Summer Lake Series

After many months of painting Western Avenue, with its broad swaths of asphalt, concrete sidewalks, and sturdy brick buildings I find myself wanting nothing more than to paint the ever-changing, fluidity of Lake Michigan, and the beaches and trees which line the lake in Chicago.  Specifically, I want to make quick loose sketch paintings.  

In the Western Avenue series I toiled for many, many hours in my studio over precise paintings, it's a mode of painting with which I am very comfortable.  My training as an architect attracts me to precision and discipline in painting.  As with most things, I feel gratitude for the skill set I have, but am also drawn to expand the ways in which I paint, to challenge myself to paint in ways which are outside my comfort zone.  So, I'm going to dedicate myself to making a series of loose paintings this summer, sitting by the lake, painting with broad strokes, and channeling Winslow Homer and John Marin, two of my painting heros and both extraordinary painters of water.


This is the first of these paintings.  It was made it on a brisk June night while sitting on a pier at North Avenue beach.  In addition to creating a challenge for myself, these quick paintings offer the opportunity to sell paintings affordably, as part of my desire to make art accessible to a wider audience.  All of the paintings in this series will be sold for $50 or less.  Visit my Etsy shop to see all of the paintings currently available.