3.1.13 "I'll Have Another" Wins 2012 Kentucky Derby

40" x 26" Acrylic on paper. He captured my attention last summer when he won the Derby and the Preakness but sustained an ankle injury that prevented him from a shot at the Triple Crown at Belmont. I'm working on a second painting of him beating Bodemeister at the Preakness. It's powerful. Stay tuned.

2.24.13 Sarah Kaiser

  Since the beginning of this year, I've shared a studio with Sarah at the Noyes Cultural Arts Center in Evanston, IL. She's a painter and teaches anatomy and figure drawing. I've been taking her anatomy drawing classes at the Evanston Art Center for several years. She also teaches at the American Academy of Art in Chicago.
  We share the studio with two, other artists--Mary Anne Brown and Annie Gaynor, both make jewelry.
   For me, working in a studio, free from the distractions of my house, has been wonderful. Down the hall is the Evanston Art Center Print Studio where I've been making etchings for a couple of years. I enjoy working in a creative environment, around other artists.
  Thank you, Sarah, for including me in your studio.

1.24.13 I'll Have Another

I'm starting a series of drawings and paintings of race horses b.c. I love the powerful elegance of their anatomy at full gallop combined with the bright silks on the jockeys. This sketch shows I'll Have Another beating the favorite, Bodemeister, in the 2012 Kentucky Derby, ridden by jockey Mario Gutierrez who also rode him to win the Preakness earlier in the season. Too bad they had to scratch for the Belmont Stakes, ending I'll Have Another's chance to win the Triple Crown b.c. of a tendon injury. However, it did end well for the three year old. He was sold for ten million dollars to stud at the Big Red Farm in Hakkaido, Japan. Not bad.

1.21.13 Old Ski Bums

I was enjoying a coffee and the warm late-morning sun yesterday at the Silver Lake Lodge in Deer Valley outside Park City, Utah. Lisa and I were out there for the Sundance Film Festival again. Well, she went to the films and I skied. These guys were at the next table. They'd been skiing earlier in the morning and were now enjoying some beer and swapping lies about how great their runs were and where they were headed on their next trips--mostly to Mexican beaches. They made good drawing subjects b.c. they didn't move much. Old guys. Love 'em.

1.11.13 "Two Blue Hens"

Ok, so there probably aren't any blue chickens. The color just seemed right with the red, yellow and green. I made this 4.5" x 4.5" etching then added watercolor to the dried print. My wife, Lisa, has been trying to get me to paint, draw or print chickens for years. I finally came around. Think I'll try a rooster next. Maybe purple?

12.22.12. Merry Christmas

Be nice and have a very merry Christmas and a safe and healthy new year.

11.27.12 Golf with Obama

Last night, I dreamed that I was playing golf with Barack Obama. Which is strange because I don't play golf. He told me the thing he misses most about Chicago is Chicago-style hot dogs.

11.22.12 Sadie

This is Sadie. She's a grande dame and has lived next door for many years. She belongs to Barbara & Frank. Yesterday was Barbara's birthday. She'd be mad at me if I told you her age. I made this watercolor for her. She's crazy about dogs and loves Sadie to pieces. Sadie is her child. Happy Birthday Barbara. And, Happy Thanksgiving to you and all my blog friends.

10.31.12 Hummingbirds

Hummingbirds, in Big Sur, California, were "getting drunk" on these purple blossoms according to our guide, Stephen Copeland, at Ventana Inn. I did notice that the little birds had to rest often on tree branches. First time I ever saw a Hummingbird stop humming.

10.24.12 Drawing Janet

My friend and anatomy drawing teacher, Sarah Kaiser, works with a wonderful figure model, Janet, at the American Academy of Art in Chicago. We've been drawing her at Sarah's studio in Evanston on Wednesday nights. Great poses. Janet is also an artist and teaches painting in Chicago.

Kyle Martin grew up on a farm in Reedsburg, WI and has become a very good painter. Any ideas how unlikely that is in a farming community? He has a very clear vision of what he wants to capture in his work. I met him a couple of years ago at a showing of his paintings in a shop in Reedsburg and have kept in contact with him. I've been out painting with him, too. Last weekend, Lisa and I bought one of his paintings of a pickup truck stuck in a snow bank in front of a house washed in sun light. He has a great eye! And, he's a very nice person. His blog is kyle-martin.blogspot.com.

8.17.12 Diane Hosfield

My mother-in law, Diane Hosfield, is the family seamstress. She's the go-to person for alterations and repairs. Here, she's making an adjustment on our Bulldog's harness.

Today, she and my father-in-law, Jim Hosfield, are landing in London to begin a two-weeklong tour of England. For octogenarians, they are healthy, very active and well-travelled.

8.5.12 Ruth with dogs

Ruth Loveless, Lisa's cousin from Carlinville, IL, came up to visit us at our lake house in La Valle, WI this weekend. The weather was perfect. As usual, we have plenty of dogs, including Rooster, Christopher's English Springer Spaniel.

8.1.12 John Brent

John Brent has worked at Jewel grocery store at the Plaza del Lago shopping center, Wilmette, IL for 21 years. I've known him most of that time. He's a cashier. More importantly, he's a good person.

7.14.12 Carolina Primrose Gladiola

We had our first good rain this afternoon. A real downpour. Afterwards, the sun reappeared and I went to the Botanic Garden to walk and take some photos. Lots of flowers blooming. And, green fruit--grapes, pears, apples. Wasn't too crowded for a Saturday. The rain probably chased them away.

7.7.12 LAX

Spent a couple of hours at LAX airport last night before taking the red-eye home to Chicago. I drove out to L.A. with my daughter, Kate, and her bulldog, Eden. Kate just moved to L.A.