Wedding Map

Iowa State University

I designed this custom wedding map for a couple who will wed at Iowa State University this fall.  Their invitations were designed in a playful hand drawn style, so I designed this map to match!

Have you visited Iowa State University?

Other Projects

Weekend Away for $33.50
I recently took a weekend camping trip to Green Lake, Wisconsin.  It was a lovely trip and it was totally delightful to find that it was possible to make such a trip for just over $30.  Green Lake is an idyllic lake town about 3 hours north of Chicago.  It's an ideal spot if you are seeking a weekend of fishing, lake side picnics, meandering the streets of a small town, and refreshing lake swimming.  There were also unexpected discoveries in Green Lake, like the Chapel Car Grace and "bed races" at the Green Lake Summer Solstice festival. 

As I said, the trip was quite affordable, with expenses consisting of $12.50 per person for campsite fee at Hattie Sherwood Campgrounds, $8 per person for food (groceries purchased collectively), and $13 for gas from Chicago. 

I was responsible for the meal planning and food purchase.  I was proud of my thrifty grocery shopping and the delicious meals which resulted.  If you are planning weekend car camping trip and looking for a simple delicious meals, I've included a menu that worked well below.  We had limited cooking implements (tin foil, dutch oven pot, knife, cutting board, wooden spoon, and mixing bowl):  

Dinners

Tilapia cooking in a tin foil packet with sliced mushrooms, olive oil, salt and pepper with potatoes roasted in tin foil packet with olive oil, salt, and pepper.  It is best to roast the fish and potatoes separately because the potatoes require additional cooking time.  S'mores for dessert (no camping trip is complete with out them).

Red and orange bell peppers, tomatoes, and zucchini roasted in tin foil packet with olive oil, salt and pepper, served with penne.  Orange cakes for dessert.  I discovered the orange cake recipe at the Bread and Honey blog.  It was wonderfully easy and delicious: simply make a box of white cake mix per the instructions.  Cut off the end of oranges and scoop out the orange (the orange juice and fruit can be combined with red wine for a delightful sangria-like drink).  Fill the orange shells approximately 1/2 full with cake mix, replace end of orange, cover with foil.  Cook in campfire for 20-25 minutes. 

Lunch

Caprese sandwiches with pita chips.  I have long loved the caprese sandwich and salad.  These sandwiches make a very easy picnic or camp meal.  Simply top a piece of nice bread with sliced tomato and fresh mozzarella, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper.  I added dried basil to the olive oil to simplify for camping, but, of course, fresh basil is better!

Breakfast

Oatmeal topped with walnuts, dried cranberries, and brown sugar.  Oatmeal is an easy hearty breakfast to make over the campfire.  Toppings (use your imagination fresh bananas would be fantastic with brown sugar) make oatmeal a fantastic start to the day.    

What are your favorite camping meals?

Featured Artist

Calvin Crimson

Calvin Crimson studied art at Southern California State University, Long Beach. He learned to love animation as a child, but studied in order to learn the basics.  Calvin Crimson graduated with his Drawing and Painting degree this semester. 

Some of your works seems dark and serious, while other pieces are bright and light-hearted, does your mood affect your work?
As a Drawing and Painting artist, I like to bring people's attention about what's happening now: urban living conditions and social changes. To me, it's also as a personal diary to record what I see, and express how I felt. I like to go to different places to see and observe.  I do a lot of sketches of people on the streets unnoticed. Then, I like to compose these images together in an environment, to tell a urban life story, with the picture. 

It seems that some of your work is influenced by Anime, what draws you to that genre?  

I still like animation and manga drawings, I do those works for fun, and trying to have some fantasy on my own.  It's a relaxing practice away from the serious works.  Previously, I was drew rock and punk- style illustration work for fun.  As I explore more in school, I began to bring serious issues from my mind to the anime drawings.  My new series of "Collectors" drawings are focused on materialism, we like to buy, to collect, and sometimes this materialism is out of control.  Often those material goods aim to fulfill an emptiness or sadness inside of us.

Are there new themes or mediums you anticipate exploring in your upcoming work?

Right now, I am doing some watercolor works on the future landscape which about the nature's changing and various environments.  I am also exploring another technique by using highlighter to create a book about the teenagers.

Great work, right!  Many thanks to Calvin Crimson for sharing his work.

What do you think of Calvin's drawings and paintings?

Wedding Invitation

Lake

This invitation was inspired by a recent trip I took to a small town in Wisconsin with a beautiful lake.  I made this painting sitting on the end of a dock, adjacent to a tiny beach.  The scene reminded me of many idyllic lakes I've had the pleasure of visiting.  

It can be wonderfully peaceful to sit by a small lake, with water gently lapping ashore.  Perhaps, a canoe outing, a walk to town for ice cream, or bonfire planned for later in the day.  What lovely memories and lovely daydreams of future adventures!  These lake towns make a delightful location for wedding ceremonies.  I designed this invitation with those lakeside nuptials in mind. 

