I'm back with a huge oil painting project

Where have I been since my last post? Working on several oil paintings including these four. (I'll post the other two paintings I've been working on later this this week.) These four oil paintings are each 4-5 feet tall. Click on the photo above to see them better. The paintings are designed to hang together or apart. The subjects are a sweet Lincoln Park family on their roof deck. My studio assistant Tracee Badway and I have been working on capturing the values in gray scale before we add color. I'm very excited and pleased with how this is turning out. Watch this studio news blog for the final color version in a few weeks. My artwork photographer is Scott Keely who does great work.

The Boys of September

With the Sox giving up and the Cub pretty much out of it too, I thought I'd express my disappointment though the eyes of a little boy in the ball park. Another card for sale at my studio, October 3rd & 4th.

Bahamian Sunrise

My boys started school yesterday, and it made me a little nostalgic for our summer vacation in the Bahamas. I painted this card which will be among the dozens for sale during the Ravenswood Artwalk October 3rd & 4th. Stop by.

Absinthe Man

I created this painting as a demo for my older-adult students, loosely based on the husband of one of my students. I love the green cocktail. I turned the painting in to a blank greeting card for sale during my October open house. Stop by.

Two-Color Watercolor Woman

Created as a greeting card for a close friend, I enjoyed creating this quick two color sketch today. It is inspired by the work of British fashion illustrator Sharon Pinsker. I may try to create a series of hand-painted notecards, for sale at my October 3rd & 4th Studio Open House. Mark your calendars...

Very Funny Pavement Art

My talented artist friend, Tracee Badway and I created this funny chalk artwork yesterday on Michigan Avenue, outside the Tribune tower. Tracee is waving, I'm wearing the hat. If you click on the photo you can see it larger. We chalked from 9:30 am (when the rain ended) until 5:00 pm. It was a long day but the crowds were supportive and excited. And we were quite proud of the finished product. I checked on it this morning after last night's storms and it is significantly faded. Oh well, the best art is ephemeral.

Laughing Faces

I was hired by TBS to create "very funny" sidewalk chalk art as a promotion for the comedy festival TBS is hosting in Chicago this weekend. This is my maquette based on some laughing friends (with whom I watched the Cubs lose to the Twins last weekend). It's nice to focus on happy faces after years of painting the "rage series." I'll create the real thing, up to 20 feet wide, on Thursday, outside the Tribune Tower at 435 N. Michigan Avenue (near that crazy Grant Wood sculpture). Come visit--I'll be there, on my hands and knees rubbing the pavement, all day. As usual, rain is in the forecast. Check for photos of the real thing later this week.

Sidewalk Pop Art: Chalk Lichtenstein

Chalkfest, an annual fundraiser to benefit Art Therapy Connection, took place today in Oz Park. About 20 groups of artists created sidewalk murals. My niece Elyse Chudacoff and my friend's daughter Leah Crane joined me in creating this work of sidewalk pop art. It took us about 6 hours. As it always seems to, the rain arrived as soon as we finished.

Spring Flowers Redux

Another flower demo for my elder-art students. This one is postcard size.

More Spring Flowers

My Elder-Art students love to paint flowers. This is a demo I created for them. We are working on "negative-painting" or defining forms by darkening the area around them.

Sunshine Wildflowers

I can't paint rain everyday...today's painting is wildflowers, for my mother-in-law on her birthday.

Another Rainy Chicago Day

Quick watercolor study in my sketchbook after photographing some commuters-in-the-rain this morning. I think the colors need work before I execute this as a full size watercolor painting.

Chicago's Rainy Spring

Almost every one of my son's middle school baseball games have been canceled due to rain or wet fields. All this rain inspired me to create a rain series of paintings. Here, unfinished, is the first one, inspired by a painting by watercolor artist Mary Whyte.