Healing Art

Swedish Covenant Hospital in Chicago is exhibiting their second annual Healing Art Show: Dreams of healing. This painting, recently finished, of my daughter was juried in. Although you can't tell, Sarah was wearing a cast from a broken arm at the time I took reference photos to paint from.
You can read more about the show at the Covenant Church's website where my painting was also featured.
Dreaming, oil on canvas, 18" x 24"

After Easter

This is a painting I did for the Covenant Companion magazine. It illustrates the story from John 21 of Jesus appearance to the disciples after the resurrection:

Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Tiberias. It happened this way: Simon Peter, Thomas (called Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. "I'm going out to fish," Simon Peter told them, and they said, "We'll go with you." So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.

He called out to them, "Friends, haven't you any fish?"

"No," they answered.

He said, "Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some." When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.

Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, "It is the Lord," he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards. When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.

Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish you have just caught."

Simon Peter climbed aboard and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." None of the disciples dared ask him, "Who are you?" They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came, took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead.

Something different

I've never been much for urban painting, just not a subject that excites me (all those man-made straight lines). But I know there are things to be admired in the city. Artists like William Wray and Stephen Magsig can point them out.

For the more than thirty years I've lived in the Chicago area, I've driven by the Stars Motel at Lincoln and Kedzie avenues an uncountable number of times. As far as I can remember, It's always been seedy, but the graphic designer in me has always liked the--now retro--sign. In preparation for gentrification, they tore down the building a year or two ago. They left the sign and with the economy the way it is, I don't think anything will be happening there for a while. But just in case, I stopped the other day to paint before the era has completely gone by. When was the last time a motel advertised having a Switchboard?


The Stars, oil, 12' x 9"

Back to Michigan

Enough Hawaii for a bit. here's a new Michigan painting from a location I've spent summer vacations at for more than forty years.
Ready to go, oil, 14" x 20" SOLD

North Kaanapali

I started this late one afternoon and had to stop when I lost my light. I took to much time with the drawing. I figured I'd come back the next day, but didn't get to it. So back at home it became more en studio then en plein air. It lost some of the freshness and spontaneity, but I'm not completely unhappy with it.
North Kaanapali afternoon, oil, 11" x 14"

Lots of palms

I just finished touching up this one from Maui. I painted it in a park on a very windy day. I lost my set-up once to a strong gust. Spent the rest of the time holding on to it.

I sometimes get into trouble painting in the sunlight (my oversized painting umbrella seemed like too much work to bring). That happened on this one. I painted it a bit dark and the palm trunks didn't read right against the big tree in the background. I worked on that a little during the touch up--as well as removing some of the dirt from the wind.

Through the palms, oil, 16" x 12"

Now showing

As a member of the Glenview Art League, I have the opportunity to exhibit in group shows around town. For the next couple of months I have paintings at the Bookmarket in the Glen Town Center. They have a nice kind of gallery/events/reading area adjacent to the bookstore. There are six of us who each have six to ten paintings. Stop by to see a nice little show.