Three new water tank paintings

These paintings were just completed in the last 2 weeks while I worked on some new ones. All are based on photographs I took in New York and Chicago. I also just started on a commission painting featuring the West Loop skyline and its water tanks which has helped fuel my new-found energy for painting cityscapes and water tanks.

The Village - Bleeker St., acrylic on canvas, 24x30, 2011

Tribeca, acrylic on panel, 24x24, 2011

Pencil Tank - Roscoe Village, acrylic on canvas, 24x30, 2011

10 New Colored Cityscape Photographs

I've been taking a lot of new photographs lately and working on some digital imaging for a hotel reproduction project (more to come on that soon). Below are some results where I've added different effects, textures and colors using Photoshop. Some photos are brand new and some are older photos that I recently digitally enhanced. These are all part of my colored cityscape photo series and available in various sizes.

Towering Heights, digitally enhanced photograph, 2011

Fire Escapes, digitally enhanced photograph, 2011

Arches, digitally enhanced photograph, 2011

Fine Arts Building, digitally enhanced photograph, 2011

Wrigley Building, digitally enhanced photograph, 2011

West Loop Skyline, digitally enhanced photograph, 2011

The Blue Tank, digitally enhanced photograph, 2011

Marina Towers - River View, digitally enhanced photograph, 2011

Hancock and Skyline, digitally enhanced photograph, 2011

Pencil Factory, digitally enhanced photograph, 2011

A couple of water tank paintings in progress

Continuing my series of water tank paintings with these two works in progress. They're at the beginning stages, building up the layers quickly and trying to keep them loose.

I'm inspired by my recent trip to New York where I took a lot of photographs of water tanks in SoHo, The Village and the Lower East Side. In the past month, I have also done some Chicago walkabouts, taking photos of water tanks and architecture in River North and the Loop to provide some inspiration.

Chelsea - NYC painting in progress

Worked some more layers into this painting the last few days. Definitely more to go, but I'm liking the color palate and the looser feel.

Previously, I haven't incorporated many fire escapes into my paintings, but I'm liking it so far. It brings a more urban feel to the composition, creating strong diagonal shapes that lead your eye across the canvas.

The start of a new water tank painting

This new painting (another in the water tank and cityscape series), is based on a sketch I made from a photo in Chelsea, NYC. I'm getting back in the groove with this series after a year-long hiatus. I was also asked to do a commission painting of the West Loop and its water tanks which I'll be starting soon.

New paintings finished

I put the finishing touches on these paintings this week. The one in the middle is acrylic on panel and the other two are acrylic on canvas. For some of the detailed work I used conté crayons. Available soon on my website.

Paintings: faceless people -- lost in a crowd

What I like about this series of paintings is the quick, loose brush strokes I used. They are based on photos and sketches of people on the street in New York City. I tried to capture the frenetic energy and movement of being on the street in Manhattan. This is also the first time I've used multiple people in a painting. Faceless people -- lost in a crowd. Usually, I just feature one person, so this was also an experiment in subject matter.

Painted most of these in late 2009. I am currently working on a new series of water tanks/cityscapes where I'm looking to bring back some of this looseness and immediacy.

There She Goes Again, acrylic on wood panel, 20x20, 2009

Times Square Crosswalk, acrylic on panel, 18x24, 2010

Yellow Dress, acrylic on canvas paper, 12x16, 2009

Blonde Cell Phone, acrylic on canvas paper, 12x16, 2009

Heading to the Subway, acrylic on canvas paper, 12x16, 2009

Headphones and Crowd, acrylic on canvas panel, 14x18, 2009

Abstracts on record album cover

These are four abstract aerial landscapes painted on record album cover. Almost done...

Productive studio day

A good fall weather mix of sun, clouds, slight breeze followed by dark clouds and rain made for a productive day at the studio.

I'm working on a series of water tanks. I have 3-4 in progress. This one is a painting from a photo I took near Leonard and Varick St. in Tribeca, NYC. More layers and details to go but starting to take more shape. The conté crayons are allowing me to alternate between sketch-like marks and paint. Fun process so far!

This next one is a small sketch on paper with conté crayon painted over an inkjet photo; a viewpoint near Chelsea off of the High Line in NYC. The walk along the High Line is one of the best views you'll get in Manhattan.

This sketch is an attempt to get the composition and cropping down, which explains the various border markings. I will eventually be turning it into a large-scale painting on a 36"x36" wood panel.

I haven't touched this next painting for about a year until today. Using conté crayons, I sketched over areas of the painting to create more depth and to give it a more immediate feel. Still more to go but it's feeling a lot closer to being done now. This is based on a close-up up Boticelli's Birth of Venus.

Thanks to those supporting local artists

Earlier this month I sold these three water tank paintings along with a screen print and photo at my studio during Ravenswood Art Walk. It's always great to sell some art but nice to have the support during this downturn in the economy. My wife and I decided that we needed to add more art to our collection so we took the money and bought a few pieces ourselves recently.

CBGB's Photos - 5 years closed

CBGB's - home of underground rock since the early 70's closed 5 years ago in October 2006. I was in NYC shortly after it closed and took shots of the exterior. The next day, I rode by in a cab on the way to the airport -- and the sign and graffiti were gone -- just painted white as if it never existed. But it did, 30 years of punk and alternative music blasted away on its stage. I was there a few times in the 90's -- way beyond it's late 70's and early 80's heyday -- but it still was cool. Dark, dingy, loud, smelly. You felt the musical history oozing out of the speakers and dripping down the walls.

 

More progress - NYC watertanks

I've added some more colors with art stix and paint. Building up the layers and trying to keep it loose. Working to give this new series a more immediate and sketch-like feel. Striving to capture the frenetic energy of the city. The painting below is based on a photograph I took in New York in The Village off of Bleeker St.

Art Walk + Open Studios This Weekend

It's the 10th Annual Ravenswood Art Walk this weekend, October 1-2. The Cornelia Arts Building (where I've had my studio for 5 years) is celebrating 25 years as a working artists' building.

Lots of art to see + food, drinks, live music. Come by the art walk and be sure to stop and say hello.

Ravenswood Art Walk
From Cornelia north to Lawrence
website

Cornelia Arts Building
1800 W. Cornelia
Studio #201
map

Here's a studio sneak peak:

water tank paintings in progress

Here are a few water tank paintings I've been working on this week. Combining acrylic and prisma stix. Two are on canvas and one on panel with a collaged map.

Stop by the Cornelia Arts Building Open Studios and Ravenswood Art Walk to see in person.

The Village, New York City

A new painting in progress based on one of my photos. On the Village/SoHo border, near Bleeker St.

New water tank and L tracks painting

Took a walk today near the studio. This painting is based on the photo I took on that walk. Still a work in progress but gets me back to painting city scenes and water tanks.

New Aerial Landscape Paintings

These five new paintings were finished a few weeks ago. They are part of my aerial landscapes series based on maps and overviews of the landscape. This particular set of paintings took on a new color palate with shapes and colors that resembled various reptiles, which is where the names came from. Enjoy!

Gecko River, acrylic on canvas, 36x36, 2011

Tortoise Delta, acrylic on canvas, 36x36, 2011

Turtlehead Lake, acrylic on canvas, 36x36, 2011

Rattlesnake Ridge, acrylic on canvas, 20x20, 2011

Snapper Islands, acrylic on canvas, 20x20, 2011