#74 - Girard Ave S. & 22nd St. W.

#74 - 22nd St. W. & Girard Ave S. 5x7oil (sold)

This one is in the Lowery Hill neighborhood. It was a great afternoon to be out painting. I was with my friend Jeff (Mister FatCat) a couple weeks ago and we found an old brick paved alley. I don't recall seeing many, if any, others like this. I know they're out there, but they're pretty rare. I think most were dug up or paved over a long time ago.

#73 - 42nd & Garfield Ave. S.

#73 - 42nd & Garfield Ave. S.
Ink on paper - digital color.

I spent a good portion of the summer occupied with illustration work much like this....drawn and inked on paper (heavy 100% cotton, this one) and then scanned and colored in Photoshop. It was a natural to just fit this in with what I was doing. This one was a request from a friend for a neighborhood event this month and since I've been behind again on posting (and making) new alley pictures - I jumped at an excuse too make a new one! This might even look good as a print....maybe silk screen....hmmmmm....

#72 - East 17th St. Near 3rd Ave. South

#72 - East 17th St. Near 3rd Ave. South
4"x4" oil on panel  (sold)

A small one from the Stevens Square neighborhood again.
The shadows were big and deep here on this particular afternoon.

#71 - E. 18th St & 2nd Ave. S.

#71 - E. 18th St & 2nd Ave. S
20" x 16"  oil on canvas

This is in the Stevens Square neighborhood.
There are quite a few good alleys here and I'd like to get back to do more in this area.

If anyone is still following along - thanks! I am trying to get these done at a faster pace. There's always something getting ahead of them. I hope this summer allows more opportunities to search out new alleys.

#70 - 44th and Grand Ave. South

#70 - 44th and Grand Ave. South
8x10, oil on panel.  (sold)

Friends Chris and Jen own the place at the front right end of this alley. There was a baby shower there for our daughters when we were expecting. We spent a lot of fun evenings in the back yard to the right of that garage...bbqs, playing music, etc. 

#69 - West Lake St. and Bryant Ave. S.

#69 - West Lake St. and Bryant Ave. S.
5x7, oil on panel

This is a view looking North. The Bryant Lake Bowl in on the left side.
I liked how the sketched in start was working and left it mostly intact. It seemed to fit the mood.

#68 - East 32nd & Columbus Avenue South

#68 - East 32nd & Columbus Avenue South
5" x 7" oil on panel.(sold)

This is a great, colorful alley on 32nd St. East. The green fence is the back end of the parking lot for Modern Times Cafe on the Chicago end of the block. It's a vegetarian restaurant that I'm surprised I haven't ever been to.

#67 - 23rd Ave. N. Near Lyndale Ave. N.

#67 - 23rd Ave. N. Near Lyndale Ave. N.
7"x12" acrylic on paper - 01-30-2016 (sold)

#66 - 39th & Thomas Ave. S.

#66 - 39th & Thomas Ave. S.
11"x14" oil on panel (sold)

I've always liked this alley. The orange sign says "dead end alley".
I drive by it once in a while and it always catches my eye.
This neighborhood (Linden Hills) has a lot of hills and valleys, making for some interesting alleys.

I'm at number 66 - two-thirds of the way!

#65 - 30th Ave. S. & E. Franklin Ave.

#65 - 30th Ave. S. & E. Franklin Ave.
9x12 acrylic on mixed media paper, 11-24-2015

#64 - 38th St. East & 38th Ave. South (North view)

#64 - 38th St. East & 38th Ave. South (North view)
8x10 oil on panel, 09-25-2015

#63 - West 39th & Sheridan Ave. S.

#63 - West 39th & Sheridan Ave. S.
9"x12" oil on panel - 09-23-2015  (sold)

A new alley!! It's been a while again.
I'm still trying more limited and neutral palette variations on these.

#62 - 33rd & Ulysses St. NE

#62 - 33rd & Ulysses St. NE - 073115
2.75" x 4.75" gouache on watercolor paper (Moleskine sketchbook)

I've been caught up with so many other things that this project has slowed to a crawl.  
I had an opportunity to do this one while I was in NE Minneapolis. There was a nice view from a park across the street looking down this alley. As this continues, I really want to do more on site like this.

#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)

extras....

Here's one of those "why not..." things.
I gathered up all the paint after I was done working one evening and piled it on a piece of scrap paper. I couldn't toss the paint, so I did this with the muddy paint pile.
I keep it around to remind me to stay loose, not worry about details or "doing it right" (whatever that means).

-1st St & 2nd Ave N - 10-03-2014 6"x6" oil