From 2004 to 2011, I lived in an apartment at the corner of 24th Street and Western Avenue. I made a lot of paintings and drawings there including a series of large charcoal and ink interiors and window views. Seven or eight of these will be on display at Rootstock starting tonight. Though few people outside the neighborhood knew it, the area was was called the Heart of Chicago, so that’s what I’m calling the show. Rootstock is a really good restaurant so I hope you stop by over the next few months and check out the work. Even if the artwork doesn’t do it for you at least you’ll have had a good meal with some good wine! 

I’m dipping my toe back into the t-shirt racket. This pigpen illustration I did originally for a talk about Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle is one of the two designs currently available (the other is of a couple of dogs). You can buy them directly from Threadless in a variety of sizes. I got a couple for myself and they’re pretty nice shirts. I’ll add more designs if this goes alright.

My friend Mark commissioned a portrait of his wife for her 50th birthday. That reminded me I hadn’t done many portraits in the last few years (save for those of dog and cats), so I’m thinking of doing some more for an upcoming show this fall at a bar in Rogers Park. Unfortunately, for the moment, only a model of last resort is available. 

Lastly, I wrote about Werner Herzog’s new meditation on the internet for the Reader.