Portrait of the Artist: George Klauba

Maybe it's because I too have had a lifelong connection with the sea that I'm fascinated by the work of my friend, George Klauba. George has completed a near decade long romance with a great whale. For as long as I've known George, he's painted his interpretations of Herman Melville's saga, Moby Dick in his intricate, dark style.


Portrait of George Klauba

I've been documenting George's paintings for his catalogs and exhibitions since beginning in the photography business in the 90's. He's actually the reason why I still own a view camera with which I make his 4x5 inch transparencies.



George, a former Navy sailor and tattoo artist lives in Chicago with his wife Judith and visits my studio every few months with some new paintings. I'm simply fascinated by the detail and narrative that he builds into his work. It's lonely yet alive and full of determination. So rich with that salty tradition, it has me craving New England clam chowder every time.



George's newest work Celestial Voyagers depicts the spirits of sailors who have been lost at sea. His work is represented by the Ann Nathan Gallery in Chicago.



All artworks © George Kaluba

Stopping The Moving Architects

It's been very busy in the studio this past week. Among a two day ad shoot, a couple editorial projects, and a pair of castings, I managed to shoot The Moving Architects.


Natalia Negron-Dancer

It was impressive to watch how these guys combine their bodies into shapes that both revealed characters and stories. Four hours of falling, leaping, and stomping left us with a formidable library of bodies frozen in movement.


Laura Vinci-Dancer

Free Ballet for Public Schools

I do much of my charitable giving each year through offering my time and services. Today I shot a dance class taught by the Joffrey Ballet at a Chicago public elementary school. The students are first and second graders who may never have experienced ballet before. With the help of private funding, this program is provided to the school at no cost to the students or families. Select students will be invited to continue their dance education at the Joffrey Academy of Dance.







I was asked to help document the class by Communties in Schools of Chicago who coordinates the partnerships between dozens of arts and enrichment organizations like the Joffrey Ballet with the public schools that lack arts education programs.








If education like this is meaningful to you and you are interested in how to support arts courses like this one, contact Communties in Schools of Chicago.

Improvisational impersonation of an anti-Imperial

It's not my rule to meet men at bars and bring them back to the studio, but rules are made to be broken. My new friend Aaron Alonzo agreed to let me make some portraits of him as a Latin American revolutionary. You know...for fun.



Aaron is a improv actor and can be seen in some funny videos with a group called Lady Parts.

Closed for Winter

I grew up on coastal New Hampshire next door to my father's seafood restaurant. His place was opened only seasonally and named, The Pirate's Cove Restaurant and Peg Leg Lounge. It was set directly on the beach with a heavy pirate theme, inside and out. On a recent visit back east I visited the tourist trap that is Hampton Beach, N.H., about 8 miles south, and encountered two related examples of this history of mine.

First is the only seasonal McDonald's in the country.

It's across the street from the beach and in the winter is barricaded from the lashing winds and sand that blow through this giant t-shirt stand.

The other is a block away, and hard to believe, I'd never noticed it before.

My Dad would have snatched this up and placed it in the center his parking lot, had he the chance.