I have about a dozen paintings going right now in various stages, but just completed a couple of new ones. I've been experimenting with more layers but letting under paintings show through for contrast and adding thicker paint to different areas of the surface. I'm also enjoying a looser working style and playing with some of the more abstract elements of architecture.
Ghost Building, oil on canvas, 48x60, 2017
Broome Street, Before The Rain, oil on canvas, 36x48, 2017
Tonight marks the last Friday night open studios of 2016 at the Cornelia Arts Building where my studio is located.
Friday Nov 18, 6-10 pm
1800 W. Cornelia, Studio #201
Art on two floors from 40 artists in their studios, plus hallway exhibitions by guest artists.
There is also an open studios event Saturday Nov 19, 2-6 pm but I will not be in attendance.
Here are some studio shots of recent work in progress that I'll have on display.
I was in New York City last weekend and had a chance to walk around The West Village, Soho, and Chelsea and take a lot of photographs. It's always inspiring to shoot photos while walking around NYC - there are endless scenes I want to paint every time I'm there. This was the view from the new Whitney Museum of Art rooftop terrace overlooking the Meatpacking District and The West Village.
I recently started on this painting of a made up scene; but thinking of The Loop in downtown Chicago. I'm trying to play with some of the abstract elements of the architecture and L tracks. Also, working to tone down the palette a little from the brighter colors I've been using lately.
Cityscape - work in progress, oil on canvas, 48x36"
I've been working on about 10 pieces at once lately and not finishing many but I guess that's because I'm working through some ideas and experimenting a little. Many of my cityscape paintings start out as loose abstracts and then evolve into more representative cityscape images. As I'm working on some large pieces recently, I'm trying to keep some of the original under layers visible and let the layers overlap.
The ideas I'm playing with are the impermanence of architecture and cities constantly changing. Things are in flux - bringing a more abstract quality to areas of the paintings where an older building may have existed and are being replaced by newer structures.
I've been working on a lot of pieces at once on-and-off now for about 6 months. That means I'm working on about 10 pieces at the same time but in different intervals. I can experiment while doing this but also create a connected body of work through the color palette. Here are some of the paintings:
I'm still working on this large-scale piece and I think it will help push me to continue working on larger pieces. I like the physical nature of painting large and how it can sometimes it be more immediate, loose, and like a sketch. For this piece, I'm trying to bridge both a loose drawing quality and combine it with some details on some of the buildings like my smaller paintings. For me, this has also been an experiment in color that I started a few paintings ago and I'm liking how these recent works are starting to connect with that palette. Here are a few recent images of the large painting:
The next open studios is coming up at the Cornelia Arts Building!
May 2016 Open Studios
Friday, May 20, 6 – 10 pm
1800 W. Cornelia
Studio #201
Chicago, IL 60657
Art on two floors, guest artists, live music on the front porch, and food from a local food truck in the parking lot. Close to public transportation & free parking!
All are welcome so invite your friends!
FREE and open to the public
I recently started work on a large cityscape on panel. This work in progress measures 4'x8' and using oil - my current preferred medium. It's based on a thumbnail sketch I created from a photo I took of the skyline. While the photo was taken facing east toward the skyline, the painting is looking west from the lake. But, depending on where you are along the lakefront, you'll see the same positioning of the larger buildings as you would looking from the west toward the lake. Click on the images to view larger.
This project was for Xavier, a new apartment complex in what used to be Cabrini Green in Chicago. Special thanks to Ann Hudner, the art consultant who curated the project. These are images of a digital reproduction of a collaboration painting between myself and artist Scott Simons. The large abstract wall coverings are installed in all 18 floors of the building directly outside each elevator bank.
Artist Statement about the original piece the mural images are based on:
"Sunflower Slow Drag is a collaborative mixed media painting by Scott Simons and Kevin Swallow. This piece combines Simons’ abstract textures and lines with Swallow’s cityscapes and abstract graffiti style. Both artists are influenced by architecture and draw their inspiration from the urban landscape. This is their first collaboration. The painting references a jazz song, Sunflower Slow Drag by Scott Joplin. Like jazz, the painting was improvised. They passed the painting back-and-forth over the course of a week – reacting to each other’s lines, marks, and colors. The panel was flipped and turned in various directions as they worked, until the painting unfolded into a finished composition."
