Two Paintings

These paintings were commissioned project by a woman for whom I had created custom wedding invitations several years ago. She requested a custom painting of a beautiful bouquet of wild flowers in a mason jar, for her mother. After I completed the painting, she requested a second painting on the same subject matter for her mother-in-law. It was an interesting exercise to paint the same subject matter twice. I think I managed to achieve the same feel in both paintings though the particulars of the colors varies quite a bit. I particularly enjoyed painting the rich hues of the door knob featured in these paintings.

Shall we dwell in possibility?

With the passing of Thanksgiving and the design of a holiday postcard, I’ve been reflecting on Emily Dickenson’s poem “I dwell in Possibility.”

The poem reads:
“I dwell in Possibility –
A fairer House than Prose –
More numerous of Windows –
Superior – for Doors –

Of Chambers as the Cedars –
Impregnable of eye –
And for an everlasting Roof
The Gambrels of the Sky –

Of Visitors – the fairest –
For Occupation – This –
The spreading wide my narrow Hands
To gather Paradise –“

In reflecting with gratitude for the year gone by and celebrating the new start of the coming year, I feel aware that the possibility of the present is where I desire to dwell. It’s easy to yearn to hold onto the experiences of days gone by or to project ourselves into a positive or negative future. I will struggle mightily though, to be present to myself and others in the each moment, and to behold the possibility that exists there.

Michigan Audubon

This is a commissioned painting, made for a couple who married at the Michigan Audubon in Manistee, MI. This picturesque site along Lake Michigan’s eastern edge is the oldest of Michigan’s conservation organizations. It was formed in 1904 in order to secure protective legislation for birds at a time when the millinery industry was harming songbird populations. 

The Outdoor Art Club

In June I traveled to the bay area for the wedding of my friends Chris and Jessie. They married at the Outdoor Art Club, a beautiful venue in quaint downtown Mill Valley. The private, nonprofit women's organization was formed in 1902 and their stated mission is “To preserve the natural scenery of Mill Valley and the surrounding country, to beautify the grounds around public buildings, to work against the wanton destruction of birds and game, to encourage the development of outdoor art and to engage in other civic, literary and charitable work." 

It was a relaxed celebration in a idyllic setting. The reception was colored with delightful teal accents, wild flowers, and a main course of delicious pizza! I was so pleased to be able to celebrate the marriage of an old friend and to visit a Mill Valley and the Outdoor Art Club. I made this painting for the couple to mark the occasion. This is the charming entrance to the Art Club, in June the foliage was lush and I felt as I was passing through the gate into an enchanted garden. Congratulations to Chris and Jessie!

The South Shores of Lake Michigan

In August I had the pleasure of joining in the celebration of the marriage of my friends Helen and Tom. They married at the south shore of Lake Michigan in the beautiful Gary Aquatorium. The Aquatorium was built in 1921 as a bathhouse and for years was the focal point of Miller Beach. It was a delightful celebration complete with good company, beautiful scenery, and fantastic music. 

The setting was rich with the opportunities to document the occasion with a painting. I made this painting of the lake as seen from the second story wedding location. I enjoyed painting the unique column capitals of the building, the rich tones of the native grasses, and steely lake beyond. Congratulations to Helen and Tom!

Sailboat at Promontory Point

After spending a longer while making a larger painting of the lake and the billowing clouds, i made this smaller vignette of one of the passing sail boats. The boats move too quickly to capture the whole scene before they are gone, but it was a good exercise in making a simple painting and focusing on the essential relationships between lights and darks.

Painting at Promontory Point

I wonder if I will ever tire of painting Lake Michigan. I made this painting while sitting at Promontory Point, one of my favorite parks in Chicago. It was the late afternoon and the billowing clouds were "sitting" along the skyline as I began the painting, as I the afternoon progressed they clouds climbed higher in the sky and the painting evolved with them. As the season changes, and I look upon the seeming endlessness of the lake, I feel aware of the possibilities which lie ahead and curious about what the coming months will bring.

Return to Manistee

In late September I had the delight of returning to a friend's family cottage in Manistee, Michigan. It was a cool weekend, so our activities included walking on the beach through the brisk fall breezes, shuffle board play, outdoor and indoor fires, and evening board games. It was a delight o make this painting of the cottage with gratitude to the generosity of it's owners. 

