Some folks from the local library saw my show at the Art Center (Missing Your Face) and asked me if I might be interested in showing some work at their venue. I’m a huge fan of the library, so obviously I wanted to do that! Not masks, though; the library isn’t really set up to exhibit three dimensional artwork. The library would be a great place to show paintings, but all my old paintings are still in Chicago, so that meant I would have to paint some new ones.

I had painted a large portrait of my partner, Bill, in his Halloween costume. A crazy silver wizard. That was a starting point! The other sixteen paintings in this collection were created specifically for the library show, between February and October of 2022. Over the course of those months, various themes and connections emerged that made the whole experience very exciting for me and, I like to think, for people who went to see the show. Below, you’ll find photos and descriptions of each painting. But first, the original text announcing the show:

“In alternate dimensions, average homes, and sunny meadows, great stories are constantly unfolding all around us. For the first time, the best parts of those stories have been captured on canvas and slapped up on the walls for all the world to see - stories of wizards, and critters, and super spacemen. Study the clues, unlock their secrets and learn to live a life of drama and heroism! At the library!”