The Jonicles

My brother has been trying to get me out to the Bay Area for Thanksgiving for years. He usually celebrates with some family friends of ours, but my ‘chef’ duties usually keep me close to home to cook for mom/dad, aunt/uncle & cousins. Fortunately, this year I was able to shed that duty and visit my brother, sister-in-law, and newborn niece Ava! Honestly, this was the first Thanksgiving in probably 10 years that I was not in charge of cooking the feast…and it was SO relaxing to just kick back, make a single dish (or two (note to self: blog about the Dungeness crab cakes we made)), watch some football, and not worry about drying out the turkey. We also did a brilliant thing by inviting a homeless man in for dinner…yet that’s another story.

Hands down, the most exciting thing about this trip was not the sunny 60+ degree weather, delicious food, or wine tasting in Sonoma…it was meeting my niece Ava for the first time. I definitely had a few restless nights in my brother’s apartment when she woke up screaming, but I wouldn’t trade that experience for anything. It certainly put a fresh perspective on my life, and I plan on being the best uncle ever! I noticed physical changes in her face from the time I arrived until the night I left. She also started to recognize me more towards the end of my trip because I could make her smile or laugh on queue!

I am proud to announce I am an uncle for the first time! My sister-in-law Cara gave birth to my niece today, Ava Margaret. She is a happy and healthy girl, weighing 8 pounds 4.1 ounces, and 20 inches tall. I am so happy for my brother Nick and his wife…they are going to be such awesome parents…and I plan on being the best uncle ever! Let the spoiling begin! I started by creating a painting especially for Ava’s room (seen below). This might look familiar to some, as its the inverse of a painting I made last year for another baby girl (my friends Chris & Kim’s daughter Lilyan), and it was also the image I used for my Christmas card last year.

Anyway, I can’t wait to meet her, and already booked a flight to the Bay Area for Thanksgiving.

Below is an image of both paintings side by side (Ava’s on the left, Lilyan’s on the right)

I participated in a group show this past weekend out in suburban Elgin, dubbed the Next Wave Salon. It was a juried show, and 3 winners would receive $1000. To increase our odds, 4 of my artist friends and I all submitted work, so one of us was bound to win!




UPDATE: My buddy Eric Gushee took home best of show and a thousand dollar prize! I will post pics of his fantastic installation soon.

With the new job and moving into my new apartment I have had little time to paint. Before I knew it, nearly 3 months had passed before I picked up a paint brush…definitely one of the longest streaks in recent memory. The jitters had grown into a frenzy…so I decided to let loose, and break in my rooftop ‘studio.’

My company flew me out to their New York HQ this week for an orientation, and put me up in a sweet hotel in the heart of Chelsea, overlooking the Empire State Building. I woke up each morning and walked 6 blocks south to the office, and spent the evening exploring Manhattan with fellow co-workers. I found myself hitting up as many art galleries as my schedule would allow. The first night in the big apple, I zipped through MoMA to see all the classics, as well as a mini Lee Bontecou retrospective: All Freedom in Every Sense…which included many of her innovative soot drawings. I particularly enjoyed the shadows underneath one of her untitled mobile sculptures (images below). I was also able to hit up a late-nite gallery opening in Brooklyn, and the Chelsea arts district for a hot minute and was happy to see a Lichtenstein expo at Gagosian. I love NY, this city is alive with energy.