jane sloss, watercolor paintings

Western Avenue Series

2012-02-05T22:14:00.000-08:00

Mile 17: Division to Armitage
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.

This painting is complete though the documenting of it (as is apparent from the hole in the center of the image) is not! The subject of this painting is the Western Avenue Blue Line station, located just south of Armitage. This station opened in 1895 as part of the Metropolitan Elevated's Logan Square branch. In 1930 an Art Deco style façade replaced its original station entrance. I wanted to paint this station because the I find it be quite elegant. It's a familiar stop, with several favorites of mine, particularly Margies, which I mentioned in the previous post, as well as Belly Shack (owned by the same folks at Urban Belly), and Green Eye.

Do you have a favorite El station in Chicago?

Next stop, Revolution Tattoo, stay tuned!

Western Avenue Series

2012-01-29T20:56:00.000-08:00

Mile 17: Division-Armitage
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.

As I continue my way down Western Avenue, I am beginning to reach portions of the Avenue which are more familiar to me. The stretch between Division and Diversey continues to be heavily commercial though there is a smattering of residences.

I was particularly taken with this small single family home, whose future seems to be in jeopardy. It's quaintness is accentuated by the contrast with the adjacent commercial buildings and larger residential structures.

Certainly, my favorite place to visit along this stretch of Western is Margie's Candies. Margie’s an old-fashioned ice cream. It is notable for having been patronized by Al Capone in its early years and, in 1965, the Beatles after having played a concert at Comiskey Park. Especially, it just has great ice cream. I almost always get a chocolate malt and find the waffle cookies they give you on the side strangely wonderful. The menu is quite extensive, with over fifty varieties of sundaes, including the the twenty-five scoop Royal George (named after founder George Poulos).

Do you have a favorite sundae at Margies?

Western Avenue Series

2012-01-23T06:00:00.000-08:00

Mile 15: Kinzie-Division
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.

At long last I have completed the next painting in the Western Avenue Series. A series of obligations related to my studio facilitation at Archeworks, the holidays, and social obligations resulted in a stagnation in my progress. I hope to return to more regular schedule now and I'm excited to have completed two thirds of the paintings and to be drawing closer to the portions of Western Avenue with which I am most familiar.

It was a delight to paint this classic old car dealership with it's colorful signage and surprisingly unimpressive collection of used cars for sale. There are 70 new and used car dealerships located on Western, so I knew that I wanted to include one in the collection.

Featured Artist

2011-12-02T06:00:00.000-08:00

Susan Spohn
Susan paints in oils and is a colorist who is also interested in the thick textures obtained using a pallet knife. A Colorado artist, Susan presently resides in the small town of Salida, Colorado, located in the Arkansas Valley surrounded by mountains and valleys, rivers, forests, lakes, and tourists. Residing in an old brick building in the historic district, she has a small, porch-like enclosed studio on the second floor, overlooking the back alleys near downtown.

What interests you about painting animals?
I mainly do not paint animals... only in this small format as part of my daily painting routine, and now, I also do pet portraits in this 7 x7 format. (and I am now taking orders for the Christmas gift time) I really like animals. I think they are all beautiful. I never know 'how' I am going to paint them. I just start painting and they sort of paint themselves, with only a few complications that I need to solve along the way. I do not use black or any earth tone paint on my pallet. I mix all of these colors. This keeps my colors more vibrant, and at the same time creates more mixing work for me! As an example, a cat I painted, was painted entirely using sap green, and sap green mixed with other colors. The finished cat painting looked creamy with a touch of orange; just as the original photo suggested.

Are there particular artists who influence your work?
When I am participating at an art show with my other paintings (florals, treescapes), most folks see a strong influence post-impressionistic painters in my style; especially, Vincent Van Gogh It always amazes me, since I do not consciously study Van Gogh or think about his painting style when I paint. I feel I am an emotional painter, letting my instincts control the paintings more than a photo reference or perhaps rules of the art world. I appreciate all painters with a looser painting style. And my pet portraits and animal paintings are about as 'tight' as I get in my painting style, my other paintings are much looser.

Are there new themes or mediums you anticipate exploring in your upcoming work?
I am now working on some oil and mixed media pieces in a more abstract style. I can envision a series of these in the future. In addition, I see my floral pieces becoming even looser and more abstract. I will continue painting my small animal and pet portraits; they are a wonderful creative exercise and I never know how they will turn out.

Many thanks to Susan for sharing her lovely paintings!

What do you think of Susan's work?

Western Avenue Series

2011-11-28T06:00:00.000-08:00

Mile 16: Kinzie-Division
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 a painting based on this sketch.

This stretch of Western has a variety of building types, small storefronts, like pharmacies, bars, restaurants, in addition to buildings with larger footprints, like a car dealership, which is the subject of the upcoming painting, a church and some larger condo buildings.

I've always been moved and sobered by the Ghost Bikes, bikes painted white to memorialize cyclist killed. You see the bikes around the city and in doing a bit of research, I found that the Ghost Bike along this stretch of Western, memorializing Isai Medina, was the first in Chicago. The unique bike used in this memorial was Isai's invention. It seems that Mr. Medina, who was killed while riding home from worked was well known and loved, with over 400 people attending a memorial ride soon after his death. He regularly rode his bike from Evanston to 4700 South for work each day.

Finally, a correction. I sung the praises of The Empty Bottle in the entry regarding "Mile 14" of the Western Avenue Series, mistakenly asserting that the bar and music venue is located along that stretch. Actually, the Empty Bottle is located in this mile, just south of Division.

Rest in peace Isai Medina and others lost is cycling accidents in our city.

Featured Artist

2011-11-25T06:00:00.000-08:00

Michael Hendrix
Michael Hendrix is a painter and science educator in South Burlington, Vermont. He is currently working on a series of paintings using coffee, tea, and other consumable liquids as the media. He can be found on Etsy at www.etsy.com/shop/theretrievers and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/#!/pages/TheRetrievers-at-Etsy/245075195534019 .

What inspired you create a series of paintings using coffee, tea, and other consumable liquids as the media?
      I live in a part of the country that, as a community, is generally very conscious of what is ‘consumed’. Vermonters have a tendency to go out of their way to question what is eaten and where their groceries are grown, and regularly support local farmers and businesses – something that was basically neglected where I was born and raised. When I first moved up here six years ago, I immediately found my eating habits challenged. This isn’t to say I was a ‘terrible’ eater, but I would have considered myself a ‘neglectful’ eater. To be honest, I’m still working on that!
      In many ways, the “Blend” series is an echo of my experiences since living up here. For me it represents getting back to the basics. Even the paints we consume are synthesized and chemically created. How many people actually know what’s in their paints, or gouaches, or watercolors prior to putting color to paper? I know I don’t. It’s sort of funny and ironic to me that art – the way that many of us relate our ideas and communicate – is, at it’s basics, created using all these bizarre chemicals that we are actually estranged from. I want to create a conversation about my work, but do I have really have the right to ask someone to think about what they consume if I can’t really converse about the basics of the media I’m consuming to create it?
      I don’t want to imply that I think my way is best, but I think that in the context of the “Blend” series, using consumable media is appropriate. I’ve always tried to stay conscious of Marshall McLuhan’s admonition that “the medium is the message” while working on these paintings. I want people to think differently about what they put into their bodies, and to look at coffee, tea, wine – whatever – and think about how these things come together in a bizarre alchemy to keep us alive. There’s another use of them besides stuffing them in our mouths. As creators, there is also a HUGE range of beautiful tones and natural colors that are immediately available all around us that we choose to neglect because we aren’t thinking about them. We (and I include myself in this) tend default to what we’ve been prescribed: that color only comes out of a tube, and that we can’t create without going to the art store to buy something. For this series at least, I felt a little silly trying to use colors that I myself wasn’t intimately involved in deriving.

The natural surroundings in Vermont seems to have inspired your Birches series, as well as some of your landscapes. What do you love about Vermont?
One of the advantages of living in a predominantly rural state is that you really feel like you’re a functioning part of the environment, even in the ‘big city’ like Burlington (which is still tiny compared to cities in most other states). The light here is unbelievable and sort of supernatural, especially in the evenings. That has to be my favorite aspect of where I live. It sounds sort of silly, I guess, but I think it’s influenced my color range a lot.
In the summer, Vermont is a very, very vibrant green. In the Champlain Valley, where I live, the Adirondack Mountains are clearly visible across the lake, and tend to be a very distinct blue in the late in the afternoon. In the evenings, things become draped in a strange violet hue, but the sky gets very bright red. In the fall, there’s a period of about a week and a half where the maple leaves are a fiercely saturated orange, and stand out against the complementary bright blues of the sky. Then it typically rains really hard once and then everything hits the ground and turns to a mess… Novembers are visually muted and muddy and generally unpleasant. Winters are long, and the constant blanket of snow makes the darkest midnight really bright in the reflection of the moon. There’s a really wide range of colors going on here, some of which I’ve tried to catch in the little landscape paintings I’d posted; the “Birches” series is more playful and focuses more on the nighttime contrast and positive-negative space you see around here in winter.

Are there new themes or media you anticipate exploring in your upcoming work?
Absolutely, and I think you’ll see more of it in the “Blend” series as I learn to articulate these ideas a bit more in the future. I’m always a little skeptical when an artist tells someone what they should be seeing. My personal contention is that a good artwork should be reasonably conversational and directional, but not dictating. In my experience, it’s always more gratifying when you work something out by yourself rather than being told what to see. A good piece of art, like a good conversation, should effectively communicate ideas and really spark the audience to approach an idea in a way they normally wouldn’t have thought of it. It should be a catalyst.
Ok, stepping off my soapbox, there ARE several themes that I’m moving towards that I hope people will notice if they keep popping by the shop. I’m really interested in the idea of circles and what they imply about infinity and cycles, so you’ll see more of these. I’ve also been exploring the idea of repetitive forms and what it implies about addiction and habits, I’m planning on incorporating more plain water into the paintings, which incidentally, I’ve found erases layers of color set down by coffees and teas. I think there’s a really beautiful purification statement in there somewhere that I still need to develop, but it’s very unpredictable during the drying process and I’m working out the kinks of working with it. The fact that coffees and teas can be erased through water also relates back to their impermanence, which is something I’m very concerned with. And finally, being a scientist, I want to imply topics relating to cells and birth/creation/division. I don’t think art and science are mutually exclusive disciplines, especially when it comes to analysis. They are so similar, and no one seems to give that relationship any credit these days. Anyway, hopefully a few of these little clues will help people see something they didn’t notice in the paintings - without telling them how to interpret it.
Right now I’m knee deep in the “Blends”, and future paintings will incorporate alcohols, especially wines, and some new teas and coffees into the mix. I’ll be revisiting the birches too, but there’s so much to say with the more recent work that I think I’ll be communicating this way for a while!

Many thanks to Michael to sharing his work!

What do you think of Michael's fantastic "Blend" series?

Western Avenue Series

2011-11-21T21:23:00.000-08:00

Mile 15: Congress-Kinzie
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.