Painting at Ghost Ranch

 

I really enjoy the boldness and the subtle abstraction of Georgia O'Keeffe's paintings. So, it was a special delight to visit the landscapes in which she spend much of her life drawing and painting. What delight it was to sit at Ghost Ranch and be able to clearly identify the bluffs that appear in O'Keeffe's paintings and in driving down the highway to see the cloudscapes that were frequently abstracted in her work. It was a pleasure to sit and make this painting in the place that inspired O'Keeffe. It was a challenge to paint a terrain which is unfamiliar to me and a delight to take in the richness of the colors of the place.

Spruce House at Mesa Verde

I was recently delighted to travel to Mesa Verde National Park to visit both the Cliff Palace and Spruce House sites. I was taken by both the preservation of the dwellings and the beauty of the natural surroundings. I also really enjoyed the story our park ranger told us about the discovery of the Mesa Verde ruins, by Richard Wetherill and his brother-in-law as they searched for some stray cattle in 1888. As I made this painting, I was imagining that experience of two cowboys stumbling upon these ancient dwellings as they rode through the isolated canyons of southwest Colorado.

New Mexico & Colorado

I recently had the pleasure of traveling through northern New Mexico and southern Colorado. The trip was planned as an odyssey to Mesa Verde National Park and the cliff dwellings which date to the 1200s. Though Mesa Verde was the genesis for the trip, I found the travel was particularly interesting because of the variance in landscape and experience encountered. In that spirit, I've compiled a list of the top ten delights of the trip. 

Heading north to Mesa Verde

1. Being in a National Park
Sadly, I've only been to a handful of our U.S. National Parks. There are many more I'd like to visit than the ones I've actually explored. There is something about the experience that feels really special though. I feel a certain sense of national pride that we have chosen to preserve these places which feel sacred, and am honored to benefit from a history of investment in those places historically by the Civilian Conservation Corp and today by the care of park rangers and other park employees.

Hiking at Mesa Verde National Park

2. Mesa Verde Dwellings
I'm embarrassed to admit that until recently, I didn't really know that a place like Mesa Verde existed in the U.S. In touring the Cliff Palace at Mesa Verde, I was captivated by the completeness of the stone dwellings which remain, the dramatic presentation given by our park ranger guide, and the breath-taking views from the cliff's edge.

Cliff Palace at Mesa Verde

3. Going through small towns
The majority of our travel was on small two-lane highways which wind through the small towns of New Mexico and Colorado. it was a delight to glimpse these small towns. Some like Durango were thriving with the liveliness of a local college and others were struggling to remain vital. They had the ruggedness of a rural western town, but the favor of beautiful surroundings.  

Sunset at Chama, NM

4. Visiting Ghost Ranch 
As a painter there is always something inspiring about visiting the places which have inspired great painters through the ages. It was a pleasure to visit Ghost Ranch where Georgia O'Keeffe spent part of her life and to readily recognize the landscapes which inspired many of her paintings. 
5. Marveling at the varied natural beauty
I was a bit surprised by the variety of natural environments we encountered in traversing a relatively short distance from as far south as Albuquerque to as far North and West as Mesa Verde. The landscape changed from brushy arid desert to the dramatic hills and endless pine trees of the San Juan and Carson National Forests, to the beautiful red rock desert near to Ghost Ranch.

Charming building in Chama, NM

6. Visiting the echo amphitheater
This particular trip didn't offer the opportunity to visit too many road side attractions, we didn't stumble upon the world's largest ball of twine or a house made from beer cans. The best roadside attraction we found was a naturally occurring one. Just north of Ghost Ranch, there is a naturally occurring rock formation, which serves an echo amphitheater, reflecting your words back at you. It was really fun to speak, shout, and sing into the amphitheater.
7. A sandwich at Bode's Mercantile General Store
Part of the delight of a road trip are the places you stumble upon in driving from one destination to another. Bode's was one of those hidden gems, a general store in existence since 1890, Bode's is that fantastic combination of a place where there is a message board advertising goats for sale and also a lunch counter offering really fantastically delicious sandwiches.

