Foggy Busses
oil on linen 8x10
While walking around the San Francisco bay bridge I wandered into a huge city parking lot where all the busses were out except these three. It was getting dark and the fog came in obscuring the bay behind the busses. Only in the big cities do you find land by the water used for parting lots. Somehow I found the little group compelling. I did this little study and may do a bigger version soon. I had a heck of a time scanning this one, dosen't quite do it justice.
posted by william wray at 10:47 AM
29 Comments:
Hi Will.. I like the scale of the busi compared to the ambient fog. 3 characters hunkered down - protecting themselves from the elements and what lies just within. I was in SF back in the 70s when they had fog like this pretty regular. I had about 20 bucks left to my name at one point - but when you are in your 20s and tough and have a beautiful city.. lack of bread is only a detail.
I like the little warmer complements you snuck into the fog. I didn't notice them right off the bat.
Knowing exactly where this is, I can feel the fog on my skin. Barely see through it the civilization beyond. Can hear the fog horns too. Worked for a design firm right next to the ferry building. Miss it... a lot.
(somehow this didn't get added)
You are definitely capturing the late night side of The City.
Great stuff William.
Scanning oils and acrylics can be a pain. Nice work as usual.
Elegent man.
It's very fortuitous that you were able to find some fog in a place like San Francisco. All the good fog is in Oregon nowadays. What with all that global warming n all that i been reading about on this here internet thing. But at least you've captured something beautiful here so future generation can look back on days gone by when people had stuff to paint other than scorched earth and hordes of mutant zombie armadillos.
The fog rolled in like a blanket-- there was one point were I was running to get the angle I wanted on a giant cargo ship. I just got to the spot I wanted , brought my camera to my eye and it went into the fog.
BG You can see it a little better on the original. There is a warm underpainting. that's why it was so hard to scan the scanner eye was confused.
Robin--I noticed that place when I was walking around. I had a definite thought pass thru my mind about how it would be a cool place to work. Nice little bar there too.
thanks C. Usually It's not a big problem this one baffled me.
thanks Shane,
High praise come for one of the most elegant cartoonists around. Love to work with you sometime.
What kind of scanner and camera do you use?
You really give me the envy to paint, I really enjoy your work William, more and more.
I was in San Francisco last month, I love this city, amazing place to sketch around and paint, I love the abstract pattern of all the cables, poles, the streets going up and down.
All the best William!
Bill (or William), just stumbled upon this blog.
I knew you painted and stuff, but this is just real cool. Like, stuff I wouldn't expect you to do. I'm more used to the R&S stuff, and to a smaller extent the Monroe comics when I was a youngen.
Great work. Do you get yr stuff into galleries or get em sold?
I'm just reading the expanded version of "The Stand" again and all three of these latest could fit somewhere in that book. Besides good composiion,paint application' color, your paintings evoke alot of emotion and take the viewer in suspenseful directions.
Bill.. this is nice! Very moody yet has a warm feel about it. I like your grouping of the vans.
Erich,
San Francisco without fog? Now that would be amazing. That would be like Moro Bay without fog. Amazing.
C- I have a Epsom 836 sl that is great 95% of the time. My camera isok I just need lights set up right.
Stef,
Your accomplished enough of an artist. You would pick up oils pretty fast. A good transition medium is starting out with gouache. Try them right over your pencil or pen and inks. A samller investment and you can put a travel kit together in a thumb box.
Very, very nice!!!
Ecto-- Have a look at my top links... I'm in the first 4 galleries.
Thanks Robin the Stand is my favorite SK Book. I don't think he ever came clsoe to something that good again.
thanks Michael-- I am doing to do a larger version of this , but I think a differen't comp.
For small pieces (9x12 or smaller) I use a flat-bed scanner (Casio Lindi). The images are perfect.
Ed I'm happy with mine, it's just every 100 paintings or so one just won't scan right.
When I was in College I was a huge Whistler fan. This scene reminds me of his work, as does your other night paintings. Makes me want to pull out my Oils...
Hey BC3,
Love Whistler. Nice of you to say---
Amazing work. And I am from SF. Captured the feel perfectly.
Post a Comment
<< Home