What are some of your favorite lakes? 

Western Avenue Series

Mile 10: 50th-42nd Street

This sketch is a part of my Western Avenue Series, through which I'll be making 24 watercolor paintings, one to document each mile of Western Avenue, in Chicago.  I started this project because while it is not considered to be among the most “beautiful” of Chicago’s streets, Western Avenue is a perfect place to document the humanness of Chicago, the positive and the negative. In the words of Stuart Dybek, "Western, with apologies to State Street, is a great street,  Unlike State, it is a street that goes to the interior, the heart of the city, as it glides and glows through a United Nations of neighborhoods."  Check back next Monday to see the painting completed based on this sketch.

This portion of Western Avenue takes on a character quite different from the stretch, which lay just two miles south.  The street transitions from a densely populated commercial strip bustling with fast food restaurants and clothing stores to a much wider boulevard.  In addition to being wider, this stretch of Western  is an interesting mix of sprawling factories and solid brick 2 flats.  

Most surprising, was the Wheatland Tube factory, still in operation.  It sprawls beyond a parking lot used by customers at a home depot.  It's all together unusual to see such large scale industry along a main corridor in a major city.  This mile is home to a number of other functioning and vacant factory buildings.  I was particularly of fond a cold parts factory at 44th St., which was anchored by an elegantly proportioned tower.  

What are you favorite Chicago boulevards?

Other Projects

Visiting Washington, DC

Over Memorial Day weekend I visited Baltimore for a friend's wedding and then to Washington, DC to spend a couple days with a dear friend.  I am extraordinarily fond of Baltimore, my one time home, so it was lovely to be back in the city.  I had a fantastic time exploring in DC as well.  There was a really lovely exhibit of wire sculpture portraits by Calder at the National Portrait Gallery.  We also made a visit to the Julia Child's kitchen at the American History Smithsonian.  A lovely morning was spent at Eastern Market (a farmer/flea market) and following morning exploring in Rock Creek Park.  I made this painting of the Key Bridge, which can be seen from Rock Creek Park.  I was struck by the lushness of Washington as well as the dramatic (by comparison to Chicago) topography!

What are your favorite sites to visit in Washington, DC?

Featured Artist

Kathy McCartney
Kathy McCartney started drawing at the age of 5. She would draw people from her imagination or copy their likeness from photographs using pencil and charcoal. She entered art contests and won awards.  As an adult she experimented with watercolor and acrylic paints, then she discovered oil painting and this became her medium of choice. Kathy supported herself and young son working full-time.  Between work and raising her child she found for free moments to teach herself oil painting and techniques. She read books on the
subject, watched tapes and educational TV programs and began painting at home. In October 2000 Kathy found her art teacher Tom Anderson. Today, an accomplished artist, she has turned her art dream into a career and teaches oil painting classes to adults and has
a curriculum for children.
     “My desire is to share the joy of painting with others as a way to relax, express, and build confidence. I hope to reach individuals that have the desire to learn this colorful, flexible, long lasting medium.  My subject matter is something I call Tropical Expressions. These are images of tranquil oceans and lush terrain filled with brilliant, translucent colors.  As you paint you connect with the image and get lost in a state of wonderment. I want to share this magical experience with my students and people who view my artwork.” 

What made you fall in love with painting?
Bob Ross.  You know the man with the big hair and hypnotic gentle voice on PBS.  I have always enjoyed watching him create a painting in less than 30 minutes.  Bob Ross inspired me to take up oil painting.  Walt Disney inspired in me the idea of drawing, making magic with animation, and dreaming big.  Since I was a small child I loved to draw.  I have always been amazed with creating pictures all my life.   I find it fascinating to produce “something” out of “nothing,” much like a magician.  To bring out ideas from within to paper or canvas feels empowering.  When I switched from black and white drawings to painting in color, I found it challenging and hard to master.  I have discovered that painting and use of color is both scientific and intuitive.  There is a lot to learn and I feel like I am still growing today.

Are there particular artists who inspire your work? 
Paul Gauguin’s work I feel I really relate to as an artist.  There are many artists I admire, living and dead:  Walt Disney, Vincent van Gogh, Paul Gauguin, Frida Kahlo, Curtis Wilson, Lori Higgins, Kari McCarthy, Walfrido Garcia, William DeShazo, John Al Hogue, Steven Powers, Noelito, and many more.  I am particularly fond of other tropical artists.  The biggest inspiration for me is really Mother Nature and the Hawaiian Islands.  I used to live in Oahu, Hawaii as a small child and my creative internal compass points to this region, the needle is stuck.

