"Gin & Jazz Afterglow"

 

I was at a fund-raising event for the Detroit Symphony Orchestra a few weeks ago. I noticed a couple of cocktails set out on a black tablecloth and I thought that would make a challenging subject for a painting. Sort of minimalist. I did this one on black multi-media paper and acrylics. I think it turned out okay!

"Daydream Nation"

 

This was a scene from the movie of the same title. 

I love doing watercolors from screen grabs. 

"Joe's Tulips"

 

My wife planted a bunch of tulip bulbs last fall. I must say, they really add a bit of sunshine to the garden in the Spring, when you really need a nice dose of color! This is a loose watercolor I did of them. 

"Hamtramck Bank"

 

Interesting reuse of an old bank building. This one has been converted into a mosque. 

"All-in-One"

 

Last one in the series. I think I've done just about every fruit and vegetable I can think ofFeel free to comment here or email me if you have any other ideas.

"Ornchess"

 

I had an aunt who had a bit of a Polish/Hamtramck accent. My brothers and I would get a kick out of the way she said "ornch-ess" and "peach-ess" for the two fruits and we had endless fun imitating her accent. So this one is dedicated to ChaCha Alice! 

"Darryl's Strawberries"

 

I loved the bright color of the fresh strawberries. 

"Chips Ahoy!"

 

Another in the series. This time some pickle chips take center stage! I took a photo of these in our local market. I think the manager of the store was a little mad at me. He came up to me a couple times and asked if I needed help finding anything. I finally felt guilty and bought a six-pack of pop. 

"Canned Laughter"

 

There's just something funny about sardines packed into a tiny can. I decided to do this one loose and in monochrome. I like the way it turned out. It's sort of in the same series I'm doing of fruits and vegetables in jars. Sort of. 

"Peachy Keen"

 

Third one in the series.

"In a Pickle"

 

Been having fun with this series. I've got a few more in the works. If anyone has any suggestions of what else to paint, feel free to email me. Thanks in advance!

"Cherry Baby"

 

I was staring at a painting I did of a jar of olives the other day and it dawned on me that canned veggies might make an interesting series of paintings. So I visited my local Krogers and took a bunch of reference photos. This is the first in the series. 

Fenkell-Freeland Bank

 

Went out a couple weeks ago and documented the last couple of streets with old banks in Detroit. 

I did this one in a slightly looser style. 

"Jefferson-Harding Lutheran"

 

Every time I go downtown, I pass by this handsome structure. I did a little digging and discovered it was built in 1927 and was the first English speaking Lutheran church in Detroit. It was recently purchased by the Great Lakes Clean Water organization and they'll be moving their headquarters from Alpena to this building when the renovation is complete.