Scenery near to Ghost Ranch

8. Staying in an Old Style road side motel
In traveling from Mesa Verde to Santa Fe, we spent one night in Chama, NM. Chama is home to the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad (a national historic landmark) and is dotted with roadside motels. We stumbled upon once such motel, which retained the charms of an earlier era. The rooms were once separate cabins before the current owners made the addition of a single roof and infilled between the cabins. 
9. Downtown Santa Fe
I had never been to Santa Fe before and was bowled over by it's charms. The downtown has the old world feel of small European cities. The adobe buildings are flanked by colonnades, the heart of the city is a beautiful plaza park and the the city is home to the oldest Catholic church in the U.S. It was an entirely delightful place to visit and meander about. 
10. Making Paintings
When traveling making a painting is always among my greatest pleasures. On this short trip, I had the chance to make two. One of the Spruce Tree House at Mesa Verde and one at Ghost Ranch. Stayed tuned for the next two weeks to see those paintings. 

Thank you!

Photos by Jeff Bone of recent community dinner

Thanks to your generous support I exceeded my goal of raising $1000! I delighted to report that through the donations by friends and family, I was able to gather $1,202 in donations to the Rural Studio. Not only that, the Chicago Rural Studio Alumni through a recent community dinner and other efforts have exceeded their goal of raising $20,000, with $24,445 raised so far.  If you still want to help, though, it's not too late! In order to reach the goal of building homes for eight families and the broader goal of developing a prototype for affordable housing, the Rural Studio needs to raise another $77,883. So, please consider purchasing Western Avenue Postcards or Color of Light Notecards, or make a donation at SupportRuralStudio.org in any amount (you can purchase a 2x4 for as little as $2.50). 

Thank you again to all those who have already contributed to this effort!

RAGBRAI Roadside Painting

As with the other painting I made on my recent RAGBRAI adventure, the context tells a bit more of the story behind this painting. It was made at a the corner of two Iowa country roads, which is populated by a handful of structures including a farmhouse and the rustic barn depicted in this painting. Typically, I imagine that on an average day that corner sees sporadic passing vehicle traffic and rarely a visitor who makes a stop. On the day I visited, though, RAGBRAI was passing through and about 30,000 cyclists journeyed through this corner. While, I made this painting the following things were happening around me: 

to my right people spread across an open yard playing frisbee,

a ceramicist stopped by to talk about art and his recent purchase of watercolor paints,

across the street long lines formed, queues for beer, pork on a stick, corn on the cob, and lemonade,

people clothed in varied forms of spandex lay on the grass talking, eating, cat napping,

a band played and people danced,

and I painted.

RAGBRAI Roadside Painting

One of the most interesting things about making this painting on my first day of RAGBRAI riding was the context. The context is a bit lost in this painting, for though I've made an effort at depicting the beautiful hills of eastern Iowa, some of the liveliness of the experience is lost in this painting. While perhaps you can perceive that this painting was made at the crest of a hill, looking back upon the landscape's undulation, you likely don't perceive that I sat perched on a grassy section along the side of the road with hundreds of people milling about around me. An impromptu beer garden was all around, my friends were enjoying a mid-afternoon beer and I had challenged myself to complete a painting in the time it would take for them to have one drink. Being the only person making a painting in a sea of weary bikers led to a lot of questions about what and why I was painting, inquiries about whether painting is my profession, and suggestions about what to include in the composition. 

In making a quick sketch painting I tend to take broad artistic license, simplifying the scene to include that which I can quickly depict and that which will remain static enough for me to depict it. This leads to a new challenge, learning to better capture the action of those moments, quickly, and with flexibility in a ever changing scene. That is, to me, is one of the pleasures of the regular creative practice: one can, at once, feel the satisfaction of improving ability and also the challenge of how to paint/draw/write/{insert your creative pursuit} in a ever more expressive way.

RAGBRAI!

I had the recent pleasure of biking my way across (part of) Iowa. It was my inaugural RAGBRAI experience, and I hope not my last. What's RAGBRAI you ask? Well, actually it's an acronym that explains itself, RAGBRAI stands for The Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa.  The annual bike ride bills itself as the oldest, largest and longest bicycle touring event in the world.

