Sierra Madre Carport 2
oil on wood 18x24
Here is another take on a Sierra Madre Carport. This is literal taking twenty steps forward (on another day) from the last Carport painting I did. I spent a little more time on the drawing on this one as the perspective and cars were pretty tricky. Consequently, I got a little more careful with the painting application. Its a bit tighter for me than most of my work lately, but it still like the feel of it. (Any roughness is from the surface gesso strokes) I tried to get the coating of dust on the trunk of the T- bird, I don't know it it comes off on the scan (or in person), but it was one of the big reasons it painted the scene. Odd what makes us inspired to do what we do...
I just found out that the Pinney House painting below won first palce in the show!
posted by william wray at 11:34 AM
43 Comments:
Another fine painting and your subject matter makes one look closer to things we usually miss. It is great the way you use the textures of the gesso. Something that I like about your work is the realism in combination with the abstract planes.
Looks like that T-Bird needs to be washed. ;-)
Congrats on winning first place! I guess we're all suckers for Victorian houses.
Kerri
wow! this is real nice. i love the green showing through the back window. nice colors, cool angle, sharp perspective! great work :)
Stefan-- thanks -- the gesso thing is something I've been doing very subtly for a time now. but when I saw the work of Matthew Alexander I decided to really go for it.
http://www.matthew-alexander.com/Site/home.html
He's a great painter in the Seago tridition who uses the effect very well.
The cars look very structurally sound--odd way to say it, but you know what I mean.
I thin kthe dust on the trunk thing turned out just fine--it looks like it was reflected a little off the back windshield as well. It also looks like you painted clutter in the back of the car on the right. Neat!
Really nice Bill. And it's interesting that the dust caught your eye.... One of the most inspiring paintings I've ever seen in real life was a study that N.C. Wyeth did of a dusty vase. He captured the dust so well, that i actually thought I was looking at a dusty painting, and not a painting of dust.
To top it off, some of the dust was wiped away, leaving room for one of the coolest representations of highlight / reflected light this side of the Brandywine River.
Anyway, you probably know the painting I'm talking about... I like it.
Thanks William, for the link. Alexanders Work is great and I am alway curious to find good painters. In a way it is sad that this tradition of outdoor painting is almost exctinct here Austria or Germany.
congrats on the first place !
awesome painting dude! love the T-bird - this one is probably already sold based on the gear head factor alone!
Congrats Bill! Well deserved!
I like how you pulled in on this one William. It does create those abstracted shapes that I love about your work. So what?... no more power sanders?
Congratulations about best of show. That is wonderful, and in your home town no less. Good going!
C. you are a card!
Kerri -- It was a small show. ;-)
thanks Ryan, I love when folks really look at the work.
Hey BG,
Like I said to Ryan I like when folks take the time to really look at the work. You are one of the most observant and I always learn something from your comments. Then after awhile I forget I heard it from you and become the insightful genius to my own work. ;-0
Hey U P,
Nice to hear from you. Funny you should bring up that N C Weyth painting that is one of my all time favorites. Maybe the first painting that made me want to do a still life or have goals beyond being the next Frazetta or Lyendecker. Seeing it in person was real treat. NC was the mightiest painter ever. Wasn't very good at stopping trains however.
The haunting stillness and contemplation of a Hopper. Irresistible.
I love love love those cars. Nice painting dude.
I haven't stopped in in a while and I've missed so much great work!! I really like the hotel painting and this one too. The dust looks perfect. Weren't you tempted to leave a message in it?
Congrats on the prize ... it always feels great to be recognized for good work.
I second Stefan...thanks for the link to Alexander's work. I think its inspiring.
Cheers... Andrew
Did I understand you when you said that the paintings are scanned? I've never gotten a good scan of an oil painting.
Great picture though. I'm impressed by the volume and consistent quality of your work.
For years I've use a variety of ways to create textures on a surface. Have you ever tried to roll on the gesso with a paint roller? Rockwell use rabbit skin glue. I think he pressed something against it and pulled it up to make the texture.
The Rockwell museum is just an hour north of me so I go up there often. They have regular shows of other illustrators: Pyle, Wyeth, Dunn, Remington, Parrish, etc. Pretty inspiring stuff.
stefan,
You can bring it back!
Miles-- A nice thought, but cars are not that easy of a sale for some reason.
thanks Dan!
You are on a roll lately! I think your color in this latest one is outstanding. You've managed to make the blue come forward, and the warm yellow areas recede...great stuff! Congrats on the first place, too. : )
I will! Promised!
I love this Painting William.
I love cars and all sort of vehicles and machines to draw, you made them very interesting to look at.
Hey Robin, yes still with the sander except they now get a big coat of gesso after the initial devastation.
Shelia-- Love Hopper-- If I ever hang in the same room with him I'll be happy. Even if I'm dead.
thanks Tony!
Hey Andrew,
I visited your blog and your you cafe interiors are inspiring as ever. Ours are so new and boring here. I sure live to live in Europe for a time.
I never knew a grungy old carport could look so amazing. I think the warm tones and the grungy dirt textures gives it grounding/history that makes you want to jump in and exlpore that world. Cool stuff!
i love the division of space in this one and the shapes. On first glance, i thought that was a shaft of light on the car, but could read as dust, too? is the dust in light?
congrats on the first place award!
Hey Tom,
I scan all my small painting right on my scanner. I work on linen board or wood which is a little easer to deal with then canvas . I also have a big scanner. The bigger paintings I take to a professional painting photographer (Artworks) who used to take pictures of my stuff, now I just have them digitally scan as I looks better doing it directly than getting a second generation scan from a photo negative.
I’ll have to try the paint roller thing, thanks for the tip.
I envy you access to the Rockwell museum , I’ve only been there once. I did hit the Brandywine many times when I lived back east.
Leslie,
Yeah usually warm comes forward, but there is a lot more cool in this one than you might notice on the first glance. It's a deceptive warming effect.:-)
The car port. You created a living world here ... the cars have become characters.. and they are on stage... performing. also congrats on the newest triumphs... certainly deserved.
thanks Stef, I know why you love cars, your drawings say it all.
Hands down , one of my faves of yours.
Hey Bill .. saw this one on the Wetcanvas. The back of the T-Bird is unbelievably good! nice job!
Thanks Jared that's why my cure for depression is taking pictures at sunset. Great light makes dirt look good.
Hey Ed, I'm going to say tentatively yes to your question it is dust on the car.
Wk always the poet... thatks!
Dom--
Very nice of you to say It's hard for me to know... but I tried hard.
Hey Michael,
thanks-- loving your paintings too.
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