It has been a challenge to stay on top of my work on this Western Avenue Series with my recent schedule change. I am now working a full time architecture day job and facilitating a design studio three nights a week. So, completing a painting seems all the sweeter. I finished this painting last night and enjoyed the charm of this little building associated with the Metra train line with vines growing all over it. Hope to have another completed painting in two weeks!

Featured Artist

2011-11-18T06:00:00.000-08:00

Elisaveta Sivas
Elisaveta Sivas is an artist-designer and who works in a few different artistic fields, including painting, ceramics and costume design. Elisaveta used to be a university researcher, but her desire to create art was strong, so she had to leave the university. She studied costume design in an evening school and art in different courses and studios. Elisaveta sees the creative process first of all as a way of understanding and improving herself and of understanding this world.

What do you love about the horses and birds which make frequent appearances in your art?
My horses and birds come from my childhood. It's something very dear to my heart, pure and intimate. I suppose what we create tells much about what we feel. I think that a bird for me symbolizes my desire for being free and flying free, but sometimes also escaping from difficult life circumstances. They also represent for me grace and fragility and remind me of women. While the horse provides a feeling of stability, power and security. And also it's a symbol of nobility, grace and calm in my soul.

Are there particular artists who have influenced your work?
I love many artists, they have all influenced my work. I love Marc Chagall, Pierre Bonnard, Maurice Denis, Leon Bakst, Mikhail Vrubel, Michel Macreau and many others. I love Art Brut, Art Deco, Naïve art. I adore Kashan ceramics and Japanese graphics. Classic music gives me a lot of inspiration. I like a lot Pier Paolo Pasolini and Andrei Tarkovsky. I love a lot Rustam Khamdamov, I adore his films and paintings.

Are there new themes or mediums you anticipate exploring in your upcoming work?
As to the mediums, I've started to make collage from tissue and wool lately. I have some material left from designing clothes, I use it for my paintings. I really do enjoy it. I love making woolen mane and tales for my horses and sometimes I make saddles from tissue. I make tissue dress and woolen hair for my women portraits.
As to the new themes, I've started to be interested in women's faces. It's a challenge for me, I am still searching my way and technique to paint women.

Many thanks to Elisaveta for sharing her work!

What do you think of her fantastic paintings?

Western Avenue Series

2011-11-14T06:00:00.000-08:00

Mile 15: Congree-Kinzie
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 based on this sketch.

This stretch of Western is characterized by a number of building of a larger scale. Recently build new condo buildings, larger institutional buildings and some early 20th century office buidlings.

This portion of the avenue is very close to the United Center (home to the Chicago Bulls), which is located at Damen Avenue and Madison.

This stretch also passes near to the Western Avenue Metra Stop, near to which the train building featured in this upcoming painting is located.

Featured Artist

2011-11-11T06:00:00.000-08:00

Cindy Ruprecht
Cindy Ruprecht's inspiration comes from nature. All of her pieces reflect her love for the beauty of the natural world. As a studying naturalist, she enjoys painting, working with leather, beads, basketry, primitive skills of any kind, and studying native plants. She lives in the beautiful Cascade Mountains where she produces her artwork.

Are there places you would like to visit to gather inspiration for future work?
I would love to paint in the southwest....the beautiful color of the rocks and amazing blue and turquoise of the sky.

Does working with leather, beads, and basketry influence your painting work or vice versa?
I love the texture and richness of working with leather, beads, plant and animal fibers. There is a connection with the ancient ones, while doing this, and your spirit begins to remember. In my paintings, I love to focus on mother nature's creation as a forum for education. As a naturalist, art is a means to educate people on their surroundings and bring their awareness to the beauty around them.

What do you love about creating art, which reflects the beauty of the natural world?
I like to meld the art, spirit and nature in my paintings, as there is no separating these three. One supports the other. The spirit of nature is so important for people to connect with in these times, especially children....We need to get our children connecting with the earth again.

Many thanks to Cindy for sharing her work!

What do you think of Cindy's work?

Western Avenue Series

2011-11-07T06:00:00.000-08:00

Mile 14: 16th-Congress Streets
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 sketch of the next painting in the series.

Finally! I have completed the next painting in my Western Avenue series. The last weeks have been marked by transition. I have gone from working part time and free lance to full time position with an architecture firm in Chicago. I have also started teaching in the evening design program at Archeworks. So, I've been in the process of transition, but hope to return to a more regular schedule of Western Avenue paintings. I really enjoyed showing two of the paintings in the a.DOT show last month and giving an artist talk about the series. I am looking forward to an opportunity to show the full series once they are all complete.

This painting depicts an auto repair shop. It's not extraordinary, but seems quite typical of the part of Western in which it is situated. The street is lined with small businesses, but many of the storefronts are quite utilitarian in nature.

Looking forward to moving further north, only ten paintings to go!

Painting

2011-10-31T06:00:00.000-07:00

Jackson Park Lagoon

This painting is soon to be a part of a exhibit curated by Sabina Nieto of mauve? fame. The show is titled "In Brief: a Private Study" and will be located at Adobe Bookstore Backroom Gallery, in San Francisco.

Featured Artist

2011-10-21T22:17:00.000-07:00

Shelby Taylor
     I seek out to create an infringing force within our humanity by using the figure and concept of the animal. The images I create focus on encroaching animals in places and forms that we consider properties of humanity. My earlier work was based in creating an illusive image with exaggeration in proportion and form, but as I progress my works relate to interrupting a reality through more subtle inclusions of the animal form in it's natural state.
     This motif that carries through in my images is based in the manner in which I spent my childhood. My home city is that of Sault Sainte Marie, Ontario. Sault Ste. Marie is a smaller city located along the Saint Mary’s river in between Lake Superior and Lake Huron. My home was on the fringe of the city. From the time I was born until I moved away to London to take on my post-secondary education the wild was a part of my day to day life. It was not uncommon for recess in elementary school to be canceled due to a bear wandering onto the playground. I had bears, foxes, moose, wolves, dear etc... in my back yard frequently. What was mine and what was nature's was, and still is, a vague boundary.
     Apart from my cultural philosophies founded in my upbringing, the study of anthropology fuels my concepts. I am very interested in how the animal functions within humanity. Whether it be economics, cultural fables, our food…etc, anthropology provides a backbone to my conceptual research.

Are there particular characteristics which attract you to the animals you feature in your paintings?
What draws me to the animals I depict stems from a personal correlation I share with the creature either through experience or culture. The choice of animal is often the result of the space I wish to use, but can work vice versa as well. The animal I choose has to share some strong cultural significance with the space I choose to depict it in.

Where do you find the inspiration for the spaces in which you place your animals?
I always have a camera on me. I never know when I'll discover the next architectural space I wish to explore in my work. Sometimes I will have an idea set before I find the space, but more often than not it's pure chance that I discover a space that would serve well in my work and have great compositional value. For example my piece Foam actually depicts my bath tub from my old apartment. The idea came to me while actually taking a bath. I realized the composition of shampoo bottles and loofas was brilliant.

Are there particular themes or mediums you anticipate exploring in your upcoming work?
I've been dabbling in some ink drawings based on the field of Biomimcry, but it has become a side project for now as I am completing some paintings from some concepts I had at the beginning of the Summer. My preferred medium is acrylic paint. I find there is much more experimentation happening with the acrylic paints that allow me to explore the effects of iridescent and interference colours in my work. I find myself also beginning to integrate part of the animals' natural environment into our own subtly through color and form.

Many thanks to Shelby for sharing your beautiful paintings.

What do you think of Shelby's work?

Featured Artist

2011-10-02T19:50:00.000-07:00

Kevin McCain

Kevin McCain is a Plein Air painter whose Impressionist paintings and drawings are in the collections of patrons across the United States, Mexico and Brazil. Kevin McCain lives in central Arizona, surrounded by the landscapes he loves to paint. Kevin’s use of vibrant colors and thick impasto give his paintings a life and vitality to capture the viewer’s attention. His landscapes have a dreamy quality to them. His paintings are more reminiscent of memories rather than an illustration of a particular scene. The impression of the landscape is more important than the actual content.

What challenges and advantages do you find with Plein Air painting?

Plein Air painting is great, packing your studio up and entering into the wilderness. There is something very romantic and adventurous about the idea. You get outdoors see beautiful scenery and paint from nature in the fresh air away from the studio get you daily dose of vitamin E what could be better? The downside of course you are painting outdoors at the mercy of nature. I mean of course your have the bugs biting ants, annoy-some mosquitoes, and biting flies I won't even start on the scorpions and snakes in the desert. You also have the weather. Winds whip around you and sometime take you easel with it. You are painting one moment then you get caught in a cloud burst and rained out. There is also the rare occasion of a chance and not always friendly encounter with local wildlife. With all that said one may wonder why you would go to all the trouble to get outside and paint. The answers is the you see more when you paint outside. Photographs just do a good job with subtle color. The camera doesn't perceive color the same way the human eye does. So when you paint outside instead of from photographs you can see different colors. Also being surrounded by what you are painting in the landscape for me makes painting so much more interesting and inspiring which translates into better artwork. Though it may not be for everyone painting in the outdoors with all the drawbacks make me a better painter. It makes painting a greater adventure.

Are there particular places you like to visit to gather inspiration for future paintings?

I was born and raised in Arizona. Arizona is in my blood. The great thing about Arizona is it's diversity. It is the only state in the country that has every ecological zone. From the low deserts, to the grass lands high deserts, Pine and Aspen forests to above the timber line. It is that unique quality that makes Arizona such a great place to paint as an artist. Whatever you are looking to paint it's all just a couple of hours away from anywhere in the State. I have been all over the western states and Arizona is my favorite place to paint. Having been raised in the Sonoran deserts I rarely feel more comfortable and at home than painting the desert and especially the unique places of the Superstition Mountains. Mountains that in and of themselves are rich with myth and legends of lost treasures and unseen places that few have visited and from which even fewer have returned. I love these stories which help to feed my creativity as an artist. The Deserts of the Superstitions will always be a reoccurring theme in my painting. Desert landscapes paintings of lonely desert scenes or secluded Canyons of the Superstition wilderness. These bring me comfort and even Peace. I love the desert! It will always be home.

Are there are particular themes or mediums you'd like to explore in future work?

My landscapes are more than just pictures of places many of them are of unique places that now because of urban development are lost forever. Just as the French impressionists were conscious of the urbanization of the lands throughout France and of the impact man was having on nature at that time. I believe that it is very poignant theme still today especially for the dry country of the Western United States. I explore the continuing theme of man and his interaction with the land. I believe it is our responsibility to preserver our natural places and leave as little impact on the land as possible. I will continue to encourage responsible action in management and development of our lands in the future through my art work.

Many thanks to Kevin for sharing his work.

What do you think of Kevin's plein air paintings?

Western Avenue Series

2011-09-25T06:00:00.000-07:00

Mile 14: 16th-Congress Streets

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.