Beautiful billowing clouds on the first day of riding

RAGBRAI started in 1973 and in chatting with a rider who had participating in one of the first rides (and has been participating annually since 1991!), I found that there wasn't much support for riders on those first rides. It's hard to believe that now, as the hospitality along the route is almost overwhelming. On our first day of riding, I was dubious that we would reach the end of the 50 mile ride before dark (though we departed around 9:30AM) because the opportunities to stop for coffee, breakfast burritos, slip and slides, pork on a stick, pie, beer, and much more are plentiful. 

The charming buildings of Pella, IA

The full RAGBRAI route averages 468 miles, though this year we only made the journey for 4 of the 7 days of riding, so we weren't able to participate in the full tradition of dipping the back tour of your bike in the Missouri River at the start of the race and dipping the front tour of your bike in the Mississippi at the end of the race. I was stunned by the beauty of Iowa, at times disheartened that the rolling hills of Southeast Iowa contribute to that beauty (the roll of each hill is noted when riding a bike over them). 

Delicious key lime pie!

Our ride was marked by beautiful weather, mainly partly cloudy days with billowing clouds, warm sun, and mild breezes. We were a bit star-struck by siting and chatting with Don Gonyea and Scott Horsley names familiar to frequent NPR listeners (they kept a great Tumblr worth checking out). There was the opportunity to spend many hours with friends--talking and riding, laying in the grass along the route, and camping in the evening. And, of course, the great joy of riding a bike. I am often struck with gratitude, whether riding around Chicago or along a road in Iowa with corn fields for as far as the eye can see (a bit surreal) that I am able to ride a bike, the ease with which a bike can glide along and also the physical challenge of a long ride!

Bridge over the Mississippi on the way back to Chicago

And, of course, for me when I hit the road, be it by plane, train, automobile or bike, there is always the allure of making a painting. Stay tuned, for paintings made on my Iowa Odyssey in the next two weeks.

Help me raise $1000!

As you may know, before moving to Chicago, I spent a year living in Alabama and working as an outreach fellow at the Rural Studio. I was working on a project called the 20K House. The team I was a part of designed and built a $20,000 House (the house pictured in this post), which helped in the development of a prototype for affordable for rural West Alabama. Now, 6 years later the Rural Studio is getting ready to celebrate it's 20th anniversary. To celebrate, the entire studio will focus on building eight 20k houses for the community, resulting in twenty 20K houses in total. In order to make that possible, the studio needs to raise $160,000. The Rural Studio alumni in Chicago have banded together with the hope of raising $20,000 collectively, so I'm hoping to raise $1000 in support of that goal. 

Wondering how you can help? You can purchase a set of my Western Avenue postcards or Ocean Collection notecards and the full purchase price will be donated to the cause. You can also make a donation of any amount (no amount too small or large) by clicking on the donate button below, Or, if you can't donate at this time, you can share a link to this post on social media, to help spread the word. If you'd like to learn more about the Rural Studio and the 20K house project, read more below!

What is the Rural Studio? In 1993, Sambo Mockbee and D.K. Ruth brought a handful of architecture students to rural West Alabama, giving them a more hands-on educational experience whilst assisting an undeserved population. Rural Studio has since built more than 150 community-based projects and educated more than 600 "Citizen Architects."

What's a 20K House?  The 20K House project began in 2005 as an ongoing Rural Studio research project addressing the need for affordable housing in Hale County, Alabama.  With nearly 30% of individuals in Hale County living in poverty, the 20K House has evolved to become a well-built, affordable house for everyone. 

Chicago Skyline in Pen & Ink

I feel as though when I attempt to write about the paintings (and occasionally drawings) I make, the things I write are essentially the same, typically something like: I visited this location, it was a lovely place, and I had the delightful experience of making this painting. When I make an attempt at conveying those experiences, I depend on a fairly limited body of descriptors and what is a vivid act becomes a bit flattened. 

I was considering that difficulty as I sat down to write about this recent sketch. This sketch was made on half of an a piece of 8 1/2 x 11 recycled scrap paper, a to-do list on the top half, and this sketch occupying the remaining blank page. It was made with makeshift supplies because as I sat by the lake on an recent evening, I felt a pressing desire to draw or paint, so I improvised with what I had. In writing about this work, I find myself trying to articulate what lies behind that desire, what motivates me to draw or paint, to make art.

