SoHo Fire Escapes - work in progress

This is a painting I've been working on the last few days. It's based on a photo I took in the SoHo neighborhood of New York in 2006. I'm continuing to work on making these cityscape images more immediate, loose, and painterly. I usually sketch the image onto the surface first with oil bar or acrylic. My goal is to carry that sketch-like quality into the painting style. This will be on display at this Friday's Open Studios at the Cornelia Arts Building. SoHo_WIP SoHo Fire Escapes - work in progress, oil on panel

Here's the photo reference:

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA Moon Over Soho (New York), photograph, 2006

Transit Skyline - painting in progress

Here's another painting I hope to finish in time for the March 21 Cornelia Arts Building Open Studios. Based on a photo I took near Wabash and Van Buren in Chicago. I'm not happy with the current state of the train but nothing that a little more paint can't fix! IMG_8962 Transit Skyline, oil on panel (work in progress), 2014

Here's the photo reference:

IMG_8831

2014 Open Studios Dates

CAB_2014_email Save the dates for our 2014 Open Studios:

Friday, March 21, 6 - 10 pm Friday, May 16, 6 - 10 pm Friday, October 3,  6 - 10 pm Friday, November 21, 6 - 10 pm Saturday, November 22, 1 - 5 pm

Art on two floors, live music and food from a local gourmet food truck in the parking lot!

Our open studio events are FREE and open to the public.

Cornelia Arts Building 1800 W. Cornelia, Studio #201 Chicago, IL 60657

Young Art Collectors + Open Studios

The Cornelia Arts Building Open Studios last weekend was fun and we had a great crowd to see the art and enjoy the live music. Some of my cityscape paintings and mixed media prints found new homes too! Thanks to all who attended. I was also interviewed by Eva Voinigescu, a Medill School of Journalism Master of Science Candidate who has been working on an article about how young people collect art. It was an interesting interview and hopefully she got some good information. One thing I try to do is to price my art so that most anyone can afford it. Typically my work ranges from $100 - $1,500 (sometimes more). Sometimes I'll have a secret sale and you can walk away with something for under $25.

Studio Interview with Eva Voinigescu, a Medill School of Journalism Master of Science Candidate

The discussion made me think more about open studios and my goals and expectations. I always enjoy talking to people about my art making process which also helps me better understand art collectors and appreciators. Not everyone comes to buy art at the open studios and when they do it tends to be on the smaller/more affordable side. So, I've come to have lower sales expectations and view open studios as just a fun event/party where I can introduce my art to new people.

But more importantly, having people in my studio helps me better understand my own art and how it affects people. By directly interacting with the public, I have learned to explain my work more clearly. I've also learned that everyone interprets images differently. It's always exciting when someone points out something new or different about one of my own pieces and helps me see it in a new way.

This Weekend - Last Open Studios of 2013

Last Open Studios of 2013:

Cornelia Arts Building
Friday, November 22, 6-10pm
Saturday, November 23, 1-5pm

1800 W. Cornelia, Studio #201
Chicago, IL

Art on two floors, live music, and a food truck! I’m showing new cityscape and abstract paintings in Studio #201. Hope to see you!

There will be a secret sale of $10 mixed media screen prints and $40 photos will be happening in my studio!


Sunflower Slow Drag: Collaborative Painting, Simons & Swallow

A couple of weeks ago, I worked on a collaborative painting with fellow CAB artist, Scott Simons. We didn't discuss much about what we'd do, we just passed the painting back-and-forth until we decided it was finished. The following images show the process as the painting developed. It was passed between us about six to eight times.

Sunflower Slow Drag - Phase 1
By Scott Simons & Kevin Swallow
Mixed Media on Panel, 2013

Sunflower Slow Drag - Phase 2
By Scott Simons & Kevin Swallow
Mixed Media on Panel, 2013

Sunflower Slow Drag - Phase 3
By Scott Simons & Kevin Swallow
Mixed Media on Panel, 2013

Sunflower Slow Drag - Phase 4
By Scott Simons & Kevin Swallow
Mixed Media on Panel, 2013

Sunflower Slow Drag - Phase 5
By Scott Simons & Kevin Swallow
Mixed Media on Panel, 2013

 Sunflower Slow Drag, mixed media on panel, 24x48, 2013
By Scott Simons & Kevin Swallow

ARTIST STATEMENT:

"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. Both artists are influenced by architecture and draw their inspiration from the urban environment. 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. They will continue creating collaborative paintings and intend on having a two-man show in the future."

Open Studios - Friday October 4

The fall art season is in full swing so that means we're having another open studios night at the Cornelia Arts Building. Art on two floors, live music from the Minus One Quartet, and food truck The Tamale Spaceship will be in the parking lot.

Friday, October 4, 2013
6-10pm

Cornelia Arts Building
1800 W. Cornelia
Chicago, IL 60657

I'm in studio #201 and will be showing new paintings. I have also been working on a collaborative mixed media painting with Scott Simons. It will make its debut on Friday night in his studio #206-A.

Hope to see you!


Abstracts finished for open studios

I finished up the 5 abstracts that I've been working on the last couple weeks. They're all hung and ready for the open studios tomorrow night. Art on two floors, live music, and the Taquero Fusion food truck in the parking lot.

Here's a sneak peek at some of the work on display:





Cornelia Arts Building Open Studios
Friday, May 10, 6-10pm
1800 W. Cornelia, Studio #201
Chicago, IL 60657

Facebook Invite
Cornelia Website
Artslant Listing

Hope to see you!

Sneak Peek of New Paintings + Open Studios

Here's a sneak peek of some new paintings that I'm still working on but should be done for next week's open studio event. Still wet and the unique smell of oil paint wafts through the studio...





Cornelia Arts Building - May Open Studios
Friday, May 10th, 6pm-10pm
1800 W. Cornelia, Studio #201
Chicago, IL 60657

http://www.corneliaartsbuilding.com

Studio Updates

Due to extra busy life circumstances, I haven't blogged in exactly month to the day. It's been busy art-wise too -- a lot of current and upcoming art stuff happening...

  • Been having good meetings and webinars during the Klein Art Works course.
  • The artist Feedback Loop I'm in has been interesting and gets better each time I go.
  • My large-scale cityscape photographs should be installed soon at the Mile North Hotel as part of their hotel redesign.
  • I'll also have more large-scale photos going up this spring at the Hilton Suites new bar/lounge they are designing.
  • Had some good news about some national magazine press coverage I'll be part of -- more on that soon.
  • Been working on a new series of abstract paintings based mostly on objects from my studio:

Here's a video of me working on a painting recently in my studio: