SPRING OPEN STUDIOS: April 24-25 -- Stop on By!

SPRING OPEN STUDIOS
Cornelia Arts Building
1800 W. Cornelia (entrance on Ravenswood), STUDIO #201
Chicago, IL 60657

FRIDAY APRIL 24TH 6-9PM (UPDATE: I will be here on Friday)
SATURDAY APRIL 25TH 11AM-5PM

*FREE*

I'll be showing new paintings, some photographs, and a bunch of new screen prints. A sneak preview of the show is above. You can also check out my newly redesigned website for more images.

Hope to see you!

Art News: New Website + Open Studio

Just a quick note to let you know about some art news...

NEW WEBSITE LAUNCHED!
After working on-and-off for over a year on my new website redesign, it's finally here -- new look, online galleries, and a whole lot of new art.

Check it out: http://www.swallowstudios.com
STUDIO OPEN HOUSE!
April 24-25, 2009
Cornelia Arts Building
1800 W. Cornelia, Studio #201
Chicago, IL 60657

Hours:
Friday, April 24th 6-9pm (I will not be in attendance but feel free to stop by anyway and check out all the great art!)
Saturday, April 25th 11am-5pm, stop by anytime all day - I'll be there

I'll be showing new paintings, some photographs, and screen prints. Over 30 artists in the building will have their studios open for the event.

Photo Fridays: Uptown Theater

Uptown Theater (Chicago), photograph, 2007

This shot of the Uptown Theater sign is part of my old signage series which will be a new section on my re-designed website. The Uptown opened in 1925 as a movie house but closed in 1981. I used to live a few blocks away and always hoped it would re-open. There is an ongoing restoration effort so maybe that will happen since this part of Uptown has been revitalized as an entertainment destination. The Aragon Ballroom, Riviera Theater, Green Mill, and Annoyance Theater are all at this intersection of Lawrence and Broadway.

New Digital Painting: Chicago Purple Face

Chicago Purple Face, digital painting, 2009

I scanned one of my quick sketches and the added the colors and text in Photoshop. The image ghosted in the background is from a panorama photograph of water tanks in the south loop. I actually did a painting based on the water tanks - from my city by the lake series.

New Painting: Line Looking for a Dot

Line Looking for a Dot, mixed media on panel (framed), 20x28, $375

This mixed media painting incorporates a few different processes built up over multiple layers. It was made with collage, acrylic paint, and a screen print image. The collaged classified ads are from a recent Chicago Reader and the crossword puzzle from the Tribune.

I've been doing a lot of screen printing in 2009 and this was my first experiment to blend my painting and screen printing. I threw in some collage to create another layer and provide some background interest. In some places the newsprint crinkled giving it some texture. This piece is part of a series of about 30 screen prints of water tanks on paper and also on old record albums. Those are still in the works but should be done soon.