I love to paint scenes that lie behind the hustle and bustle of most city life. The Kinnickinnic River flows through the south side of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It has a history of being a nitty gritty area, full of heavy industry, small homes and the commerce provided by the River itself.
We used to shop for art supplies at a funky shop called Trade Winds very close to this spot. In general, the buildings there showed their years and gentrification hadn’t touched this part of the city.
Years ago I snapped a photo and yesterday I found it in my box of inspiration and I decided to paint a memory. In reality the old buildings pictured in my photograph were beige, white, grey and were remarkably dull. The photo greatly diminished what I had experienced and felt watching the activity of that riverfront.
I believe the job of the artist is to define the story they tell on their own terms. These simple shapes and colors are of my choice to celebrate a day near the river.
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