PBS

A few paintings from a recent trip home. A bar in Bayview, an engine in Waukesha and KK in Bayview. I am good enough to paint whatever I want, the hard part is making it my own and me. I think I am going to do a series on just bars. I like the dirty artist element and the historical nature of some of these places. I like to go to a bar and get myself out of the painting world, talk to different people and learn something. I think one reason Katie and I are successful is that we don't have an ego that prohibits us from going into small town places and talking with people. Or big city places. People are people, even in my hometown. In a rare announcement from me: PBS has filmed Katie and I in our studios and it is set to air late this month. I just wanted to let you know that I was informed today that the segment Milwaukee Public Television Channel 10 (Milwaukee PBS) put together about the two of us, will air for the first time on Friday May 19 at 7:30 pm on Milwaukee Public Television Channel 10. It will be featured in a wonderful magazine program that is called “10thirtysix”. It will air again on Channel 10 on Sunday May 21 at 10:30 am, and on Monday May 22 11:30 pm. It will be made available at MilwaukeePBS.org a few days after the airing.

Life goes on

It is February,even my 92 year old grandma is getting restless. I am still painting away. Hopefully my role as an artist in this crazy world is to bring somebody joy.

Happy Holidays

Despite family tragedies, and a swirling politicized world this year was still pretty damn good for us. I want to thank everyone that has helped me achieve the success I have recieved. I would also like to thank those that have helped my wife get through a difficult year. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to one and all.

Especially Bleak Painting

This painting is titled The Cubs Win The World Series and Trump Gets Elected. I debate whether to express my opinions on politics, I am sure that most people don't want to hear them. But then again there are certain points in history when if you are not outspoken then you are part of the problem. This is one of those points. I wish it wasn't and it shouldn't be really. Compared to where our country was 8 years ago this is like heaven. I don't know how to communicate with a group of people that don't appreciate quality and wouldn't buy one of my paintings if it cost $20. Too many people in this country eat bad food, listen to bad music, dress bad, talk poorly, can't listen and support things that in the long run hurt us all. I am a smart talented person and I have to listen to these dopes virtually every day of my life. And I try to listen, and I will continue to try. But damnit is isn't right when one half of our country feels scared and oppressed by the actions of the other half. It is wrong to have one side of our country feel scared and oppressed. It is more wrong for one side of our country make the other side feel that way. To me that is un-American and represents the worst parts of our country that had slaves and destroyed Native American cultures. Life goes on and all I can do is hope and pray our "leaders" have common sense and try to think for all of us.

World Series

I turned 39 this week. Went to my Grandmothers house and painted the sunrise in the Beuna Vista Grasslands. Any artist who is worth a damn goes off on a bender and must experience the tenuousness of life. It makes the sunrises more potent. I listen to a lot of baseball when I paint. And I don't like the Cubs. This is an account from last night. I think all of these type of things end up in the long run helping me be a better artist..... Usually when there is that much hype and things come together for a potentially big moment, the moment passes and the build up wasn't worth it. Like pretty much every football game. The Cleveland/Chicago game 7 of the World Series was something I will never forget. Spectacular!!!! I was in one of the oldest bars in La Crosse WI. Drove my old car, but basically knew I was fucked when the odometer had the number 48908. Like 1908. The old front room with a tin ceiling was mainly Cleveland fans or anti-Cubs fans like me. The back room was Cubs fans. The place was electric and everyone was tense. Good natured and then just good and drunk. Everybody just seemed to have such a good time. When Cleveland tied it up the first time you knew this was going to be great. When Cleveland tied it up the second time, the game like went from really great to an all timer. A true classic. Then the fucking rain delay- which probably saved the Cub's ass. Everyone only drank more. It was overwhelming. Everyone was texting me and people I hadn't heard of in years were all excited. Then the victory. We brought in a bottle of this shit alcohol they drink in Chicago called Malort. Tastes like earwax and chemicals. 70 proof. The bartender gave free shots to all the Cubs fans. They lined em up and they had no idea what was coming. It was a great joke that we surely thought very funny. Katie said they all immediately chugged their beers to wash away the taste. Go Cubs Go was played on the jukebox. I even was nice enough to play We Are The Champions. I got plastered. Katie had to drive my car.I Puked in my yard. Puked in a bucket. Slept alone. It was awesome. Nothing like a great baseball game, and that was the greatest. A truly historical moment in our culture. I was glad to be an artist and not have a job to go to so I could absorb all of it. I don't even regret puking, which hasn't happened in years. I was glad to see baseball shine so brightly. Congratulations from the bottom of my heart. It was so awesome, I of all people, even enjoyed seeing the Cubs win the World Series.

Still painting like a lunatic

My life is crazy but somehow the paintings seem to be going absolutely fine. I don't get it. These two are at one of my favorite places above Coon Valley WI.

Back from the dead

My last two posts have been kinda brutal in regards to life things. Oddly I got quite a few less emails which wasn't bad considering the life situation. Which for now is good and it is back to being an overworked artist. I had my best show ever at the last show and then after months of pushing ourselves Katie and I crashed for a few days. I cleaned/listened to records and played guitar. A few days later I went out to draw and could barely do that. Drawing never hides anything. I went to my Grandmas last week in Wisconsin Rapids and painted. It was great, I even had a buddy join me on a couple. Going from the steep hills of Vernon County to the flatest part of the state is a mind bender but stimulating. And so is going back to places that I literally painted 16 years ago. When I graduated collage I lived with my Grandma for the summer and painted everyday until I left for grad school. I should have stayed in Rapids,anyways... The first painting is of a cranberry marsh I painted 16 years ago and I remember it being a breakthrough for me. I really enjoyed painting the boxcar, it looks much better than this crappy image of it. I think it fits into my themes of change and decay. The last one was sitting at the visitors sign at the Buena Vista Grasslands. Smelling all the native plants and the fresh rain was very memorable. I have said this before but I really am touched and grateful for people supporting to the level they do. I can't believe it is my life many days.It should also be noted that I am incredibly lucky to be 38 and be able to go to my Grandmas to work and relax. I feel completely loved by her.