Opening Friday, 30 April 2010
6:00p – 11:00p
Ugly Step Sister Art Gallery
1044 W Fulton Mkt.
Chicago, IL

The Art Trade is here in Chicago, and they want YOU to know it. Come on by the Ugly Step Sister Art Gallery and check out some beautiful works by a myriad of artists and visual masterminds. Check out more from The Art Trade at thearttrade.com and get a good idea for what I’m talking about.

I’ll have a huge diptych in the show as well as some smaller framed drawings.

It’s also Artropolis at the Merchandise Mart’s preview night on Friday. So go ahead, put on some nice threads, stop by the Ugly Step Sister Art Gallery and have a chat with me, then scuttle on down to the Art Fair on a free trolly! Sure, the show will be up for the whole month of May, but the party will be going down this Friday!

Here’s a vid by the peeps over at The Art Trade I’m their calendar boy for the month of May.

Okay. So I’ve done some things since. I’m trying to push that second figure back and pull Focus to the right side. The black glasses on the left are striking and I feel keep the composition rolling in that direction. That and the bright pink lips over there. So… I’m still working out what to do with the background. Some critique from a good painter friend of mine, David Bearon, suggested that I put some rusty orange in the background to pop out what used to be the blue of the left figures dress. Since that blue is gone, his opinion might change. I still think it could work, but am very open to your suggestions. Whatever it is, it needs to be something solid enough that it brings that left character a little more forward

Anywho, leave me some comments and let me know what you think.

February 24, 2010 at 12:44 pm

I’ve added some more depth to the hair, changed the dress colour of the figure on the right side of the canvas, darkened the shades and added a few subtle tweaks here and there. Still trying to wrap my head around what will happen with this paintings background. I have some other plans before I get there though.

February 23, 2010 at 2:27 pm

Here’s a piece I started at the BodElectric party on Oct. 3rd in Chicago. It’s been sitting around bugging me and being unfinished and acting snotty and talking behind my back, so I decided to attack it with some paint. I’m working on bringing this painting out from the ‘Live Painting’ sloppy-splashy realm and into the polished studio world. I like what’s going on with the foundation, and Miss Caldwell is an excellent model (I’ve got another set of photos of her and her pup-pup that I’m waiting to do something with), so I have high hopes for this piece. I will do my best to keep you updated with it’s progress.

I was recently interviewed by Steve Gray over at Artist Re-Source. Check it out here: Pete Nawara on Artist Re-Source.

I was featured today over on the Escape Into Life website. A great website with a lot of really great talent being shown off. I’m very honored to be placed up with the likes of them. Take a look!

I’ve been asked once again to participate in the ‘One Inspired Evening’ art auction to help end homelessness. This time, I’ve not only been asked to donate a piece, but also to preform a live painting at the event which will go on auction that night. Please, take a look at the event information and come on by. It’s for a good cause!

Here’s my latest live number that I banged out in 4 hours in the sweltering New York heat at the entrance to ‘The Highline’. It’s a 5 by 6 foot canvas that I covered with two portraits of Miss Emily Caldwell for the new Vio softdrink.

I was featured today (June 1st 2009) as artist of the day at brooklynartproject.com.

“Black Keys – Nashville” Painting Chosen as ARTDOXA Artwork of the Day.

The people over at ARTDOXA.com has chosen a painting of mine to be artwork of the day for April 20, 2009. Congratulations!

To see it on the cover today, go here: http://www.artdoxa.com

Artist Pete Nawara at work. Photo by Lauren Ruth / North by Northwestern.

Conversing with Chicago artist Pete Nawara
By Lauren C. Ruth

Artist Pete Nawara lives and works in Logan Square, which can be described as the next Wicker Park due to the rising numbers of artistically-inclined young residents (but it’s not too expensive…yet). In a typical Nawara piece, faces and clothing become colorful topographic maps — think Photoshop in your head. Now try painting that on the Rock.

Read the whole article