Abstract Explosions

As planes buzzed the studio yesterday due to the air and water show, I worked on these two small abstracts. I painted them simultaneously to give them a cohesive color scheme. The soundtrack: Wilco's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.

Facing Foxtrot #1 and #2, acrylic on panel, 12x12, 2012

Chicago Lakefront commission

The painting continues...

It's mid August and just realized I haven't made a blog post this month. Been busy helping out my wife with the Chicago Writers Conference.

Anyway, the lake/water is coming together and added some more layers to the ferris wheel and LSD this past week. Yesterday, I made some good progress on flushing out the buildings and beginning to add the details.

Next up: more building details and textures, the L train, and filling in some more Wrigley Field details...

Updated Chicago Lakefront painting

I've had to rework the boats in this painting a few times. Still some work to do but the composition is basically there. Many more layers of paint to add but I feel like it's really starting to take shape.

Chicago Lakefront Cityscape, acrylic on panel, work in progress, 2012

Chicago Lakefront Skyline - detailed views

I think it was the heat, because, yesterday this new commission painting took on some bright, psychedelic colors. Below are two shots - left-to-right, close-ups - along with a full view of the painting. The skyline has been filled out with shapes of buildings and parks. I shot some photos of sailboats over the weekend and need to re-work the boats using those images as reference. What's there now needs some work.

It was 101 degrees in the shade today - so too hot to work in a studio with no air conditioning. Time spent doing online research and household chores. But anyway, here's how the painting's looking...

Starting a new commission painting

A few weeks ago, I started a new commission painting. It's a Chicago cityscape that needs to include the lake, L train, iconic buildings, Navy Pier Ferris Wheel and Wrigley Field. A fun challenge!

I began by making sketches based on Google Earth screen captures and shooting on-site photographs while biking along the lake. Next, I made more sketches and started transferring the composition to the 30" x 60" custom wood panel surface.

Late last week I started the painting process. Some images of the work in progress are below. One is the full image and two are close-ups.

The composition is basically down and larger areas of color and shapes are starting to come together. There will definitely be a lot more details as I add more layers and flush out the cityscape. Also more details to the foreground too. Yesterday I got over a hump and was really able to add more movement and color with the additions of the boats and more details on the Ferris Wheel and Wrigley.