The Express Auto Repair shop featured in the painting seems typical of the businesses which populate the surrounding blocks. The street is more densely lined with businesses and apartments than some portions of the Avenue, but still does not seem entirely geared toward pedestrians. The focus remains on the car with fast moving traffic, generously proportioned streets, and car repair shops.

I was curious about the Center for General and Applied Education, which is located on this stretch of Western. They describe themselves in this way, "We are a special educational center where we want you to learn everything there is to learn so you could become:  A versatile, knowledgeable individual.   We can do this because we sift, sort and integrate knowledge, separating it from the minutia, the  redundancies and the excessive elaboration to the point of boredom, so the essence of our collective  human knowledge gets passed on to you."

The Empty Bottle, a lovely place to see music because it is fantastically intimate, is also located on this stretch of the avenue. I've seen Harlem Shakes, Noah and the Whale, and The Mountain Goats at the Empty Bottle, all delightful shows!

Featured Artist

2011-09-23T06:00:00.000-07:00

Martha Bleidner

Martha Bleidner has been creating all her: life, drawing, writing, making jewelry and crafts. For her, it's all about colors, textures, shapes, and a little bit of fantasy. She's never been able to settle for just one style or genre or technique. She finds that there's always something new to try, or different techniques to merge. This led Martha to spend a number of years as a professional needlecraft and craft designer. With a partner, Celia Lange Designs, Martha designed needlecraft and craft projects for a number of different publishers, including Leisure Arts, The Needlecraft Shop, House of White Birches, and Workbasket. She most enjoyed projects which were the ones which "pushed the envelope", combining techniques from different sources, such as working embroidery stitches over a background of needlepoint stitching, or adding dimensional craft elements to a needlecraft project. This love for pushing the boundaries and mixing elements means that she is always exploring new directions in her art and her crafting.

What attracts you to the fantastical in creating art?
I've always loved reading fantasy, mythology, folk and fairytales, and science fiction, since they all invite my imagination out to play. My father was a scientist, so I learned early on how to analyze what's around me and think in a linear fashion, but I also learned to take science "with a grain of salt". Too many times I've heard some "expert" pronounce that something doesn't exist or isn't possible, and then some years later the it turns out that the "extinct" fish still swims in the ocean or the "impossible" particle has been located. So I try to keep an open mind and allow the fantastical to be a part of my reality, and incorporate it into my art.

Where do you find the inspiration for your landscape paintings?
Over the years I've been fortunate enough to travel a lot, and I've always been drawn to nature. Whenever I see something that catches my eye, I take a mental "snapshot". This gives me a sort of "impressionist" version of what I've seen, rather than the "reality" version of a true snapshot (although I do use those as well, sometimes). Then, when I want to paint, I use a combination of one or more mental and/or physical snapshots, mix them with a good dose of imagination, and add an element of letting the working medium guide me.
Sometimes I have one thing in mind, and the paint just insists on leading me somewhere else. For example, I recently started a seascape, but what I was envisioning and what I was producing weren't on the same page at all. So I stepped back and stopped fighting to make it a seascape... it ended up being a really cool background to a still life of an orchid-like flower in a pot... not looking like anything else I'd ever done before... I still have no idea why it ended up that way, but I like it.

Are there new themes or mediums you anticipate exploring in your upcoming work?
     Always! I'm notorious for wanting to try everything I see. I've started exploring acrylics and experimenting with gel mediums and interference colors. There are so many wonderful effects you can get with color intensity, texture and color shifts. I'm currently waiting for a back order of Inktense blocks so I can begin to experiment with the effects of using ink rather than paint as a water medium, and I've also started some collage pieces using a variety of techniques that I originally used for scrapbooking, but applying them in very different ways.
    I suspect, though, that I will long continue to work with watercolor as one of my primary media. It's one of the handful of methods of expressing myself that always seems to have something different for me to achieve. And since my styles range from semi-realism to fully abstract, that says a lot!
     As for new themes, I have more themes lined up and waiting impatiently in my mind than I know what to do with! At this point, I have my art supplies set up in three different locations, and have at least five or six pieces going at any one time. Usually which themes are expressed in which location depends on the supplies I have there, but I have been know to carry a partly finished piece to another location just to finish with a different paint or brush or glaze or whatever. I guess my motto should be, "have art, will travel".

Many thanks to Martha for sharing her lovely work and happy birthday Martha!

What do you think of her paintings?

Western Avenue Series

2011-09-19T06:00:00.000-07:00

Mile 13: 25th-16th Streets
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.

This painting features one of the modest homes which line the streets of Pilsen. This small house is nestled among the larger and more commercial buildings, which line Western, but it certainly typical of the urban fabric in this area. The entrance of these homes are typically a full story above the exposed basement, which offers the opportunity for small gardens to flourish below the street level and gems to be hidden out of the view of the unobservant passerby.

What do you think of these Pilsen homes?

Featured Artist

2011-09-16T06:00:00.000-07:00

Jaime Perry
Jaime Perry is a 35 year old mom and artist. Jaime specialises in oils; portraits, landscapes, still lives and ACEOs. She many painting styles; surrealism, realism, & impressionism are my favorites. She can also do modern, abstract, and will create custom paintings.

What interests you about the ACEO (Art Cards) format?
I have only recently discovered the ACEO world. It allowed me to go through some smaller work from numerous sketch pads and get those out there. Before I offered Aceos in my shop, I had mostly very expensive large oil paintings. This left me open to only a small market of buyers, and very few sales. The Aceo format allows me to open up to collectors who can't afford, or who don't have room for a major art investment. I love that they are sought out and collected. I can get my work out to a much larger audience and share my talent with more people, what's not to like? I have sold 3 since I started offering them in June.

Where did you find the inspiration for your pin up girl series?
I have been on a pursuit since my teens to make a living with the talent given to me. In the summer of 2000 I started an apprenticeship at a tattoo shop, in the hopes that would be the answer to making a living from my art. As well as learning the art of tattooing, also tried my hand at designing tattoos to sell to other shops. The pin up girls were a part of that. I drew several girls, some from magazines some from my imagination, in a simple black line form. I then arranged them on a large sheet and attempted to sell the whole piece of flash. The original stayed in my portfolio for years. When I discovered Aceos, I decided to give my girls a new start. I cut them down to the proper size and mounted them on card stock. I have always loved the old pin up girl style, and I enjoyed drawing them very much.

Are there are particular themes or mediums you'd like to explore in future work?
I am always trying new things and keeping my mind open to new styles. I don't want to be stuck in an artistic box. I have always loved sculpture and pottery. I will be able to pursue that avenue once my family is settled and own a home. That way I will be able to have a kiln, potters wheel, and room to work. I would also love to get a handle on watercolors. They have always been my weak point. One day I hope to conquer that medium and move on to bigger things. I will never know everything in art, but I will never stop trying to learn all that I can. I have even started to teach myself to sew. My philosophy is if it can be done by human hands, there is no reason I can't learn to do it.

Thank you much to Jaime for sharing her work.

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

Western Avenue Series

2011-09-12T11:24:00.000-07:00

Mile 13: 25th-16th Streets

This stretch of Western travels into the Pilsen neighborhood, a place that has long been home to immigrants. In the late 19th century Pilsen was inhabited by Czech immigrants (Plzeň is the fourth largest city in what is now the Czech Republic). Later, the Czechs were replaced by the Germans, who had settled there first with the Irish in the mid-19th century. In the mid-late 20th centeury there was an increasing Mexican-American presence, in 1962-63 when there was a great spurt in the numbers of Mexican-Americans in Pilsen due to the destruction of the neighborhood west of Halsted between Roosevelt and Taylor Streets to create room for the construction of the University of Illinois at Chicago. Latinos became the majority in 1970 when they surpassed the Slavic population. Famed author Stuart Dybek hails from Pilsen.

Many of the new residents to the neighborhood are not Hispanic and it is projected that the neighborhood will continue to become more diversified in the years ahead. Some local advocacy groups have formed urging the neighborhood's alderman to curtail gentrification to preserve the Mexican-American cultural and demographic dominance.

The neighborhood is home to one of Chicago's largest art districts, and the National Museum of Mexican Art. St Adalbert's is a dominate feature of Pilsen skyline, as well as the murals which are prominently featured in the neighborhood. The history of the murals is often misspoken of as a purely Mexican cultural type. The original murals in Pilsen along 16th Street started as a cooperative effort between Slavs and Mexicans when the neighborhood was undergoing change. If one looks closely one finds amongst the latter Mexican images the earlier ones which are decidedly non-Mexican and include storks, scenic European farms, and lipizzaner horses.

My personal favorites in Pilsen include the National Museum of Mexican Art (free and fantastic) and the Green BLT sandwich at the Honky Tonk Restaurant. I'm also very fond of the modest but well proportioned wood frame homes of the neighborhood. Many of these homes reveal the a bit of the city's history with exposed basements, which used to be first floor before the city raised the level of the houses in the 1860s and 1870s.

What do you love about the Pilsen Nieghborhood?

Featured Artist

2011-09-08T06:00:00.000-07:00

Phuong Duong
Phuong is a painter of still life, using oil on canvas. Her paintings are spontaneous and emotionally charged. Though she is not a very prolific painter, she hopes that this may be made up for, by the depth and richness of her interpretation. She admits that naturally she is quite a closed book, described as “still waters”. Paint allows her freedom from consciousness.

Austerity, Seniority, Frivolity and Fertility, oil on canvas, 76 x 101 cm, 2010

Self-imposition, loneliness and heartbreak.

Last Bloom, oil on canvas, 60 x 80 cm, 2010

There's the Jeff Buckley lyric "It's never over, she's the tear that hangs in your soul forever". Mary, whom I met in hospital, represents that feeling. Sometimes in life you look for angels and a lot of emotions about that time are wrapped up in her memory. She had written me a card a few months after we had met, with great difficulty. Her writing was shaky and frail and tailed off from the cramp rendering chemo as she wrote about her hair falling out. That evokation remains a stubborn memory. It is deeply personal, the things you can't let go that becomes a part of your being and subconscious.

Blue, oil on canvas, 60 x 90 cm, 2010

Blue is the most innocent of paintings. It is optimistic and simple. Comme c'est difficile d'etre simple.

A candlestick, vase with flowers and apples, oil on canvas, 76 x 101 cm, 2011

     I was thinking a lot about yellow and light. I was thinking a lot about Van Gogh as I always do for inspiration. This was a painting responding to the artist and his influence.
     I paint because it can feel like it only means something to me and that's a precious thing indeed. I like that I can go my merry or downbeat way with complete freedom.
      Painting is a practice of natural instinct, memory and urgency.

Many thanks for Phuong for sharing her delightful oil paintings.

What do you think of Phuong's work?

Western Avenue Series

2011-09-05T21:40:00.000-07:00

Mile 12: 34th-25th 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.

