“Neon Lightning Storm”

Oil paint and neon glass on wood

49” x 72”

2019

In 2019, I took a class on how to make neon, something new outside my comfort zone as a realism oil painter. The class was extremely challenging, I would break the neon glass or melt it beyond repair and have to start over. At the end of the class I had to make a final project using my new neon skills. I wanted a way to incorporate my painting practice with the neon piece and thus resulted in this lightning piece. At the time I was infatuated with painting dramatic gray stormy skies. Adding the lightning that could actually light up was a symbiotic marriage of the two mediums. This may be my most ambitious piece to date, and I’d be so happy to share it with someone who loves it like I do.

Materials

This painting is done on MDF wood that is 1/2 an inch thick, 49 inches (about 4 feet) tall and 72 inches (6 feet) long. I painted the dramatic storm clouds in my preferred medium, oils. The lighting is neon glass attached to the wood panel with specialty neon mounts and wired through to the back of the painting. I bent the neon glass by hand myself with the help of a class I attended in college at The school of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2019. The neon lightning is actually filled with krypton gas- not neon, to produce a white light. To turn on the light, the painting does need to be plugged into an outlet, but the wires are interchangeable so I can adjust the length to reach an outlet farther away. Once plugged in the neon transformer (basically a power pack to convert the electricity) has a standard on/off switch. Neon lights are a antiquated art medium, traditionally used for outdoor signage, and known for their incomparable brightness. The LED signs seen today simply do not compare in terms of the beautiful neon glow. Neon is expected to last 50 years lit-up daily before burning out, even longer when kept indoors and not lit-up continually. My lightning neon will likely last a life-time without needing replacement, however the lighting pieces are removable if needed.

Delivery and installation needs

This piece is very large, heavy and fragile, thus requiring some specific installation. The painting is supported by wood french cleats on the back of the painting. These cleats will need to be screwed into a stud in your wall to bear the weight of this large piece securely. I don’t have the exact weight of this piece but my estimate is 40 to 50 lbs. With the neon glass, this piece is too fragile to ship and so I will offer delivery personally seeing that this piece is properly handled in transit. Because of these limitations, I am only able to deliver, and consequently sell, this one-of-a-kind piece to a collector local to me. I am based in Chicago so potential collectors must also be in the Chicago area or surrounding areas. I may be able to expand the location to states surrounding Illinois as well, within a day’s drive. Along with delivery I will include installation from myself and my team of art installers who can hang the piece in your home/ business/ etc securely and wire the neon correctly. The delivery and installation is reflected in the cost of the piece overall.

The making of this piece

This is by-far my most unique painting. It is my only painting incorporating neon light to this day, and may likely be the only neon art I ever produce making this piece extremely rare. I currently do not have access to the same tools in order to make neon and do not know that I will ever get back into making neon again although it is stunning. I was able to produce this piece thanks to facilities offered at my school, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

How I made the neon:

Neon glass is made by bending glass tubes into the desired shape. I heat the glass tube over a flaming torch to the melting point of the glass and bend quickly at a precise moment. To see examples of how neon is made view videos here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9maiMNt259w

Due to the rarity of this piece, the complicated process of making it, and it’s show-stopping size, the price is reflected accordingly (see below).