Frames

In preparation for the Artist Project show, I have spent the last few days building fourteen new frames for my paintings. My brother came up and helped me with this- and set me up with all that I need to make more when I need them. 10 are for panels- replacing the cheap studio frames- and three are floater frames for large stretched canvas, so that I can avoid that cheap-no-frame-painted-edge.

A lot of work, but framing sure can give the painting that extra something special.

A Big Cityscape

I call this one election night in the Heart of Chicago, because the reference pictures were taken at about 5 o'clock on election night.

This painting was a challenge on many levels. One, it needed to be painted big..and I had to overcome the camera distortion in my reference pictures.

It is a big painting- 48x36, oil on canvas.

Yes We DID!

How appropriate that this is my one hundredth post- as we turn the page to a whole new chapter. The long dark days of George Bush are finally coming to an end. Thank GOD!

I was there in Grant Park last night and still have tears in my eyes. When Barack Obama was announced to be the winner, I have never seen anything like the cheering, hugging, crying and jumping up and down that I experienced last night. The crowd was beautiful, this country is beautiful.

I took this video after McCain's concession speach, the prayer, the pledge, the national anthem. We were all tired, hungry and had to go to the bathroom, but these were all my new best friends and we were about to hear Barack Obama Speak.

I walked from Grant Park to the Metra station- about a mile and a half. It was like this most of the way- the whole grid of Chicago looked about like this, and every now and then a whoop would go through the crowd and people would start cheering and crying again. Here it is in front of the Art Institute, on Michigan Avenue. It took a little more than an hour to get to the train station, What a wonderful night- Congratulations America!!

It is time.