This painting is of a stretch of Western Avenue just south of 31st Street. From a bridge which crosses the South Branch of the Chicago river one can see a building owned by Domino Sugar (my second Domino Sugar Factory painting). This scene reminds me of a previous painting I made of the Finkel Steel Factory. From this vantage point, one sees the serenity of the river, the industry which remains in Chicago, and the grace of our skyline in the background. These scenes, where nature, industry, and large scale architecture mingle always strike me as unconventionally beautiful.

Where do you find unconventional beauty in the city?

Featured Artist

2011-09-02T06:00:00.000-07:00

Maggie Flatley
Maggie Flatley is a painter and a mom. She has taken art classes over the years, but only recently started the "daily painting". Painting adjusts her view of color, light and beauty in life. It transforms the simplest things into works of art and feeds the soul.

What inspired you to begin “daily painting?”
I stumbled upon the Daily Painters movement last year. I had always wanted to paint larger oils and watercolors, which is very time consuming. As a result, months would go by where I never touched a paintbrush. It was very frustrating, until Daily Painter came along. Smaller paintings, done alla prima, (all at one time), were a great fit for me. It was a way to improve and reinvigorate the skills I had learned over the years. You can't help but become a better painter.

Many of your paintings feature botanicals, are you an avid gardener?
No garden, sadly, just some irises, hydrangea.

Are there places you day dream of traveling in order to gather inspiration for paintings?
When I win the lottery, you can find me by calling, 1-800-Tuscany!

Many thanks to Maggie for sharing her painting work here!

What do you think of Maggie's work?

Paintings

2011-08-30T11:59:00.000-07:00

Manistee, MI

I have recently returned from a visit to Manistee, Michigan. I had the pleasure of visiting the family cottage of a friend. After a summer, which has meant a lot of running around and what has felt like constant busyness, it was a decadent pleasure to spend a weekend without any prescribed schedule.

I was delighted to explore the shore of Lake Michigan, which feels vast and pristine on the Michigan side of the lake, to read, to linger over puzzles, and to eat lots of delectable things.

I also made some sketches while I was there. I was most disappointed to find that I had forgotten my paint brushes and couldn't add color to the sketches, so the color was applied when I returned from the trip.

It was nice to linger once again in the green-blues of the lake, the light crisp blue of the sky and the rich greens of the foliage.

A lovely weekend and a lovely place to paint.

What are you favorite spots along Lake Michigan?

Featured Artist

2011-08-25T22:22:00.000-07:00

Olive Longstocking

Olive Longstocking's Etsy shop is named for her childhood nickname of 'Lolly Legs." Her parents called her that as a child because of her stripy sock collection. She had about 20 pairs of long striped socks in a rainbow of colours! She still owns a couple of pairs and these days you might find her wearing them with her pajamas.

Where do you find inspiration for your paintings?
I live on the Sunshine Coast which is on the east coast of Australia. It is sub tropical climate, with nine months of summer and 3 months of perfect weather! It is often referred to as "Gods Waiting Room!" It really is heaven on earth here and I know how lucky I am to live in such a great country. There is inspiration everywhere... the turquoise of the ocean, the leafy greens in the hinterlands, the rainbow lorikeets that squabble on my deck for bird seed, the Australian native plants and our glorious fruit and huge bugs!

Are there new themes or mediums you anticipate exploring in your upcoming work?
I like to dabble and experiment. with colours and paints. I love the freedom of abstract, to be able to paint the sky green and the trees pink. Why not? I have recently started dabbling with little whimsical characters as you can see in my gift cards. I would also like to do more collage as I love the textures and patterns in papers and fabrics.

You mention in your profile that you love pieces from the past that have been re-claimed. Does this influence your painting work?
I love vintage finds from second hand shops, perhaps because of their imperfections and history or story behind them. There are some great vintage shops on Etsy.

Many thanks to Olive for sharing her work!

What do you think of her colorful paintings?

Painting

2011-08-22T06:00:00.001-07:00

Humboldt Park Boat House

One of many things keeping me busy this week, this recent plein air painting was made while sitting on a bench at the edge of the pond by the Humboldt Park Boat House. It is a beautiful spot and lovely place to spend a cool early summer evening.

What are your favorite parks?

Featured Artist

2011-08-19T09:06:00.000-07:00

Mary Rae
Mary Rae has always loved painting and drawing and was fortunate enough to have an artist mother who encouraged her from an early age. She paints people, flowers landscapes, and photographs the endlessly beautiful skies of South Florida. She would name as a few of her favorite artists as: Titian, Raphael, Goya, El Greco, Watteau, Manet, Renoir, Marin, Roualt, and many more. In addition to painting, she is also a writer and a composer of contemporary classical music.

You work with watercolor, as well as oil. What do you find inspiring about each medium?
I love watercolor for its transparency and oil for its beautiful intensity and malleability. But my experience with one carries over to the other and I often like sheer, glaze effects in oil, and very deep colors in watercolor. The important thing is to capture something of beauty, and I try and work whatever the medium, until the picture sings.

Does your photography influence your work as a painter?
I think it’s the other way around. I believe my years of painting and, most importantly looking at paintings, has helped me develop an eye for creative opportunity in the natural world. I see loveliness in nature through my love of painting.

Are there new themes or mediums you anticipate exploring in your upcoming work?
I’m very excited to be adding new work to what I call my Spiritual Series. I am also a writer, and have published a translation of the exquisite poetry of St. John of the Cross. I included watercolor illustrations which I am just now having made into archival prints. I am also working on new pictures which have spiritual depth and meaning to me, and hope they will have meaning for others.

Many thanks to Mary Rae for sharing her fantastic paintings!

What do you think of her landscapes and still lifes?

Western Avenue Series

2011-08-15T06:00:00.000-07:00

Mile 12: 34th-25th 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.

The character of this stretch of Western Avenue continues to feel vast. The street is wide with a median giving it a nearly highway-like proportion. A portion of the street is lined with typical Chicago style two and three-flats, which both brings a more human scale to the street and also feels slightly unexpected given the width of the street.

Later in the mile, the Stevenson Expressway runs above Western, giving this portion of the Avenue an even more distinct sense of vastness. Soon after that intersection though, the Avenue runs above the Chicago river, an urban connection to a nature. This intersection, which is the subject of the forthcoming painting of this mile, is one of those really interesting locations where industry and the river collide and the skyline looms in the background.

I was also delighted to stumble upon a Domino Sugar factory, which was enjoyable because I was fully enamored with the Domino Sugar factory in Baltimore.

What are your favorite spots along the river in Chicago?

Featured Artist

2011-08-12T06:00:00.000-07:00

Robert Mathewson

Born in San Antonio, Texas, Robert Mathewson moved a lot because his father was in the military. The sights he experienced in his travels inspired some of his work. By the age of five, he already had a love for the arts. He sketched for years before he gave painting a try, with acrylic about age ten and then oil painting age 13. Lately he has working on values of black and white in watercolor paintings. At the age of 14, the artist hopes to be doing this the rest of his life because it is something that he absolutely enjoys doing.

Did moving and being exposed to different environments influence your artistic interests?
Yes, there are a few places that inspired my work. My father is in the military and was stationed on the Island of Cyprus in the Mediterranean. My family went to visit him and I saw many inspiring sights including aphrodites rock, Greek ruins, and ancient mosaics. After we were done there, we toured the rest of Europe and visited too many sights to list. Most of my work is inspired by the sights I saw there.

Is there a particular place that inspired your series of paintings of clouds and mountains?
No, no actual places inspired me to do the clouds and mountains series. However a recurring dream with a location simular to those inspired me to do so.

Are there new themes or mediums you anticipate exploring in your upcoming work?
In the future, I plan to do custom oil murals for people either on canvas or on buildings around the communtity to give it a more lively vibe.

I am very pleased to feature the work of a talented young artist. Many thanks to Robert for sharing his work.

What do you think of these nature inspired paintings?

Western Avenue Series

2011-08-11T09:46:00.000-07:00

Mile 11: 42nd-34th Street
As I've been easing into this new summer schedule, I've been struggling to find the time for my Western Avenue Series painting, but I have finally completed Mile 11! I'm hopeful that I will return be able to return to my regular Monday schedule as I march my way down Western--almost halfway there. This painting is a one of 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.

This corner store located at the corner of 38th street seems fairly indicative of the surrounding area. The store remains open, but it is clearly a shadow of what it once was. In the same way, this industrial stretch, still pulses faintly, but it seems clear that it no longer reflects a former vibrance. I imagine that 50 years ago, every factory was running at full steam, the streets bustled with factory employees and the homes and schools nearby were filled with families of these men.   I was particularly attracted to this building because it bears the Schlitz logo found commonly on building, which once served the beer {no longer in production--check}. I'm fond of the logo. which incorporates a logo a globe and a banner bearing the Schlitz name and it is a fondness, compounded by familiarity. I imagine this store was once a watering hold frequented by factory employees after a long day of work.

Do recognize this Schlitz sign from a building near you?

Featured Artist

2011-08-05T06:00:00.000-07:00

Mallory Milke
Mallory Milke is an artist located in the great city of Seattle. She is super passionate about art and painting especially. She works in a variety of styles, but loves bright colors and animals the most. She adds a slightly whimsical feeling to owls, lions, lemurs and any other creatures that tickles her fancy.

Please share a bit about the inspiration behind your re-imagined tale series.
My take on the old fairy tales and movies I loved in my childhood and want to bring into adulthood. I love to imagine what classic stories would look like if I were to take a photograph of an instance. What would these instances look like if the characters with in them were real and alive?

Your portraits are beautiful and haunting. What will inspire the remainder of the portraits in the series?
I have a obsession with Dia de los Muertos, The thought of celebrating spirits that have past on but are not forgotten. The beauty of remembering and honoring loved ones that are gone. Not dwelling on a loss, but creating something beautiful and colorful. They take death from something so morbid and transform it into something wonderful. I try to capture this feeling in my portraits, bring light and color to something dark.

Is there something in particular that tickles your fancy about the animals you’ve included in your work?
I try and stray from the ordinary with my animal paintings. I like to take animals that maybe you wouldn't find in traditional art and add a custom flare to them with bright bold colors. I like to add realistic qualities to my paintings but keep that abstract feeling with the patterns. I start with a outline and just fill in as i go, letting the animals take shape . I like to draw my inspiration from the zoo, the exotic and wild animals you wouldn't just see walking the street of the city.

Many thanks to Mallory for sharing her imaginative paintings!

What do you think of Mallory's re-imagined fairy tails, portraits, and animal paintings?

Paintings

2011-08-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

Old St. Pat's

This is a commissioned painting, one of a number of recent custom pieces I've been working on recently. It is a painting to commemorate a wedding anniversary. The couple was married at Old St. Pat's in Chicago, an elegantly proportioned church in the West Loop.

What do you think are the most beautiful churches in Chicago?

