our way. The alleys are such a unique take on the suburban experience, literally the behind the scenes view of this privileged way of life. It is as if they let their guard down a bit, you see their garbage, and many of the standards that are upheld in the front facade are allowed to relax a little in the back. I use the work 'redux' not only because I'm reading John Updike right now, but because I made a similar photo essay about the garages of Wilmette back in December during my last dog sitting stint. Three months later the snow is mostly melted away, a few buds are appearing on the trees, and the light has changed dramatically. Below are three photos I made last week.

My Holiday Card

For those of you that are not on my Holiday Card list, below is the image I used this year for my printed cards. It was made a couple years ago during a Chicago lake effect snow storm. I went out for a walk during the storm, walked over to the lake at the nearest entry point, near Waveland Golf Course. Dead quiet, not a soul in sight, I had the park to myself, except for this unusual snowman. Hope you all survived the Holidays, and best wishes for a great 2013.