Greetings and welcome to my website.
I am a lifelong (b. 1975) visual artist and instructor based in the Chicago area. I primarily work with oils on canvas and enjoy painting imagery based on the figure and local environments. Sometimes I refer to my work as 'magic realism' and in most of the imagery I strive to emulate a dreamy snapshot frozen in time. My exhibition history is pretty extensive and I'd be happy to send a PDF upon request.
Anyone with a laser/inkjet printer can make a print of an artists work and copyright issues have gotten very complex. I could slap some watermarks on every single image I post online, but that would be time-consuming and annoying. We live in an increasingly disposable society, desensitized by the barrage of ephemeral digital images we mindlessly scroll through. I make cyanotype prints as a way to create affordable, tangible and unique "hardcopies" of my paintings. It's basically the same technique that architects used in the past to make blueprints. Cyanotypes are archival and therefore will last many generations if properly cared for. They radiate a very beautiful antique photo quality and look great in a simple glass frame.
Recently, I've been dabbling in jewlery making, however, I am by no means a professional bench jeweler! All of my jewelry is handmade using authentic materials. The raw stones are individually selected and cut by myself. If it makes any difference, I currently working toward a degree in geoscience and I've earned several diamond and jewelry grading certifications. There are many misconceptions and many significant changes in the jewelry industry. The rise of lab grown diamonds and synthetic-everything has warped the public's trust. I don't really understand the appeal of a flawless lab grown stone that anyone can buy at the mall. In my opinion, there is much greater aesthetic appeal in the natural crystal genesis replete with imperfections and impurities, formed over millions of years deep under the surface and its subsequent exhumation and discovery are indeed more fascinating and beautiful.
Recently, I've been dabbling in jewlery making, however, I am by no means a professional bench jeweler! All of my jewelry is handmade using authentic materials. The raw stones are individually selected and cut by myself. If it makes any difference, I currently working toward a degree in geoscience and I've earned several diamond and jewelry grading certifications. There are many misconceptions and many significant changes in the jewelry industry. The rise of lab grown diamonds and synthetic-everything has warped the public's trust. I don't really understand the appeal of a flawless lab grown stone that anyone can buy at the mall. In my opinion, there is much greater aesthetic appeal in the natural crystal genesis replete with imperfections and impurities, formed over millions of years deep under the surface and its subsequent exhumation and discovery are indeed more fascinating and beautiful.
I teach introductory painting with acrylics and cyanotype workshops at Art City, 1400 N. Halsted, Chicago. Sign up for a class!
Select paintings are showcased on an ongoing basis at The Golden Triangle, 2035 W. Grand Ave, Chicago. This is a beautiful showroom offering Asian and European antiques, furnishings and contemporary art.
Please feel free to send me a message if you have any questions! Sign up for my email list on my contact page (I promise you won't be spammed, I rarely send emails these days), or find me on IG @andrew.ek
Thanks for visiting.