Upcoming Event - March 28, 2014

I am planning an event for  Friday March 28th at Las Manos Gallery. On that day I will have been using the gallery as a studio for six weeks - it is time to see if that exercise has been fruitful.

'Paper Thin'

March 28, 2014

From 7 to 10pm

Las Manos Gallery

1515 W. Foster Ave.

773 728-8910

Untitled (Spillway3) - Acrylic Paint on Acid Free Mat Board - 31 x 40 inches

I have been making a series of drawings based on the physical and conceptual qualities of blue prints, moving them in a minimal, process driven direction. They still evoke the 3 dimensional world, but speak of the process of drawing and the specifics of the materials. These drawings are very difficult to depict on the computer screen due to Moire Pattern interference so stop by to see them in person if you get a chance. 

Detail

I will be piggy-backing with the Chuck Meyers (http://chuckmeyers.com) painting show at Scout (http://scoutchicago.com) that takes place on the same night. They will open their reception an hour earlier at 6pm, and I will stay open later hoping to catch the crowd once Larry closes the doors at nine sharp. Chucks new paintings look beautiful and it will be an spectacular show. 

In addition, Derek Ottens and Christopher Ilth will be using the former 'She Art' space on the west side of Las Manos for a pop-up gallery that weekend, and they promise to fill it with their newest furniture assemblages and Chris's amazing collages Friday night. And I am hoping to install a piece in 'Wooly Mammoth' on the east side of Las Manos. (http://www.woollymammothchicago.com)

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

Drawings, New and Old, on the Gallery Wall

I'm settling into using the Las Manos Gallery as my studio space and I have managed to make a few pieces in the last week. There has been a surprising amount of traffic through the gallery, many of my friends and even a few walk-ins - distractions abound. But it is working on many levels, and I'm encouraged by the experience thus far. Pictured is one wall in the gallery this morning, with some new work, some old work and two pieces reconfigured.

  Left to right:
1. An old grid drawing cut apart and quickly reassembled. Looks like a figure from a petroglyph, maybe an ancient alien.

2. An old cardboard 'tapestry' piece. Recycled card board, India Ink washes, staples. There is a 'face' constructed within the piece, it is not immediately apparent in person but shows up well in photographs.

3. New India Ink Piece. Untrimmed top and bottom but roughly 22 x 58 inches.
4. Large India Ink Drawing. 45 x 70 inches when trimmed top and bottom.
5. Painted 12 x 12 inch panels. Acrylic paint pens. There are 7 panels pictured here and they can and have been arrange in many different configurations. Design your own contemporary painting!

6. New Cardboard and India Ink Drawing, 40 x 60 inches. I'm very attracted to the color of the cardboard. And it like the ubiquitous and mundane position in our culture.

February and March Developments

I have negotiated with Michelle, the owner of Las Manos Gallery, to occupy and use the gallery as my studio for the next couple of months. This is a win-win situation for us each as she is very busy with an upcoming show at Longview Gallery in Washington DC (http://www.longviewgallerydc.com/artists.php?id=146) and I am in need of more space in which to make drawings. I began what I am characterizing as a 'winter drawing project' last Tuesday but spent most of the week dealing with the weather and working out a few physical problems in the gallery. I hung a few things on one wall and made it my own in a small way. I hope to still have a variety of Las Manos artists on the other wall and insist that Michelle keep some of her work in the gallery at all times.

View of West Wall of Gallery/Studio Space

Making that first piece in the new space was a bit of hump I had to get myself over.  The challenge of having materials in two places will be worked out over time, but my strategy is to begin with a modest and straightforward project. So drawing on mat board with acrylic paint pens seems like a good place to start. Pictured is my first drawing in the new space.

Untitled - Acrylic Paint Pen on Archival Mat Board - 32 x 40 inches

I hope to do an event in the space once I get things going here, and plan to post more often and regularly.

41 Train Rides #28

Saturday January 25, 2014 - 9:01pm - Red Line from Howard to Addison.
Returning home from Evanston where Laura and I saw the movie 'Her', (Amazing! Best science fiction movie of the year). Quick dinner afterwards then the long ride from the Davis stop with a transfer at Howard Street. It all went smoothly with a short wait at Davis (thank you 'Train Tracker') and a train waiting for us across the platform at the Howard Street stop. Good thing too as the temperature was quickly dropping from 20 to 8 degrees, and three inches of snow forecast for after midnight. I was totally busted by these two taking their photo as I shot this panorama, but I gave them a hand embellished business card and a friendly conversation ensued. I notice the boy on the right had no sock on and I 'mothered' them both from the Loyola stop to Addison. No hats, no long underwear, no socks! Note the condition of the floor, salt and ice everywhere, and the streets are worse, with piles of snow to walk over and around. This winter will not quit. It may be time to quote Albert Camus.

"In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer."

Hand Embellished Business Cards

Whats On My Wall - January 19, 2014

My living room wall January 19, 2014. 

Acrylic Paint on Arches Watercolor Paper - 26 x 40 inches

It is a little difficult to make out what is going on in this piece. It is a sheet of good watercolor paper on which I've drawn horizontal lines with a straight edge ruler. The media is acrylic paint in a 'Molotow' pen. In this case I have kept the the color monochromatic - black, white, gray and silver - I plan to experiment with color eventually.

Cold Week - Might As Well Work

The weather was extreme in Chicago this past week. It began with the coldest temperatures I could remember in Chicago and ended with pouring rain and treacherous sidewalks. But there are things I embrace about this time of year, my nesting instincts kick in and I find it a great time to focus on my work. My work table sits next to a window and pictured below was the view Tuesday morning (-11 degrees).  

Later in the morning the sun would shine in and I was able to begin work. This week is was all about grids and grids that look like buildings, (I have a commission).  

Untitled Grid - Acrylic Paint on Arches Watercolor Paper - 40 x 26 inches

Second City #2 -Acrylic Paint on Arches Watercolor Paper

Work table with drawing in process. 

Detail

I am looking forward to spring and will be ready when it arrives, but in the meantime I like being close to home and work. Keep warm.