Featured Artist

2011-07-29T06:00:00.000-07:00

Jenny Belin
Jenny Belin is a redheaded, Los Angeles expatriate. She began taking art classes when she was very young, and then studied art more seriously in high school and college. She graduated from Skidmore College, with a bachelor's degree in painting, and then moved to New York City, where she currently resides Her work is largely autobiographical, inspired by the photographs and diaries that she kept when she was a child. She has worked as a professional artist for fifteen years. Her drawings have appeared in the New Yorker and in the NY Daily News. She has exhibited her work both in New York and Los Angeles. She also shows her work at the Brooklyn Collective, a community based art collective in the neighborhood where she lives. In addition she has spent the last several years running her own pet portrait business which has provided an opportunity for her to meet many wonderful neighborhood and celebrity pets.

What do you find interesting about painting portraits?
In general, I am easily charmed and highly attracted to all kinds of people. I think that the portraiture I do is narrative. There is usually a story that I'm trying to relate, which is based on the impressions I have of someones personality and mood. My hope is to create an emotional portrait, and one that honestly conveys a piece of a person's individuality.

When I am given a commission to paint a portrait of an animal, my first concern is to capture the likeness of the subject that I am hired to paint. Just like I do with people, It is important to show an animal's personality and unique character. "Personality" might not be the right word here... But I am an animal person, and I have always felt that animals have their own individual personalities, psychologies and temperaments. An animal portrait should give insights into charm and character just as much as any other kind of portrait should.
I mostly work from photographs. I always ask my clients to send a few different pictures. I ask for favorite pictures, ones that are special to the pet owner. I also want to hear the stories behind the photos that are sent to me. I usually work from a combination of different images

What do you like about working with water based materials acrylics, gouache, and watercolor paints?
Gouache, acrylics and inks are all familiar to me. With the commissions that I do, I often have tight deadlines, and so water based paint makes the most sense-when I send a painting off in the mail, I need for it to be completely dry!

I learned to love gouache during a year I spent in college, when I studied painting in Paris. There is something really lovely and fluid about Gouache, especially when it is wet. Oil paint is a lot of fun too, I would like to start using oils again in the future. But I also hesitate to use it in my home. I'd make big messes, and then probably blame them on my cat!

Many thanks to Jenny for sharing her fantastic portraits and animal paintings.

What do you think of Jenny's paintings?

Western Avenue Series

2011-07-25T06:00:00.002-07:00

Mile 11:
This in progress 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.

Stay tuned for the completed painting. I'm hoping to complete the pencil drawing and watercolor painting this week!

Other Projects

2011-07-24T06:00:00.000-07:00

New Blog Schedule

The summer has brought many new projects, which have consumed my waking hours and some of the hours when I should be sleeping! Therefore, for coming months I'm planning to switch to a "summer blog schedule." On Mondays, I'm be continuing to update you on my progress on the Western Avenue series paintings. The series is nearly halfway complete and I'm hoping to complete by the series by January 2012. Stay tuned for updates as I make way north on Western and begin framing the painting in preparation to show the work in 2012.

On Fridays, I hope to continue to feature the work of other artists. If you would like to be featured or you know someone who you would like to see featured, please be in touch! On occasional Fridays, I'll be show something from one of the other projects consuming my time--a new wedding invitations or map, commissioned painting work, perhaps an architecture project, or something I concocted in the kitchen!

Hope your summer has brought many exciting projects for you!

Featured Artist

2011-07-22T06:00:00.000-07:00

Cloudery

Cloudery draws in pen & ink and paints with watercolor. Drawings, using a pen with a point just .2mm wide, take hours to create. Organic, abstract, a stream-of-consciousness on the page. Sales from Etsy support child literacy by donating to First Book, a non-profit organization that gives children from low-income families the opportunity to read and own their first new books. One of the studies cited by First Book states that in middle-income neighborhoods there is an average of 13 books for every child, while in low-income neighborhoods there is an average of 1 book for every 300 children. As a book designer and avid reader, Cloudery feels very much in tune with both the importance of reading to develop one’s imagination and rich interior life, as well as the joy in owning one’s own books. Cloudery thinks that children feel a sense of wonder and pride in ownership that makes their own books very treasured possessions. The desire to read follows naturally.

Does your experience as a book designer influence your drawing and painting practice?
As I design "coffee table" books for museums and galleries, I'm constantly exposed to the work of artists and artisans spanning hundreds of years, including contemporary and emerging artists. While all artists use their work as a voice to express their world view, or their belief systems, or the particular philosophical ideas and aesthetic ideals in which they are interested, the artists I tend to find most compelling are those that are self-taught, and create because they "have to," in order to express themselves — and not because they are part of an art scene or caught up in the gallery world; those artists that find their voice, their language, their best form of communication through their creative expression. I draw and paint because it is integral to how I navigate life, because I need to express myself visually, and because creating images is meditational and sustains me. Even if all the drawings just ended up in a drawer (and many do!), I'd still create.

Your work seems to be informed by the natural environment, what are some of your favorite geographic areas or habitat types from which you draw inspiration?
My drawings are very "organic" — meaning that rarely do I set out to draw something in particular. While I may be influenced by an idea, a sentence, a snippet of poetry or song lyric, it is generally in an abstract way, and I do very little planning. Most often, when I finish the drawing, or am close to finishing the drawing, I step back and look to see what I can see in it, and that becomes (for me, at least) what is is. Or what it may be. An example is "Portrait of a Bird Skull," which was titled and "identified" only after I finished. But often I choose not to give literal titles to the drawings because I like when the viewer determines their own idea of what they see. I love the ocean, and I love animals, and I'm really interested in the natural sciences like biology and zoology, and I think that the particular shapes I create tend to mimic natural forms, and create this organic mosaic, rather than a rigid construction. Even when I work with specific shapes — like in the "Horses" and "Foxes" paintings — I am still filling those shapes in a non-literal, free-flowing manner.

Are there particular themes or mediums you hope to explore through future work?
In late April I started a project titled "27 Minutes" for Peculiar Bliss, a quarterly juried illustration magazine. Their theme for issue 6 was "Pastime." I decided that I'd draw for 27 minutes every day, eventually filling a 9 x 9 inch square — my pastime. I'm still working on it, but the work was accepted and published in an in-progress state, clocking in at 50 days / 22.5 hours. The process of this drawing has had a pretty radical effect on my drawings since; it's as if I am building a vocabulary of shapes, symbols, and glyphs that I have started to employ in my current work. That piece went a long way in shaping my current style.
I've only been using watercolors since March, so I have a lot to learn. But I've become very interested in combining watercolor and pen & ink in unexpected ways. As in the "Horses" and "Foxes" series, I have embarked on exploring shape recognition, optical illusion, perspective, positive and negative space, and color harmony. I'm perfectly happy to work on the same forms over and over again, exploring the possibilities. This is something I plan to pursue more in the future, while I continue to develop my "watercolor voice."

Many thanks to Cloudery for sharing this beautiful work!

What do you think of these meticulous illustrations?

Custom Wedding Map

2011-07-20T06:00:00.000-07:00

Shelter Island

This custom map was commissioned for a couple who recently visited Shelter Island located in Long Island, New York. I enjoyed seeing the images of this charming island, The small cafes, boutique groceries, and lovely beaches make the island seem a delightful place to visit.

This map includes roads to facilitate navigation through the winding roads of the island and small illustrations of some "favorite" spots on the island.

Have you visited Shelter Island?

Western Avenue Series

2011-07-19T06:00:00.000-07:00

Mile 11: 42nd-34th Streets
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 is similar in character to the one which proceeds it. The street remains wide, with the avenue split by a boulevard-style median. One feels aware of the large volume of asphalt forming the street. The buildings are a mix of residential and industrial mingling to create a strange balance.

The width of the street is accentuated at a portion of the street which is crossed by a highway and a set of train tracks. One finds some relief near the northern end of this mile, with McKinley Park running along the eastern edge of the avenue.

I was particularity drawn to making a painting of this corner store because of the Schlitz logo on the side of the building. It's a common marker on old eating and drinking establishments in Chicago. The Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company was an American brewery based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and was once the largest producer of beer in the world. Its namesake beer, Schlitz, was known as "The beer that made Milwaukee famous" and was famously advertised with the slogan "When you're out of Schlitz, you're out of beer" The Schlitz company began to succeed after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, when Schlitz donated thousands of barrels of beer to that city, which had lost most of its breweries. He quickly opened a distribution point there, beginning a national expansion. Schlitz built dozens of tied houses in Chicago, most with a concrete relief of the company logo embedded in the brickwork.

Do you know buildings in Chicago with the Schlitz logo?

Western Avenue Series

2011-07-18T07:04:00.000-07:00

Mile 10: 50th-42nd 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.

One of the things that I love about Chicago is that evidence of it's industrial past still remains. If one wanders north along the river near to North & Clybourn, remnants of the of the manufacturing that helped to build our city remain, like the Finkel Steel Factory. Western Avenue is certainly a place where this industrial past and present remain a part of this fabric. I was a bit surprised at the sprawling Wheatland Tube Company that occupies the same mile stretch as this pumping station.   

The pumping station reflects that which attracts me to Western Avenue. It's real, it's part of what make our city run. It impels water to our homes and businesses, fulfilling the most essential need of city residents. And yet, while its a functional element of our city infrastructure, it is also beautiful. It is elegantly designed and yet solid in appearance.

Other Projects

2011-07-17T06:00:00.000-07:00

CAAP Grant
I'm very pleased to announce that I received a 2011 CAAP grant. I applied for the grant in late January and found out in May that I had been awarded the grant. I'll be using the grant money to purchase supplies for the framing of my Western Avenue Series paintings. It's a great small grant for Chicago-based artists.

Photo by vallartablog.com

From the City of Chicago website, "The Community Arts Assistance Program (CAAP) was created in 1987 through funding provided by the Illinois Arts Council Access Program. The goals of CAAP are to discover, nurture and expand Chicago’s multi-ethnic artists and nonprofit arts organizations; and to foster new and emerging individual artists and arts groups by providing grants for professional, artistic, and organizational development to those who have had limited access to funding in both public and private grants programs."

What are some other small arts grants?

Featured Artist

2011-07-15T05:55:00.000-07:00

Suzanne Nocera

This week we have a fantastic guest post by Suzanne Nocera of Torn Paper Studio. She has put together demonstration of how she creates her ACEO (art card edition and original) paintings. These paintings are studies in color and design that she paints before planning a larger painting. Check out this inside view of how Sue creates small pieces of art!

Step 1. Taping off size to paint miniature.

I paint to feel the warmth of sunlight and the blue coolness of moonlight, the softness of pink tulips or the freshly washed skins of green apples.
I paint because I’d simply rather do nothing else.

Step 2. Simple leaves drawing.

I'm a watercolor and mixed media collage artist.

Step 3. Simple leaves aureolin wash.

My artwork begins with layers of poured paint. The process of pouring paint is methodical, yet mindlessly therapeutic for the soul.

Step 4. Simple leaves viridian wash.

The collage paintings are layers of paper and paint. Handmade & hand painted papers, fibers and inks play hide & seek in my collage paintings.

Step 5. Simple leaves negative paint of cobalt, ultramarine blue, and garnet lake.

