Avenue 64
Oil 9x12. This is a conscious attempt top push for more radical design in my work. I was going to eat at a Chinese Restaurant after dropping off paintings to be photographed at Artworks in South Pasadena. I happened to notice the end of the street seemed to be an overlook. Walking over with my camera. I was greeted with a big view of a small funky neighborhood nestled between business and the freeway. The was a big wide street with only one car parked on it. While I cropped the shot I decided to see how little of the background I could put in and still get the same effect of one car on on big street on a slight hill. I hope I pulled it off. Below is a Russian painter I like doing a vaguely similar idea big simple background, small center of interest.
posted by william wray at 11:54 AM
15 Comments:
Awesome- I really love the street scene. Great composition- very succsseful. Reminds me of the compositions of Howard Pyle.
Mandrews out
Howard Pyle was one of the very best of all time. I can't walk in his shoes, but I would gladly let him wipe his boot mud onto my back. Perceptive of you to note his compositions, he combined old school painting mastery with modern design. The Modern element is a little harder to see. Same thing with N.C. Weyth, tons of modernism in his style. I think if he lived longer he would have ultimatly been accepted into the Modern art world. His work has certainly withstood the test of time.
that street is amazing. You make the simple/mundane look so great.
Hey Boris,
Thanks soon I'm going take the very complex and interesting and make it mundane. ;-)
I really like the simplistic peacefulness of the scene. I also like how peculiar things dominate the space of the painting, like the street. It seems like a good opportunity to portray natural lighting on the objects further back by comparison.
Really nice. The composition gives it both peace and tension that keeps the eye interested...
I like these. I think the other objects creating shadows need a somewhat equal say in the shadow department. The telephone poll has a real dark shadow but the parking meter and tree have very muted shadows.
Maybe the light is different but the very first thing you see is that telephone poll shadow and virtually nothing else.
Perhaps that's your intention and I'm missing the point. Wouldn't surprise me.
Just seems a little blaring, is all. But then again, I can't paint and I'm quite sure I don't know what you're attempting to do with this one. I like the color choices and the composition.
Good observations Dan, the telephone pole is close to and pointing to the car. That why it’s really dark at the point closest to the car, to draw your eye. In fact many elements are pointing to the car, that’s were I want you to look. The shape and edges my be a little to hard and lazy at the bottom of the pole shadow, such as life. Next time I’ll get it right.
You may be right Brother G. I my have lost a little atmosphere trying to make sure the car was the focus. We live and learn.
AW: Thanks. I was going for that effect, at least it worked for you. ;-)
Looking forward to that!
I love this street painting.... it worked, as planned. Reminds me of Thiebault. Nice variation on the texture/color of the street, and great little nuances about the neighborhood and the car. Very California.
Belinda
Wayne Thiebault eh? Now if I could just get a quarter million for a panting of three hotdogs. His work was recently pointed out to me, I do like his city paintings and hope go gain the confidence to distort and abstract as much as him. Thanks Belinda.
awesome...as usual.
Who would buy a painting of a bull
dozer? other than your friends or
family? Have you thought about
pretty pictures?
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