#99 - Lowry & Central NE

#99 - Lowry & Central NE
11x14 - oil on panel

Well, it's been a while, but here's number 99! ....almost done.
This alley caught my eye when we were up in NE Mpls. one late fall evening. I'm not sure
which business this is the back of, but the light was great. It was that time of evening
just past sunset and not fully dark.
This one will be hanging and available at The Coffee Shop NE Nov. 14th through Dec. 15th.
Number 100 will also be there, but you have to visit to see it before the everyone else....I'll share that one here in a couple weeks. The Coffee Shop NE will be featuring the alleys in what may likely be the last full grouping of the remaining alley paintings. Get yourself over there and check them out!

#98 - NE 12th Ave. & Lincoln St. NE

#98 - NE 12th Ave. & Lincoln St. NE - 11x14 - oil on panel

Another one of those somewhat rare gravel alleys that I found and
also another that has been on the to-do list for a long time.

#89 - NE 15th Ave & Washington St NE

#89 - NE 15th Ave. & Washington St. NE
18x24 oil on canvas
-
I haven't done one of these at this size in a while. I spent a little extra time
experimenting with it, trying a few things that I've picked up along
way doing smaller alla prima and plein air work.

#87 - N. 2nd St. & 22nd Ave. N.

#87 - N. 2nd St. & 22nd Ave. N.
8x10 oil on panel
-
Happy New Year.
It's been a while! Apologies to anyone following along.
I haven't given up - just had a very, very busy couple months.
The holidays and a pile of work kept me away from alleys for
Nov. & Dec. I had plans to finish the 100 up last year. Really, I did.
All the best laid plans...etc.
It's nice to get back to these.

#86 - North 16th Avenue & Irving Avenue North

100 Alleys #86 - North 16th Avenue & Irving Avenue North
12x9 acrylic and pencil on Strathmore Mixed Media paper

I've been revisiting limited color schemes again. I really like
the mood it gives depending on the group of colors.
And it's a reminder not to get too stuck in any one way of doing things.

Strathmore Mixed Media paper.....
I don't usually mention specific supplies, because who really cares...
but man I like that stuff!
This one does what I need, when I need to do it on paper.
/geek

#82 - 13th Ave. NE & NE 2nd St.

#82 - 13th Ave. NE & NE 2nd St.
7"x5" oil on panel

With less than twenty alleys left, I plan to try and push myself more toward simplification, design, and abstraction. More and more, I'm drawn toward mystery - things left unsaid. This alley was a great opportunity for that, with the back lighting and the big shapes. I left out all the little details and just let the paint do the work.

#61 - Quincy St. & 24th Ave. NE

#61 - Quincy St. & 24th Ave. NE
12" x 30" oil on canvas 05-31-2015

I've been limiting the palette again.
(reminder: click image for large view)

#59 - 13th Ave. & Buchanan St. NE

#59 - 13th Ave. & Buchanan St. NE
5" x 7" oil on panel - 04-01-2015

Up in Northeast Minneapolis there are still a handful of unpaved alleys.
If I recall, this one was gravel. I also found a few that are dirt.
These blocks are like a time machine.

#44 - Spring & Van Buren NE

#44 - Spring & Van Buren NE
18" x 36" oil on canvas.
(sold)

I've fallen behind on posting lately.  I've been so busy making
new ones that I forgot to keep up the main reason I'm doing
all these alleys....this blog!

I recently got to see this one again.
It always surprises me to look at a painting
after an extended time. I often think to myself,  "How did
that happen?!"  It's a nice feeling to get away from a picture,
forget about everything that went into it, and
just enjoy it as if it were new to me.