Textured papers of handmade organic elements meld color and shape together to entertain the viewer and please the soul.

Step 5. Simple leaves pen & ink.

Many thanks to Suzanne Nocera for sharing her work. Chicagoans, be sure to stop into Vale Craft Gallery over the summer to see four of her fine art collage paintings.

What do you think of these small scale creations?

Other Projects

2011-07-10T06:00:00.001-07:00

Cheerleading for Baltimore
Since I moved away almost five years ago, Baltimore has tugged at my heart. I can go months without thinking of the city, but when something brings it to mind, I find myself longing for this lost love. As a short time adopted resident of Baltimore, I was proud to tell people I called Charm city home and to champion the place, disputing claims that Baltimore is merely a crime-ridden, dirty, second rate city.

I find myself wondering about and wanting the ability to articulate Baltimore’s appeal. Certainly, there is a segment of Baltimore’s population who are wholly discontented with the place. They see it as a poor substitute for New York, too gritty, too provincial, or too small to be considered cosmopolitan. Baltimore has a lot of faults to be sure: segregation, a poor public school system and poor conditions for bike transportation, to name a few. I am not advocating for complacency in these unfortunate qualities, but offering a reminder that we all want for others to see past our faults. We revel in the chance to recognize beauty in that which is not “beautiful” by societal standards. So, why not offer Baltimore that benefit for she has great beauty despite her faults.

As a watercolor painter I find the images of Baltimore completely captivating. In contrasting Charm City with it nearest counterpart Washington D.C., I often used the words gritty and industrial. Those words unfairly flatten the depth of the city’s character. The visibility and aesthetic pleasure of the Baltimore’s history, in the urban landscape, make for extraordinary compositions. I have quite contentedly painted the Domino Sugar Factory and the Mr. Boh signs and wondered at the nostalgia I felt for these neon advertisements. They are simultaneously iconic reminders of Baltimore’s historic and contemporary industry, beautiful, wholly associated with the place, and part of Baltimore’s identity in the present, which feels personal.

Beyond the grand scenes I associate with Baltimore there are many hidden corners that speak of the city’s admirable qualities. The houses on Buena Vista for several blocks north of 36th street are an example of the absolutely impossible to replicable essence of Baltimore. The houses have the charm of quaint cottages in a small town on the East Coast. I can imagine them nestled in trees just steps from a path down to the beach. The lure of these places doesn’t come from Crate and Barrel teak lounge chairs on the generous front porches. These houses still appear to be working hard for the working class. I marvel at the nobility of these houses and the wonderful 2-story brick rowhouses of 37th west of Buena Vista. They march along the street in service of people who have a Baltimore lineage of several generations and a long memory of the neighborhood. The city’s vernacular housing with its somewhat squat proportions and formstone facades is somewhat humble, whimsy tempered by grit.

People describe Baltimore as a big city, with a small town feel. When I moved to Baltimore, this sounded appealing, but I couldn’t conceptualize what this meant. For me this was manifest in places like the downtown farmer’s market. While some cities have a farmer’s market for in every neighborhood offering great variety in plein air produce shopping, I have rarely enjoyed a market as much as I did the downtown farmer’s market under the JFX viaduct. The market draws people from geographically disparate parts of the city, increasing the likelihood that you will run into someone unexpected on a Sunday morning. Like many markets, it has an extraordinary energy and offers opportunities to develop a more personal relationship with those who produce our food. The market also seems quite uniquely “Baltimore.” On Sunday mornings, what is not a traditionally beautiful place—a large swath of asphalt tucked under a highway is transformed. The choice of this location is at once practical, cleaver, and in a way completely charming.

Baltimore is a city that offers unbelievably quaint enclaves in places like Mt. Washington, cultural attractions combined with gay pride in Mt. Vernon, diversity in neighborhoods like Pigtown, colorful, dense housing stock in Charles Village, lush university campuses, an extraordinary collection of the works of Matisse, and many neighborhoods which offer the opportunity to for transformation to healthy, community-orientated places, investment in the collective good. In this, I see the unexpected beauty of a place that doesn’t always live up to the glamour of flashier cities, but doesn’t disappoint those who seek the hidden potential of the place.

Nelson Algren, said that loving Chicago, my present home, was "Like loving a woman with a broken nose, you may well find lovelier lovelies. But never a lovely so real." I would say of Baltimore that it is like falling in love unexpectedly, you may well find a more perfect lover. But never have you been so charmed.

Do you know the charms of Baltimore?

Featured Artist

2011-07-08T06:00:00.000-07:00

Rosemarie Montefusco

Rosemarie Montefusco is an artist and writer from New York. Her hobbies include gardening, hiking, crochet, botany, entomology, and collecting riker-mounted insects, especially Saturniidae moths. She currently lives in a small cottage with a black cat named Lurleen and owns far too many mugs than any one person should.

She’s in the process of writing her second novel and self producing audio excerpts from her first novel: A Moonserpent Tale.

What attracts you to watercolor as a medium?
I find watercolors offer a juxtaposed appeal, which gives me the best of both worlds when it comes to illustration and art. For illustration purposes, they give me the control to define lines, sharp light, shadow and texture, so I can accurately portray the specifics of a given subject. But for more traditionally artistic and expressive purposes, watercolors offer freedom and flexibility that allows unexpected things to happen. I also love them for their economy and convenience. I paint in acrylics as well but not nearly as often for the fact that transport and setup is a bit more involved. I love that I can carry my watercolor setup just about anywhere, from the middle of the woods, the beach, or just a different room of my home. Hate to say that cost drives my creative process, but canvas and tubes do add up very quickly compared to cold press paper and half-pan refills.

Does your work as a writer influence your painting? Do you find yourself telling stories through your paintings?
My writing certainly influences my paintings, but not nearly as much as my painting seems to influence my writing. As a kid, I loved drawing and painting a scene, then I’d find an audience member or two and explain what was going on in the painting. I can’t think of too many specifics—only a few that involved some sea monsters that were summoned by the setting sun. When writing, my background as a visual artist really comes into play through description of settings and characters—lots of specific adjectives that I usually end up cutting for the sake of word count and reader sanity. For me, there’s just something about painting and writing that enables me to define the world I’m creating. In both my paintings and my fiction, especially since most of my work is fantasy, it’s very important to me that things look and feel a particular way. In writing you have to let go of some that and trust your reader’s imagination, but with painting the specific shades, textures and other physical qualities of a subject are totally up to you. An art background also comes in handy when it comes to illustrations and cover design. I love books that have a strong cohesion between the style of writing and the style of illustration, and when they’re coming from the same hand, there’s all the greater chance of achieving that feel.

Are there new themes or mediums you anticipate exploring in your upcoming work?
I’m still very new to scientific and naturalist illustration. There’s endless subject matter there for me to explore. I’d like to do more series pieces in that subject realm. I planned out a serious of small marsupials, each one paired with a single species of native flora. That may still come to be. I’d like to do more narrow vertical and horizontal style paintings. There’s just something about that limited space within a canvas that’s very appealing for me. It makes the painting easier to “attack”—they’re also nice when you have limited wall space or narrow niches between windows, doors and other paintings. Mixed media pieces with colored pencil illustration in addition to watercolor are also somewhere on the horizon. I may even add some henna watercolor pieces in there as well. Mehndi looks pretty cool on a wall in addition to the palm of your hand.

Many thanks to Rosemarie for sharing her fantastic watercolors!

What do you think of the stories told through Rosemarie's paintings?

Wedding Map

2011-07-06T06:00:00.001-07:00

Chicago Map

I recently designed this in progress wedding map for a couple who will marry this July in Chicago. They are crafting a handmade, DIY wedding, with invites made on 5x7 folded kraft cards. The couple bought a typewriter and has been typing all the paper products.

They wanted a wedding map with a vintage feel, so I designed this custom map for them. It was a pleasure to create a wedding map for my home city, with familiar landmarks in the Chicago's Little Italy and Fulton Market areas.

Are you fond of vintage maps?

Other Projects

2011-07-03T06:00:00.000-07:00

Cheap Eats in Chicago
This week I had dinner at Ghareeb Nawaz, a Indian-Pakistani restaurant on Devon in Chicago. The name means 'sustainer of the poor, which is appropriate given that a meal for two with leftovers was $7.17 (with tax). It's a no frills kind of place, the service is minimal, customers order and pay at the counter, the booths are basic and the tableware is limited to plastic utensils.

We had:
Veggie Biryani $2.00
Veggie Paratha $2.00
Tandoori Naan $.50
4 Potato Samosa ($.50 each) $2.00

The food was tasty, I particularly like the saucy Veggie Paratha, but mainly I was just perplexed by the volume of food for just over $7!

What are your favorite cheap eats?

Featured Artist

2011-07-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

Alisha Koyanis
Alisha Koyanis has been creating since before she knew what create meant. She loves creating new art and is inspired by those around me. During the day, she works as an Art teacher. She teaches grades K-8 and loves it. Alisha works mainly with Acrylics, but she dabbles in many mediums. She is an artist thinks she should experiment in all types of art.

Where do you find inspiration for your paintings?
Everywhere. Colors mainly attract me. Yes I am one of those that will buy the most mundane items just for their colorful packaging. My mother can be the one to blame for my obsession with color. At a very young age she would dress me from head to toe in the most colorful outfits and send me on my way. I was commonly referred to as “Punky” growing up for my mismatch rainbow outfits. Without her whimsical eclectic style and my boyfriends constant support I might not be the artist I am today.

Does your work as an art teacher influence your work?
Absolutely! I’ve never felt like such a rock star artist until I had students. They are always telling me what a great artist I am, even though many times I’m just scribbling doodles for them. Being an art teacher you really have to be thrifty with low budgets in order to come up with cool projects for the kids. They actually inspired my cardboard monsters. I had been collecting toilet paper rolls for them and had quite a collection at home. So one day when I was bored I grabbed a few of the rolls and just had at it. There is a lot of recycling common items into art when you’re an art teacher.

Are there new themes or mediums you anticipate exploring in your upcoming work?
Anything I can get my hands on that inspires me. I actually just bought an old 1980’s vintage Canon FT film camera that I found at a garage sale. I intend to bring it to Greece in a few weeks and try my hand at photography. I love the sound the classic shutters make as opposed to the new digital cameras they just don’t sound as cool.

Many thanks to Alisha for sharing her fantastic work.

What do you think of Alisha's whimsical, colorful paintings?

Wedding Map

2011-06-29T06:00:00.000-07:00

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

2011-06-26T06:00:00.000-07:00

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

2011-06-24T06:00:00.000-07:00

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

2011-06-22T06:00:00.000-07:00

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

2011-06-20T06:00:00.000-07:00

Mile 10: 50th-42nd Street

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

2011-06-19T06:00:00.000-07:00

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

2011-06-17T06:00:00.000-07:00

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

2011-06-15T06:00:00.000-07:00

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

2011-06-13T06:00:00.000-07:00

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.

Did you know Chicago had a Fire Museum?