The truth is I'm not really sure why I make art. It could be that the experience of sitting in a place and attempting to create a representation of it, forces me to be present, to be aware, to be still. It could be that as I travel through life it's hard not to see the deficiencies of contemporary society, it feels easy to be jaded in some way, to become cynical. For me, creating art never feels cynical. There is something beautiful about taking the time to record a moment, a place, a feeling. Art, of course, does not just record the things which are traditionally beautiful, art may reveal that which is unjust, art may reveal the world as it is and not as it should be. Regardless, though, the act of making art strikes me as an optimistic one, hopeful even. These are lofty words to write as I post a quick sketch made on a piece of scrap paper. Is that not the delight of art though, it is lofty, it calls upon the idealistic parts of ourselves, and what could be better than that?

Lincoln Park Conservatory

On a recent Saturday, I visited the Green City Market, wandered through the beautifully landscaped gardens of LIncoln Park, and settled into the Lincoln Park conservatory to make this painting.  I sat along side a friend who was also drawing, it was a delight to interact with curious passersby and make this quick sketch painting in the conservatory. This painting doesn't quite capture the marvel of the scene, which was the contrast between the soft, lush plant textures with the rigid metal and glass of the beautiful structure. Lovely afternoon!

Commissioned Painting

I recently had the pleasure of completing this commissioned painting, which was to be given as a wedding present. It was made from a photo taken at the couple's wedding and was indeed well suited to translation into watercolor. I was really taken by the soft light in the background, the green shade of the plant and the contrast of that color to the rustic shelf on which it sits. It is a lovely symbol of the commitment of one couple and a pleasing image as the recent supreme court rulings move our country one step closer to equal marriage rights!

Golden Gate Park, San Francisco

Last weekend I had the pleasure of travelling to San Francisco for the wedding of an old friend.  In additional to travel Mill Valley for the wedding, there was the delight of a few days to explore San Francisco, including visits to "little Russia" (home of grocery stores with some unfamiliar snacks and Russian Orthodox churches), Fort Point (which has an awesome view of the water from the vantage point of the underside of the Golden Gate Bridge), the Sutro Baths (ruins of public baths that were around until the mid-20th century--7 pools that could accommodate 10,000 people at a time!), and a hike in Pacifica (along this bluff called Mori Point, which runs along the water).  

On Sunday, a day which was uncharacteristically warm and sunny for June in San Francisco, we made a visit to Golden Gate Park. It's really a stunning piece of public infrastructure, which includes a buffalo pasture, botanic garden, and Japanese tea garden. The experience was made even more fantastic by the fact that the roads are closed to vehicular traffic on Sundays, so bikers and walkers rule the roads. I was particularly taken by the Music Concourse, a grand plaza which separates the de Young museum (also really interesting) from the Academy of Sciences. It is a public space that feels European in nature, particularly the Spreckels Temple of Music, a classically designed bandshell located at the west end of the concourse. So, I sat on a sunny afternoon, before the Temple of Music and painted the elegant arcade of Ionic columns, while enjoying a rehearsal and performance by Circus Bella and the Golden Gate Park Band.

Painting on the Rails

Keeping with the theme of painting while on the move, I made this painting while traveling by train to St. Louis. As is typical of the midwest, much of the landscape felt wide open, gently rolling fields and big open sky. The charms of painting on the train made me even more curious about the experience of traveling west, by train, through the great plains.  For now, I enjoyed the short trip south to St. Louis, where I delighted in a visit to the Buckminster Fuller conservatory at the Botanic Garden and the wonders of the City Museum.     

Gloomy Afternoon at Lake Harriet

Two weekends ago I spent the weekend in Minneapolis for a wedding. I'm pretty taken by the natural beauty of the twin cities: lush trees, the great Mississippi, the Minnehaha Falls, and dozens of lakes.  I had the lucky opportunity to stay with a friends' family near to Lake Harriet on this recent visit.  It's hard to describe how idyllic the neighborhood lakes, like Lake Harriet, seem to me.  Lake Harriet, located two blocks from where I was staying, feels clean and fresh, surrounded by tree-lined walking and biking paths, a bandshell for summer concerts, and charming homes. On a gloomy Sunday afternoon walk, I couldn't resist sitting in the bandshell overlooking the lake and making this painting. Later that day, in fabricating a "thank you" card for our hosts, I painted the same scene again, but the second time the lake, sky, and water lived in my mind's eye. The second version, painted from memory, was simplified into the more essential relationships of lights and darks, without attempting to differentiate the details of the scene. I'm uncertain which was the more compelling painting, but certainly the experience of sitting before the a vast sky, lush trees, and reflective water can't be beat!

