New Painting: River Running Over

River Running Over, acrylic on canvas, 30x40, 2010

This new painting bridges my abstracts series and aerial landscapes series. I created it specifically for my new show of abstracts at The Writers WorkSpace in Chicago.

I hung the show over the weekend - it features abstracts from 1999-2010. Hopefully the paintings will inspire some of the professional freelance writers, authors, and novelists that work out of this space.

The show runs through the end of the year (maybe beyond). Starting to think about plans for a fall event. I'll post some installation pics soon...

Some Recently Sold Paintings

I'm excited to announce a few recently sold paintings. I consider myself very lucky to be able sell art in this bad economy. A special thank you to my Chicago and Minnesota collectors - your generous support means a lot!

Sunset on the Brown Line, acrylic on wood panel, 80x30, 2009

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

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

Three Water Tanks - works in progress

Three Water Tanks, works in progress, July 2010

Pink Water Tank, work in progress, July 2010Red Water Tank, work in progress, July 2010

Yellow Water Tank, work in progress, July 2010

These acrylic on canvas paintings are my start of a new series of water tanks based on photos I've taken mostly in Chicago and New York. I've also referenced some images found on the internet to sketch out some different compositions.

I'm trying to keep these looser - heavily textured but still in my style. I'm also working to expand my palate by introducing some new colors while developing a more immediate sketch-like feel.

While not totally complete, they were done quickly - in about 3 hours today. Probably have about another hour total to go until they're finished.

Painting in Progress: Manhattan - July 2010

Manhattan, acrylic on canvas, work in progress, 7.08.10

The aerial landscape of Manhattan is close to finished. A couple more layers in some areas and some highlights and it'll be done. I have a couple more paintings just at the beginning stages - one is a larger view of the NYC area and the other is a close-up of the mid section of Manhattan.

Manhattan, acrylic on canvas, painting in progress, 2010

Manhattan, acrylic on canvas, painting in progress, 2010

This painting in progress is the farthest along of my New York series of aerial landscapes. I recently returned from a long weekend in NYC, so this is a good time to paint my impression of the city. Manhattan is the focus in this piece but you can see parts of Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx, Staten Island, and New Jersey.

I'm trying to keep this piece looser and more abstract with a thicker application of paint -- adding more detail and texture as I build up the layers. There is now green space around 3/4 of Manhattan along with Central Park and the other parks in Lower Manhattan. As cities increase their populations, it's becoming more and more important to preserve the parks and outdoor space. If you've ever laid on the grass in Central Park on a Sunday afternoon, you know how relaxing it can be.

I'm also working to highlight the importance of the waterways in this large metro area. You can also see elements of industry in the outlying boroughs which is still an important aspect of New York's infrastructure. One of my next steps will be to add the bridges...