Other Projects

2011-06-12T15:33:00.000-07:00

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

2011-06-10T06:00:00.000-07:00

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

2011-06-08T06:00:00.000-07:00

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

2011-06-06T06:00:00.000-07:00

Mile 9: 58th-50th Street

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

2011-06-05T08:00:00.000-07:00

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

2011-06-03T10:41:00.000-07:00

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

2011-06-01T06:50:00.000-07:00

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?

Western Avenue Series

2011-05-30T06:00:00.000-07:00

Mile 8: 66th-58th 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.

I was drawn to paint Wing Hung Restaurant to represent this mile of Western because with its large colorful sign, it seems begging to be seen. That sentiment feels typical of this stretch of Western, which is densely populated by commercial establishments: the large Marquette Bank building, clothing stores, restaurants, insurance brokers and other businesses abound. This feels like a commercial strip at the heart of this portion of the Chicago Lawn neighborhood.

Where are the commercial centers where you live?

Other Projects

2011-05-29T06:00:00.000-07:00

Teaching Watercolor

Starting this Wednesday, June 1st, I'm going to be teaching a watercolor class at Rumble Arts, in Chicago's Humboldt Park neighborhood. Rumble Arts is an all ages, multicultural, community arts organization serving Chicago’s Humboldt Park neighborhood.

From the Rumble Arts website, "We offer donation based classes in art, music, dance, yoga, martial arts, writing, and performance in addition to special workshops and cultural events. By providing educational opportunities for all ages, we actively cultivate an environment where entire families can come together to learn, teach, and play under the same roof.

Our open door policy and sliding scale fees are designed to make it as easy as possible to walk right off the street into a rewarding educational experience, regardless of financial means."

I'm really excited to be teaching a class at Rumble Arts, which will provide foundational techniques for beginning watercolor painters, as well as develop the confidence and abilities of participants experienced in the medium. Students will explore methods of mixing colors, applying washes, and using tones and values in composition. Activities will encourage students to explore varied techniques from representational work to loose, fluid abstracts. Projects might include still lifes, landscapes, portraiture and figure painting.

Come by this Wednesday or any Wednesday, 6-8pm, for fun with watercolor painting!

Featured Artist

2011-05-27T06:00:00.000-07:00

Devika Keskar

Devika Keskar has always created opportunities in her life to keep the artistic and creative flame in her burning. She was born and raised in India, and had an early and enduring interest in art. After getting a degree in Architecture, she moved to the United States where she earned a degree in Urban Design. While working as an architect Devika continued to develop her artistic skills and vision. Her artistic endeavors have been numerous, experimenting with pottery and ceramics, oil painting as well as painting and stenciling children's furniture. Recently, a long stay in India provided Devika the opportunity to reconnect with her desire to create art.

What techniques do you typically use when you are painting?
I use a lot of layering in my paintings. Sometimes I use different materials like butter paper and/or newspaper to create the layers, while at other times its many many washes of color one on top of the other, which give my work depth and a multi-layered look. Stippling, scratching, dripping are all very much part of my work too!

Are there particular artists who inspire your work?
There are so many great artists whose work I admire very much. One who comes to mind right away is contemporary Indian artist Anki Khurana. The organic nature of her work and the fluidity in it is awesome.

Are there new themes or mediums you anticipate exploring in your upcoming work?
At some point in time I want to experiment with encaustic (hot wax) painting. Also, I'd like to work on a series of modern abstract paintings loosely based on traditional Indian sari designs.

Many thanks for Devika for sharing her work.

What do you think of Devika's paintings?

Wedding Invitation

2011-05-25T06:00:00.000-07:00

Wildflowers & Wheat in a Mason Jar

I have recently completed another variation of the flowers in a mason jar invitation for a couple who will wed in Kansas City. Through the completion of a number of iterations of flower in a mason jar, I have researching a bit and discovered that there is a John Denver song called Flowers in a Mason Jar. Here are the lyrics:

January back in '55 we rode a Greyhound bus through the Georgia midnight
Grandpa was sleeping and the winter sky was clear
We hit a bump and his head jerked back a little and he mumbled something
He woke up smiling but his eyes were bright with tears he said...

I dreamed I was back on the farm
Twenty years have passed boy
But the memory still warms me
Wild flowers in a mason jar

He told me those old stories 'bout that one room cabin in Kentucky
The smell of rain and the feel of the warm earth in his hands
He slowly turned and stared outside
His face was mirrored in the window
And his reflection flew across the moonlit land
And he dreamed he was back on the farm
He tilts his head and listens to the early sounds of morning
Wild flowers in a mason jar

An old man and an eight year old boy
Rolling down that midnight highway
Warm Kentucky memories from a winter Georgia night
I started drifting off and Grandpa tucked his coat around me
I think I tried to smile as I slowly closed my eyes
And I dreamed I was with him on the farm
Grandpa, I can hear the evening wind out in the corn
Wild flowers in a mason jar and the bus rolling through the night

Western Avenue Series

2011-05-23T21:05:00.000-07:00

Mile 8: 66th-58th 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 has a vitality which is similar to the portion of Western located just south. There is a good deal more pedestrian traffic than I found in other portion of the avenue, as well as a large number of commercial businesses. The neighborhood of Chicago Lawn is a descendent of the city of Chicago Lawn, which was in 1871 and annexed in 1889. It was mostly farmland until the 1920s when the neighborhood saw a large population increase. In 1941, the National Biscuit Company (Nabisco) announced plans to build a huge bakery in Chicago Lawn. When completed, this was the largest bakery in one location in the world.

The Lithuanian community has maintained a notable presence in the area by establishing a network of institutions that earned their community the label as the Lithuanian Gold Coast. Chicago's changing racial demographics had a profound impact on Chicago Lawn. In the 1960s most white residents had fled Englewood and West Englewood and Chicago Lawn became a target for civil rights groups' open housing marches. In 1966 a march led by Martin Luther King, Jr., into Marquette Park. Violence also erupted in the neighborhood when Gage Park High School attempted to integrate after Brown v. Board of Education. The primary resistance to integration came from fear of declining property values by people who put their life savings into their homes and disruption of ethnic bonds, especially for the Lithuanians. Some Irish, Poles, and Lithuanians still remain, though most have moved further south and west. By 1990, Blacks comprised 52.9% of the population, while Hispanic groups accounted for 35.1%.

How has the neighborhood where you live changed over time?

Other Projects

2011-05-22T06:00:00.000-07:00

Grilled Eggplant and Roasted Red Pepper Panini

Summer is coming to Chicago...slowly. As seems typical, we haven't had a tremendously warm spring, but we remain hopeful that warm summer days are right around the corner. With that hopefulness, I find myself daydreaming of picnics at Millenium Park concerts, promentary point, Chicago Botanic Garden, or Ravinia. And, these sandwiches, from Joy of Cooking All About Vegetarian, are among the best picnic meals around because all the ingredients can be prepared in advance and the resulting combination is extraordinary. So, with anticipation of warm summer nights, I am sharing the recipe for a delectable picnic.

Preheat Broiler.

Combine:

6 fresh basil leaves, chopped

2 tbsps balsamic vinegar

1-3 cloves garlic, minced

2 red bell peppers, roasted, peeled, seeded, and cut into strips about 1/4" thick

Cut crosswise into 1/2"-thick slices:

1 medium eggplant

Brush the eggplant slices on both sides with:

2 tbsps olive oil

Broil the eggplant 4" from the heat just until tender, about 4 minutes each side. Remove from the heat. Split in half horizontally:

Four 4-inch squares focaccia (recipe below)

Spread the bottom halves generously with:

Tapenade (recipe below)

Arrange on top:

4 ounces slices fresh mozzarella or crumble feta or goat cheese

1 large ripe tomato, sliced

Divide the eggplant and the pepper mixture on top and cover with the top halves of the focaccia. Press together gently and serve.

Focaccia

Divide in half and roll each piece out to a 1/2"-thick round:

Basic pizza dough

Transfer these to well-oiled 10-inch cake pans. Let rise covered with plastic wrap for 1 1/2 hours. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Ten minutes before baking, dimple the dough with your fingertips and drizzle evenly with:

Olive oil (as much as 1/2 cup)

Top with:

Dried herbs or course sea salt

Bake the focaccia until golden, about 25 minutes. Remove from the pans to cool on the rack and serve warm or at room temperature.

Tapenade (Caper Olive Paste)

Combine in a food processor:

2 cups black olives, preferably oil cured, pitted

3 tbsps drained capers

3 tbsps olive oil

2 tbsps brandy or lemon juice

2 cloves garlic, coursly chopped

2 tsps fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried

salt and ground pepper to tast

Pulse until the mixture is till course but of a uniform consistency.

Enjoy!

What is your favorite picnic fare?

Featured Artist

2011-05-19T06:00:00.000-07:00

Barbara Rosenzweig

Barbara Rosenzweig studied at Philadelphia's School Art League, Philadelphia Museum of Art, and Tyler School of Fine Arts. During her 36 years as a science teacher at the Upper Moreland Middle School in Hatboro, PA, her philosophy was to instill a deep joy for learning, along with an appreciation of the natural world. As an artist, she creates vividly colored watercolors inspired by the flowers in her gardens. Her extensive travels also afford her endless subjects to paint.

Strawberries, Jelly Jar, & Shakers, watercolor, 8"x10," Barbara Rosenzweig

More about Barbara in her own words, "I love gardening outside of Philly, PA, have been doing it for over 40 years, and love each flower's intense colors and textures! I have absolutely no choice but to try to capture their beauty in my watercolors. Travel, too, gives me inspiring landscapes to paint. I'm a mom to two grown daughters and a wife to a man who puts up with all of the time I devote to painting.

Eggs & Bowls, watercolor, 11"x14," Barbara Rosenzweig

Throughout my adult life, whether dishes were piled high in the sink or papers needed to be graded , I took time out to indulge my creativity. In winter, I have perpetual sunshine in my studio. The reason? The rest of the year, I take photos of my flowers and travels to paint all winter long. The rest of the year, continue to paint. What a wonderful way to spend a lifetime!

Anjou Pears, watercolor, 11"x14," Barbara Rosenzweig

Watercolors express my joy and love of nature's vitality! Bright, vivid colors are what excite me most when I paint! At times, I like to express the peace that comes when I'm immersed in a magnificent landscape.

Strawberries & Silver Salt Shakers, watercolor, 8"x10" Barbara Rosenzweig

Many thanks to Barbara for sharing her fantastic paintings.

What do you think of these still lifes?

Baby Shower Invitation

2011-05-18T06:00:00.000-07:00

Rubber Ducky

The invitation featured this week is a bit of a departure for me, in a few ways. First, it's a baby shower invitation and also, it's a digital design.

I completed this design for a friend who is hosting a baby shower. She wanted the invitation to feature a rubber ducky and also camouflage. So, I created a custom camoflauge border in subtle shades of yellow and green, for a playful twist a common "rubber duck" themed invite.

What are your favorite baby shower themes?

