kencrocker

Chicago Commission

This is a commission I did for a friend whose daughter lives in Chicago near Wrigley Field. I took pictures of the house on the first nice day last April, before everything had grown out. I would have done an oil sketch on the spot, but this was a surprise Christmas gift and I heard… Continue reading Chicago Commission

Olbrich Park

I live right over the hill from Olbrich Park and often walk my dog to the top of the sledding hill (actually the top of a big tank that holds our drinking water) to see how the morning looks across to the east.

More New Pictures

More pictures from the October show:

Show a Success

The October show at EVP was great. A lot of friends came to the opening. I’m very grateful to those who bought pictures. Here are a couple of the pictures that are still available. Write me if you’re interested.

3d Annual Show at EVP Coffee

This year will be the third annual show of painting at EVP Coffee East. Like last year, we’ll have an opening (“catered” by my lovely wife Lesley) on the night of MMOCA’s fall art walk. I’ll have more details later.

Crossing the Cortland St. Bridge

On my weekly trips to Chicago Life Drawing class, I sometimes get off the Metra at the Clybourn stop and walk east across the Cortland St. bridge. The river is a lot narrower here than downtown, so it’s a small bridge on the east are several foundries and scrap yards, and sometimes on the river… Continue reading Crossing the Cortland St. Bridge

Rainy Day

This was a rainy day on Butler Street early this spring. I painted from my car, and after sitting there for an hour got the usual looks from people: “What’s he doing there?” Makes me feel like I’m Sam Spade on a stakeout, or Jack Nicholson in “Chinatown.”

Metra South

Here’s a picture I put in the Urban Painting Show at the Palette and Chisel that’s going on this weekend. It’s 11×14 inches and was painted in the studio from a small sketch I did late last fall outdoors on the platform of the Metra South Station. I used my camera phone to capture the… Continue reading Metra South

New look

And it’s time for a new look, so I changed the overall look of the site.

Bringing things up to date

It’s been a long but fruitful year of life drawing at the Palette and Chisel. I felt it was time to go back to basics and really learn how to draw. And I can already see that it’s made a difference in my paintings. I’ve found that I really enjoy drawing. Once I get going,… Continue reading Bringing things up to date