Sketches from the Open Road

Last weekend I drove with friends from Chicago to Minneapolis for a wedding.  It's a pleasant drive north to Madison, passing through the Wisconsin Dells before arriving in Minnesota.  On the long drive to Minneapolis, fortified by dinner at a restaurant, which boasted that they deliver your meal by train (it was a model train that ran by our table alternately delivering beverages and ferrying stuffed animals around the restaurant), I decided to do something which I had never done before…make a watercolor painting in a moving vehicle.  The experiment was fairly successful, the sketches are not particularly nice paintings, but it was a delight to try to capture something about the passing landscape as it rushed by at highway speed.  I was particularly taken by the ribbon of sunlight that ran down the middle of the highway, the contrast of the dark hills beyond with the lightness of the sunset sky, and the perfectly round glowing orb of sunlight.  Soon the light slipped away and it became too difficult to paint, but there is such delight in making a painting even when it isn't particularly beautiful or representational.

Generousity

I was recently inspired, by a friend's blog post on generosity. Considering the nature of generosity made me curious about how I would go about representing the idea of generosity visually.  There is something that can feel a bit counterintuitive about giving, perhaps there is a moment that feels as though something is being taken away from us, a void where what we have given away once was.  Perhaps it is as though generosity responds to the same properties as govern the principle of mass conservation, which implies that mass can neither be created nor destroyed, although it may be rearranged in space.  When we give there is a rearrangement that happens, something is taken away from us, but there is also a space that is opened inside of us.  We are made open and able to receive in new ways.  We are changed in some way, we are renewed and remade by the process of letting something go and letting in something new.  

Painting Color & Light

On a recent vacation to the Trelawny Parish of Jamaica, I continued my exploration painting water and sky.  "The Color of Light" the title given to a 2008 Winslow Homer exhibit at the Art Institute came to mind in making these paintings.  The clear reflective water of Jamaica seemed particularly expressive of the bright sunshine and billowy clouds.  Not only that, the experience called to mind the beautiful paintings that Homer himself made on visits to the Bahamas, Cuba, and Bermuda.  Homer who loved to fish and paint out of doors, took to wintering in the tropics starting in 1884.  For me, it was a delight to spend many hours on the beach, alternatively painting, reading, dipping in the water, and napping.  Check back next week to see another painting in the series. 

Painting Water & Light

On a recent vacation to the Trelawny Parish of Jamaica, I continued my exploration painting water and sky.  "The Color of Light" the title given to a 2008 Winslow Homer exhibit at the Art Institute came to mind in making these paintings.  The clear reflective water of Jamaica seemed particularly expressive of the bright sunshine and billowy clouds.  Not only that, the experience called to mind the beautiful paintings that Homer himself made on visits to the Bahamas, Cuba, and Bermuda.  Homer who loved to fish and paint out of doors, took to wintering in the tropics starting in 1884.  For me, it was a delight to spend many hours on the beach, alternatively painting, reading, dipping in the water, and napping.  Check back next week to see another painting in the series. 

Painting Water & Light

On a recent vacation to the Trelawny Parish of Jamaica, I continued my exploration painting water and sky.  "The Color of Light" the title given to a 2008 Winslow Homer exhibit at the Art Institute came to mind in making these paintings.  The clear reflective water of Jamaica seemed particularly expressive of the bright sunshine and billowy clouds.  Not only that, the experience called to mind the beautiful paintings that Homer himself made on visits to the Bahamas, Cuba, and Bermuda.  Homer who loved to fish and paint out of doors, took to wintering in the tropics starting in 1884.  For me, it was a delight to spend many hours on the beach, alternatively painting, reading, dipping in the water, and napping.  Check back next week to see another painting in the series.