Are there new themes or mediums you anticipate exploring in your upcoming work? 
I am an oil painter on canvas today and art teacher.  My next big challenge and adventure is to write books.  I am currently working on a few book ideas.  I love to write as well as to paint so here is an opportunity to express myself in both words and images.  The first book project, I have been working on for several years now.  It is about my personal artistic journey and beginnings in Hawaii.  The second book will be a children’s book.  Writing books is another challenging endeavor!  But that is what makes life interesting.  I’m always trying to grow and develop artistically.  Plus, I hope to generate other income streams doing what I love. 

Sincere thanks to Kathy McCartney for sharing her wonderful collection of oil paintings. 

What do you think of Kathy's Tropical Expressions?

Wedding Map

Edmonton, AB

 

I recently completed this custom map to be included on a wedding insert for a couple who will marry in Edmonton, Alberta.  The map features a small sketch of the wedding venue: Country Lodge, along with the main roads in the area.  I love making maps and daydreaming about travels to new places! 

Have you visited Alberta?

Western Avenue Series

Mile 9: 58th-50th Street
This painting is a part of my Western Avenue Series, through which I'll be making 24 watercolor paintings, one to document each mile of Western Avenue, in Chicago.  I started this project because while it is not considered to be among the most “beautiful” of Chicago’s streets, Western Avenue is a perfect place to document the humanness of Chicago, the positive and the negative. In the words of Stuart Dybek, "Western, with apologies to State Street, is a great street,  Unlike State, it is a street that goes to the interior, the heart of the city, as it glides and glows through a United Nations of neighborhoods."  Check back next Monday to see a post about the next mile of Western.

The painting representing this mile of the Western Avenue depicts the Fire Museum of Chicago.  I couldn't help but settle upon the Fire Museum as a subject matter because it was one of the things that surprised me as I made my journey down Western--I had no idea there was a "Fire Museum of Greater Chicago!"  The architectural style of the fire museum, which was built 94 years ago, is similar to fire houses found all over Chicago.

The Fire Museum of Greater Chicago opened to the public for the first time in May 2010 after 15 years of volunteer work to bring the museum to life.  In an a story on ABC News, the exhibits were described as having the intention of capturing the sounds, sights and memories of more than 150 years of Chicago Fire Department history. The items on exhibit include a scale model of the Our Lady of Angels School, where many died in 1958, as well as just one old fire truck (more to come).  In addition to more fire trucks, visitors can expect the the re-installation of fire poles (which were invented in Chicago in 1878) sometime soon.


Click here to purchase this painting.

Did you know Chicago had a Fire Museum?

Other Projects

Butterfly Costume

I recently painted a large butterfly to be used as a costume for a flora and fauna party. 

I really enjoyed the painting a large scale butterfly, but became rather inpatient with the process of sewing the watercolor paper onto a  t-shirt.  I am a rather poor seamstress, but I made do with my skills and enjoyed the party! 

What are your favorite flora and fauna costumes?

Featured Artist

Karen Hahn
Karen Hahn is primarily self taught artist.  She has been a practicing artist for 15 years.  She has been featured in two books, has been the subject of numerous news articles and her work is being collected in the U.S and abroad. She also shows and sells her work at fairs in festivals around the East coast.  She has also written and illustrated her own children's book, "Millicent and the Faraway Moon."  Karen hails from Trenton N.J and Buffalo N.Y but currently lives in Southeastern Pa. with her husband, daughter and 3 persnickety cats. 

Describe the inspiration behind your "People on the Couch" paintings.
The "People on the Couch Paintings" began as a whim, when I took what I thought was a funny photo at a family gathering. I then started to look at more candid snapshots belonging to myself and others for fodder for more paintings. I think that these photos are a more honest type of portraiture. I like depicting people relaxed and being themselves.

Are there particular artists who inspire your work? 
 Van Gogh and Frida Kahlo. 

Are there new themes or mediums you anticipate exploring in your upcoming work?
I have been painting my cows in Acrylic for about 5 years and have begun to miss the experience of painting with oil. I have already begun using oil again in a commissioned "People on the Couch" painting. I also plan a return to painting images that are a little more personal to me.

Many thanks to Karen for sharing her work.

What do you think of Karen's whimsical paintings?

Wedding Invitation

Hearts around the Globe

This recent wedding invitation features a digital design.  The image of hearts strung together ringing the globe strikes me as rather charming, in the way that we festoon Christmas trees with strings of popcorn and drape streamers across our living rooms.  

As a lover of travel, the image of the globe calls to mind adventures past and yet to come.  As a believer in peace, the image seems a hopeful reminder of peaceful resolutions yet to come.  And, as a persons with friends and co-workers who have landed in Chicago from many corners of globe, it is delightful reminder of the love that exists across borders.

Hearts and globes, what do you think? 

