So this is the roughed in version of the value stage of the painting. A blend of my warm primaries.
The end result. I tweaked a few things and tried to capture the city's spirit. This is the last piece in the Philly series of paintings for now. I need to explore new terrain...internal and external....
I'm working on multiple pieces of the Philadelphia area for a client. The more I study a theme the more I want to break it down. Shall tackle a different area next and do some small really torn down pieces for personal enjoyment....or torment....we shall see
A scene I see frequently but have never painted. Had to change it a bit to make a painting of it. I like November light a lot. The low sun angle keeps an interesting light all day.
I'm back to finding human form over old work. Again gesture in the form of dance appears. I don't dance! I do enjoy finding these entities that do. I could spend a lifetime on this subject........
I've concluded that I'm obsessed with this piece(it's the top one from the last post) and I've decided to share the deconstruction process that I'm embarking on currently. Keep in mind I see the steam from the Three mile Island nuclear cooling towers every day. I typically let a piece go if I don't like it. This thing won't let me alone. It's interesting the tree has been overtaken by power plant steam............ On a side note I'd like to thank Tony Moffitt for including my blog on his blog critique site. You can see the review here artistblogcritique
Yes I've been working. I'm struggling with arranging photos in the blog so I'll break down each piece individually. The theme of this post is "If a picture is worth a thousand words than 2 words are worth a thousand pictures". The two words are self discovery.
This 16"x20" started as a plein air piece. Got it home and started fiddling in the studio. I think I managed to keep the light but completely changed the composition. It reads as a Harrisburg scene but really is a collage of many local perspectives. I'm certain that in the end what we see matters little and what we want to convey is critical to the individual. (Google Jungian Individuation)
So this 8"x10" I did this evening. It's another backlit Harrisburg scene that I haven't touched in studio. It's from the same spot as the above piece almost. I'm trying to get some work in while there is a bit of color left in the foliage. Would I like to tweak this one? No
This 11"x14" was quite different on location. Too tight. A fellow artist said the original reminded him of Hopper. I suppose that was so. I tried to destroy any affiliation. Not because I don't like Hopper.
This piece was posted before. I added some egrets for composition and visual interest. I think it works well as a painting. The plein air work has a more noticeable feel and light.
This is an untouched plein air piece from a few days ago.The Rockville bridge is a local historical object. I think that it's the longest stone railroad bridge in the states.
I'm quite happy with this piece. It was done entirely en plein air. I heard a great interview with singer, songwriter, producer Joe Henry yesterday. When asked how he approaches writing he said basically he just sits down and starts writing having no idea where it's going. Much like writing a letter to his brother. As he starts writing the things he wants to say come to him. I feel the same way. Once paint hits canvas the dialogue begins. PS It's worth youtubing Joe Henry. Try the song Trampoline. Pause.... I haven't yet looked....
It's interesting. The more I challenge my own thoughts towards observation the more abstract the work becomes. I start to feel space and total disregard for what is actually there. At least literally. Doing plein air work I get an overwhelming feeling to catch light and apply basic things learned through study. Intuition is king.
I am an oil painter. I paint mostly from direct observation both indoors and out. I studied at the Art Students League Manhattan under Daniel Dickerson. In my work I strive to maintain a balance between abstraction and representation all the while keeping atmosphere most important. View my show schedule to see where I'll be exhibiting.
