Images from the Art Institute of Chicago

This past weekend, I was privileged to spend a few days in the Windy City for work as our company attended the 60th Anniversary RainSoft Convention in Chicago!  After an opening night private party at the House of Blues, we spent a whirlwind 72 hours learning, networking and seeing as much as we could of the city.  A couple of the guys joined me during some down time to visit the Art Institute of Chicago before we left.  The four hours we had weren't enough to really scratch the surface of one of the largest collections of art in the country!  We had to use our maps and hit the highlights before visiting their current special exhibit, Magritte: The Mystery of the Ordinary- a journey through around 100 works of art from one of my favorite surrealists.  With dimly lit passageways, black walls and concentrated lighting, AIC created a haunting environment for the body of work.  In contrast to the low roar throughout the rest of the museum, Magritte's vibrant creations glowed in stunned silence as the crowd navigated the halls of the exhibit.  It was truly an experience I'll never forget.  Though this special exhibit is confined to my own memories due to a no-photography policy, I can however share with you some other images from throughout their collection... enjoy!

Jaw Dropping dOOdle

"Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and to remove all doubt."

-Abraham Lincoln

"Always do sober what you said you'd do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut."

-Ernest Hemingway

"We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak."

-Epictetus

KEEP QUIET and VISIT the dOOdle ARCHIVE!!!

Falling In Love All Over Again at Fall Creek Falls

My wife Aurora and I spent our 5th Wedding Anniversary in one of Tennessee's most breathtaking parks, Fall Creek Falls over the weekend.  We had a lakeside hotel room with a pleasant view and gave up plenty of sweat to the trails, hills and steps leading to their variety of water falls and scenic spots.  I love soaking up the nature since I live in the city now after growing up in such a rural area.  It was a much-needed and refreshing getaway.  Gazing out of the overlooks at the blue mists of the hills and the bottoms of waterfalls really gives you magnificent insight and perspective.  It's hard to take bad pictures of such enchanting sights but you do lose much of the depth perspective considering the misty atmosphere from the scattered showers all weekend.  Enjoy these postcard-worthy shots we got from the few hundred pictures collected over the weekend!

"Roma American Gothic" (A Preview of Tomato Art Fest this Weekend!)

Starting Friday, Art & Invention Gallery is hosting the opening of their annual Tomato Art Exhibit which coincides with the East Nashville tradition, the Tomato Art Fest!  For this year's exhibit, I created a parody of Grant Wood's "American Gothic," by recreating the contemporary classic with tomato-headed subjects!  This miniature 5in x 7in work will be on display with a slew of other tomato-inspired creations this weekend and all month long at the gallery.  This year you won't find me at the big festival though as I'll be celebrating my 5th Anniversary with my Ultimate Art Wife, Aurora!  Someone take a picture of the framed and finished work on the gallery wall for me!