Western Avenue Series

Mile 9: 58th-50th Street

This sketch is a part of my Western Avenue Series, through which I'll be making 24 watercolor paintings, one to document each mile of Western Avenue, in Chicago.  I started this project because while it is not considered to be among the most “beautiful” of Chicago’s streets, Western Avenue is a perfect place to document the humanness of Chicago, the positive and the negative. In the words of Stuart Dybek, "Western, with apologies to State Street, is a great street,  Unlike State, it is a street that goes to the interior, the heart of the city, as it glides and glows through a United Nations of neighborhoods."  Check back next Monday to see the painting completed based on this sketch.

This mile of Western Avenue traverses the Gage Park neighborhood, one of Chicago official community area.  I found an interesting outline of the neighborhood's history on The Encyclopedia of Chicago website.  The entry about Gage Park revels that its story begins with German farmers who settled there in the 1840s.  In the early part of the 20th century the extension of the electric trolley system to Western and Kedzie contributed to a building boom in the area.

While Protestants tended to settle in Chicago Lawn, Roman Catholics settled in Gage Park.  By 1920 there were 13,692 people in Gage Park, mostly Bohemian and Polish, and mostly employees of the Union Stock Yard. The community supported three movie theaters, including the Colony, which was built in 1925 in classical Gothic style at 5842 South Kedzie. Slavic immigrants were lured to the area as national churches were created.  Bordered on three sides by railroads, Gage Park attracted employers, including Central Steel and Wire Company, Royal Crown Bottling Company, and World's Finest Chocolate.

In the 1960s, the Marquette Park–Gage Park area became a center of testing for open housing for African Americans.  In the 1970s and 1980s, several neighborhood organizations were formed to stabilize the area and to ease racial tensions: the Southwest Community Congress sought to improve race relations with bordering neighborhoods, whereas the Southwest Parish and Neighborhood Federation sought to curb real-estate blockbusting tactics and to maintain middle-class stability in the community. 


Have you visited the Gage Park neighborhood?

Other Projects

Graduation Memory Painting

I recently finished this commissioned painting of a Restaurant in Chicago.  It will be given as a graduation present.  This restaurant, Stanley's, is among the favorite haunts of a recent DePaul graduate and apparently they make a mean Mac & Cheese.

What images best represent your University experience? 

Featured Artist

Brazen Edwards-Hager
After raising a set of identical twin boys and pursuing a career in Criminology, Brazen Edwards-Hager moved to the Okanagan and she felt inspired. Her artwork has been highlighted in numerous juried exhibitions, local art shows, galleries, and collected internationally.

What first attracted you to painting with Sumi-e?
Well raising a set of twins, pursing a University degree in Criminology, and eventually securing employment with the RCMP made me take a hard look at the stress in my life and what I could do to combat it.  Having made the decision to move to the Okanagan for the weather and a quieter community I also found it was filled with a vibrant and supportive art scene so I couldn’t help but be inspired by the gorgeous landscapes, the local grown fruit and the abundant wildlife.  Since I’ve always been drawn to Eastern Philosophy and Asian culture, I decided to focus on the meditative aspects that are inherent in Japanese Brush Paintings, so it just made sense to me.   Every action, from the mixing of ink to the placement of each individual stroke requires the artist to concentrate, to clear your mind and focus on the image you’re going to bring forth from the page and as a result. The goal of this form of painting is not to capture the likeness of the subject, but instead to capture its essence so it’s allowed me to delve deeper into myself and find my true calling.

Are there particular artists who inspire your work? 
Toyo Sesshu is one of the great masters of Sumi-e.  His style is distinguished by its force and intensity of brush stroke as well as by its power of conception. Of all the many distinguished painters Japan has produced, Sesshu is often considered to have been the most outstanding. This estimate is based not only on the excellence of his work but also on his eminence as a Zen monk and man of learning.

Are there new themes or mediums you anticipate exploring in your upcoming work? 
I’m currently working on a series of watercolour pieces using a technique called ‘pouring’ that are heavily influenced by Japanese imagery.  Although it’s a step away from the Japanese Brush paintings, you can still see the inspiration in my work with landscapes that feature temples, koi and cherry blossoms.

Thank you very much to Brazen for sharing her work.

What do you think of Brazen's lovely Sumi-e paintings?

Wedding Invitation

Star Constellation Chart

I've always been rather taken by star constellations.  I, like many city dwellers, find myself rather shocked each time I wonder into sparsely inhabited regions of the country...The stars are amazing!  That interest paired with a fondness for the Au Revoir Simone song "Stars" inspired this invitation design. 

"You make me wanna measure stars in the backyard with a calculator and a ruler baby
I found a letter that describes how the moonlight will lead me to the distant place that you will be..."

This invitation illustrates the northern constellations in a mid-winter night sky.  In this digital design, I've laid out all of the constellations and labeled them. 

Do you like star gazing?