Western Avenue Series

2011-05-17T06:00:00.000-07:00

Mile 7: 74th-66th 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.

Fat Johnnies, a rather modest white window-service hot dog stand has been open since 1972. It is open all year, so you'll find customers waiting outside in line despite bone-chilling snow or blazing heat. The available seating is at picnic tables (set up during warmer months), and they serve hot dogs Chicago-style: steamed and topped with mustard, neon-green relish, chopped onions, cucumber, and tomato. For the more adventurous, they offer the double dog (two franks, one bun) or a “fat one.” They also serve up Mighty Dogs (hot-dog-and-tamale combo) and Mother-In-Laws (tamale topped with chili and served in a bun).

Fat Johnnie's seemed an appropriate representation of this mile because it is an icon of the neighborhood, in fact it has even attracted the attention of Anthony Bourdain. In this stretch heavily traffic commercial stretch fast food restaurants are prevalent and Fat Johnnie's seems right at home.

Who do you think has the best Chicago-style hot dogs?

Other Projects

2011-05-15T06:00:00.000-07:00

Penpaling

Since the start of the year I've been pen paling with my real life pal Sabina of How to Dig a Hole and mauve? gallery. It is quite a delight given my great love for sending and receiving mail. I thought I would share some of the fantastic things I've received so far.

Have you ever had a pen pal?

Featured Artist

2011-05-13T06:00:00.000-07:00

Michelle Prahler

Michelle Prahler was born in the Detroit area. Her artistic talent was encouraged by many members of her family who included a muralist, botanical painter and clothes designer. After graduating with a BFA from Michigan State University she became a Graphic Designer for ten years.

In 2002 Michelle transferred her skills from designing such things as book covers and toy packaging to creating works of art. She now creates oil paintings on wood with collage elements. You can see her work at Naked Art Gallery in Birmingham, Alabama or Young Blood in Atlanta, Georgia. She lives and works in Decatur, Georgia.

More about Michelle's work, in her own words, "The paintings start with a drawing that has continuous line work, it is transferred to wood. Then there is a watercolor wash applied over some areas to let the wood grain show through."

"The next step incorporates a variety of different papers applied to the surface such as maps, origami papers and magazines. After that, the drawing is outlined in liquid acrylics, then the rest of the color work is finished with oils. The whole work is completed with a coating of high gloss polymer varnish."

Many thanks to Michelle for sharing her oil paintings.

What do you think of these mixed medium creations?

Wedding Invitation

2011-05-11T06:00:00.000-07:00

Flowers & Wheat in a Mason Jar

As I painted this most recent flowers in a mason jar invitation, I was thinking about the beauty that wheat brings to the Midwest. The image of gently rolling golden fields is fantastically familiar. It also called to mind the first line of Carl Sandburg's Chicago poem, " HOG Butcher for the World,  Tool Maker, Stacker of Wheat,  Player with Railroads and the Nation's Freight Handler;  Stormy, husky, brawling,  City of the Big Shoulders..." That poem so delights me, I thought I would share it here.

CHICAGO

Carl Sandburg
HOG Butcher for the World, 

Tool Maker, Stacker of Wheat, 

Player with Railroads and the Nation's Freight Handler; 

Stormy, husky, brawling, 

City of the Big Shoulders:

They tell me you are wicked and I believe them, for I 

have seen your painted women under the gas lamps 

luring the farm boys. And they tell me you are crooked and I answer: Yes, it 

is true I have seen the gunman kill and go free to 

kill again. And they tell me you are brutal and my reply is: On the 

faces of women and children I have seen the marks 

of wanton hunger. And having answered so I turn once more to those who 

sneer at this my city, and I give them back the sneer 

and say to them: Come and show me another city with lifted head singing 

so proud to be alive and coarse and strong and cunning. Flinging magnetic curses amid the toil of piling job on  job, here is a tall bold slugger set vivid against the 

little soft cities;

Fierce as a dog with tongue lapping for action, cunning 

as a savage pitted against the wilderness, 

Bareheaded, 

Shoveling, 

Wrecking, 

Planning, 

Building, breaking, rebuilding, Under the smoke, dust all over his mouth, laughing with 

white teeth, Under the terrible burden of destiny laughing as a young 

man laughs,  Laughing even as an ignorant fighter laughs who has 

never lost a battle,  Bragging and laughing that under his wrist is the pulse. 

and under his ribs the heart of the people, 

Laughing!  Laughing the stormy, husky, brawling laughter of 

Youth, half-naked, sweating, proud to be Hog 

Butcher, Tool Maker, Stacker of Wheat, Player with 

Railroads and Freight Handler to the Nation.

What does the image of wheat call to mind for you?

Western Avenue Series

2011-05-09T06:00:00.000-07:00

Mile 7:74th-66th Street

This mile is a vibrant portion of Western. The street is narrower here than in portions of the Avenue which lie further north. There are a lot of businesses along this stretch--restaurants, including Fat Johnnie's Red Hots Famous Red Hots featured in the painting for this mile, hardware stores, and convenience stores are abundant. This is the Chicago Lawn neighborhood, sometimes called Marquette Park because of the 600 acre park located in the neighborhood.

While Western Avenue doesn't traverse Marquette Park, I was delighted to learn more about the park, which is located near to this stretch. The park is part of the plans for an entire system of 14 new parks developed in 1903 by the Olmsted Brothers (landscape architects). As a Chicagoan, I am in constant awe of the ambition of this plans--it's extraordinary to explore the parks and marvel at the beauty and sheer size of the places designed by the Olmsted Brothers.

Marquette Park is the largest of the southwest side parks. It is bounded by 67th and 71st Streets to the north and south, and California and Central Park to the east and west. It's a 600-acre sprawl of green real estate, beautifully maintained, that includes soccer and baseball fields, a 9-hole golf course and a bridge and lagoon. In fact, the lagoon is featured in "The Blues Brothers" movie. Jake and Elwood forced Nazi demonstrators off a bridge into the Marquette Park lagoon.

Have you visited Marquette Park?

Other Projects

2011-05-08T06:00:00.000-07:00

Postcards to Politicians
A few weeks ago, while having dinner with a friend, she was lamenting our sluggishness in the area of political activism. I could not disagree.

As a college student, I began thinking critically about our world and was moved to become an active participant in the political process--protesting, being a vocal advocate for issues of importance to me, and writing to politicians. As I enter my 30s, I find that my enthusiasm for such political action is diminished. The busyness of daily life and the regularity the workplace has lulled me into inaction. As someone who sincerely cares about living a life of intention, with attention to social justice, I think it is important to be an active participant in our political process.

When I asked my friend what she thought we should do to combat our lack of political involvement, she said, "I don't know, maybe write more letters to politicians." And so, I will. My goal is to write a postcard to a politician each week on a topic of importance to me. Frankly, it feels a bit meaningless, but it also feels valuable and an act of intention. Gandhi said it well, "You may think your actions are meaningless and that they won't help, but that is no excuse, you must still act."

Since I'm a watercolor painter each of these postcards will feature a quick painting. Perhaps receiving a piece of original art in the mail will catch the eye of the staffer who sorts mail from constituents. My solitary letters will be mailed away to my U.S. and state representatives, my senators, my alderman, my governor, my president. Won't you join me, I know it seems pointless, but you must still act.

Any types for effective communication with our elected officials?

Featured Artist

2011-05-06T06:00:00.000-07:00

Harry Stooshinoff

Harry Stooshinoff has been painting, showing, and selling for over 30 years and he divides his time between painting and teaching. He holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts, a Master of Fine Arts, and a Bachelor of Education.

Mr. Stooshinoff describes his work in this way, "When I was a boy growing up in Saskatchewan, I used to look far into the distance and wish I had more trees around me....to protect me and make the place feel less empty.

Now I have lots of trees around me, but I still like to look very far into the distance.

It's a big, NOISY world...
So I make small, quiet paintings...

It makes a certain kind of sense."


Landscape Painting, March 30, 2010, 7.25"x6.5," Harry Stooshinoff

"I wander the hills just north of Lake Ontario.

.....the end of March....went out like a lamb.....dry and warm."

Landscape Painting, Back Acres, 7.25"x6.5," 2010, Harry Stooshinoff

".....the tree line forms the back property line....a very dry early spring day...the brilliant light of afternoon."

Landscape Painting, Forest Exit, 7.25"x6.5," 2010, Harry Stooshinoff

"....mid afternoon...exiting a large forest reserve....deserted country roads on a perfect summer day."


Summer, Field, 7.25"x6.5," 2010, Harry Stooshinoff

"......walking down a road I don't usually take....late afternoon with the blue hills in the distance."

Many thanks to Harry Stooshinoff for sharing his beautiful paintings.

What do you think of this series of intimate small landscapes?

Wedding Invitation

2011-05-04T06:00:00.000-07:00

Wild Flowers in a Mason Jar
This new invitation design features another variation on the flowers and mason jar theme I have explored in recent invitations. This design was created for a couple who will marry in a Sadorus, a village in rural Illinois, with a population of 416 people.

Wild flowers in a mason jar seem the ideal decor for an elegant wedding in a small town, on a summer evening.

Christina of Intimate Weddings.com describes mason jars as "the unsung heroes of weddingland." On that website there is an article describing how to make DIY flower bouquets in hanging mason jars. So, many fantastic combination of flowers and perhaps many more possibilities for invitation designs.

What do you use mason jars for?

Western Avenue Series

2011-05-02T08:04:00.000-07:00

Mile 6: 82nd-74th Street

The painting representing this mile is of the abandoned Woodman Lanes Bowling alley. While many portions of Western are not conventionally beautiful, lined with industrial buildings, fast food restaurants, and car dealerships, the Avenue still feels economically viable and well trafficked. This mile, while still showing some signs of vitality, it feels more uninhabited than the regions which lay south in Beverly and the miles, which are further north. There is a charm that remains even as this bowling alley crumbles, the giant bowling ball and pin that adorn the sign leaving us to wonder about the hay day of Woodman Lanes.

What is your favorite bowling alley?

Other Projects

2011-05-01T11:15:00.000-07:00

Custom Design Map

I recently completed a commissioned project. It was a delightful undertaking. I designed a custom map for a couple who was married in and is living in Baltimore. As frequent readers of this blog know, I'm an enthusiastic supporter of Baltimore. Having lived in the city, for a couple of years, I fell in love. So it was a delighted to recall familiar neighborhoods and favorite spots as I executed the map.

The map is a digital design, which will be printed as a 24"x30" poster at a local art store using their high quality printing process. The map depicts Baltimore's 225+ neighborhoods. It also features digital sketches of the couple's favorite Baltimore spots--restaurants, bars, the place they were married.

I was rather captivated by this idea, an extension of some of the wedding maps I have designed. I hope I will have the opportunity to complete more of these custom maps. It also got me thinking about future projects I would like to complete--perhaps, a series of maps documenting the places that tell the story of a person's life in a place--the places where a person lives and works, their favorite hidden places to visit, the place they fall in love or have their hearts broken.

What would be on your custom designed map?