One favorite place I visit often is the forest preserves off Thatcher Avenue in River Forest. Sometimes I will take photographs of landscapes that interest me. I came upon this scene of a frozen pond with such interesting geometric patterns of blue, I had to paint it.
I came upon this scene while traveling with my sister, Tamara, through Stephenson County. I was inspired to paint this landscape considering all of the U.S. farms that have gone out of existence.
It was an inspiring Inaugural celebration today. I am looking forward to change and also to the change in seasons, so I decided to post some floral paintings that remind me Spring is on its way.
I painted this scene from a photograph my son in law gave me on Christmas. This scene is of an old abandoned 17th century distillery that he came upon during his travels through Ireland. This particular spot was on the property of James Cleary, a gentleman farmer, with 80 head of dairy cows in Limerick, Ireland, county of Tipparary.
I painted this painting from a series of photographs my daughter, Nina, took while she attended DePaul University in Lincoln Park, Chicago. I found the desolation of the park very interesting, as well as the weather...almost meditative.
On the border of Illinois and Wisconsin, I came upon this scene while traveling with my sister. I couldn't get over the many textures and colors in this landscape, and created this piece as soon as I returned home.
A trip I took to Cantigny Park in Wheaton, Illinois last Summer inspired me to paint this scene. I have created more paintings of Cantigny Park, inspired by the colors and textures of the landscaped gardens. I am looking forward to visiting the park again in the Spring.
This painting is of Frank Lloyd Wright's Unity Temple in Oak Park. Living in Oak Park for the past 40 years, I constantly see and appreciate the architecture and history around me, but what was really inspiring about this scene was the tree itself - it was framing the temple with delicate branches that looked like lace, decorated by golden Autumn leaves.
A trip to Millenium Park in Chicago inspired this painting. It was purchased by the Berwyn Public Library in Berwyn, Illinois and is on permanent exhibition at the library. I am looking forward to future visits to the park when the weather gets warmer.
I prefer painting in the comfort of my studio in Oak Park, so while traveling through rural Illinois, I take photographs, make sketches and take notes that later assist me in my oil paintings.
Born in the Ukraine, I became a US citizen in 1957. After graduating from the American Academy of Art in Chicago, I studied at the Art Institute. My focus is landscapes in oil. Traveling through the Midwest, I take photographs, sketch and make notes that assist me back in my studio. My hope is that viewers will come away with the realization that there is beauty all around us in simple and ordinary scenes.