40th SHOW !!! Argo Tea - Merchandise Mart - 222 W Merchandise Mart Plaza Suite 113, Chicago, IL - September - [current] 2015

Hey all I'm having a meet the artist day on December 4th from 5-9pm at Argo Tea in the mall! Come grab some t-shirts or a 4x4" image transfer glazed and glittered! 

There will be other artists and crafters there so if you have the time spend it over there at the merchandise mart on the 4th! You won't be disappointed! 

A view of the Merchandise Mart I took on a Chicago River taxi.

When the manager from Argo Tea at the Merchandise Mart contacted me and asked if I would display my art at their location, I felt like, damn... when am I ever going to find the time? I have 5 shows running concurrently... But the manager there was really accommodating with my schedule and offered to come in on a day when they were closed to allow me to set up. 

I respect the business's philosophy on supporting local artists. It's not an easy market, and a lot of times you have to mark up your paintings just to make a profit because certain places "support local artists", but if they make a sale, the store takes a percentage as commission. However, many artists feel they are being taken advantage of. The reasoning is, we don't know if any of our stuff will sell, based on a number of things: location, popularity, market, exposure. We are also supplying the shop with authentic, locally made visual Art / visual stimulation, to have on their walls, at not cost to them, for a period of time. Let's be honest, commission is just another way of saying "RENT"

But like T.I. says, "If it ain't about the money..."

But it's not really

I've found that people like buying Art, because it evokes a memory, or it represents something to them, or it is visually stimulating and they just gotta have it to look at all the time, it is a gift for someone, or maybe they like the urban design. I personally like the fact that you can see the paintings through glass, and they are super vibrant and the lines are really clean, but you cant physically touch it... because it is behind the glass. The glass also makes it shine, and on older windows, the glass has become wobbly so when you move the painting looks like it ripples as you move past it. I enjoy just looking at art, If I like it, I will look at it until I feel like it has really seeped into my subconscious on some level in the hopes that it will find its way out in some way, someday, through artistic exercise.

Since I've been at this art game for a few years, I've learned a lot and made a lot of mistakes, but overall I've found that most of the Chicago area coffee shops/cafes, salons, and some organizations are seriously excited about art. At first it was scary feeling like I wouldn't find a place in the "Art community" overwhelmed by so many amazing talents! But I had it in me to create, and as I matured, I did the opposite of my instincts, but with striking results! Anyone who watched Seinfeid would know this is called the "Costanza Principal". 

I looked for colors which earlier in my artistic journey I had concluded that in my opinion, BRIGHT, VIBRANT, OVER STIMULATING colors were for the "immature artist" who is just learning about bright, exciting colors. I believed that less complex hues were more "antique" or "aged" adding value, both in terms of color and money, to the painting. Oddly enough, somehow, I started using the brightest fluorescent primary colors I could find. And painted with them for at least 100 paintings. But life changes, and clumps together to form new ideas, new groups of artists, new styles, new this, new that, everything. I've made a few friends who are consistent artists, I follow them on facebook and Instagram. To me they are a reminder to keep going, keep thinking creatively. Because people need BRIGHT happy art everywhere in their lives. 

But enough about colors, for some reason I can talk about colors all day. The point is, go here! They have some really tasty tea options and they are super friendly, so go when you're in a good mood. I have some Chicago Flag type windows up right now, and I will be rotating them as quickly as they sell. Oh and this neat record player painting. 

Many thanks to Argo Tea!!! They said I might be asked to perform outside their Rush street location downtown, which is always fun. People love aerosol cans, kids and adults alike. So if that happens I'm gonna need some of you Hip-hop people to come out and break dance to some Jurassic 5, hahaha. If we're on the same level, you'd get that reference. And break out the cardboard boxes, or roll out the checkerboard linoleum floor and Boomboxes.

AAAAnyways, here are the pictures I took of the Merchandise Mart stuff... from what I understand this show will be moving fast, so if you see something you like message me right away and reserve one as I will probably be in the studio cutting up windows for a month or two.