Mark Twain Hotel
Oil on wood 16x24
I'm going out of painting order with this post as I'm enjoying pushing toward a loose gritty impressionism and wanted to share. This is the Hotel Mark Twain off a side by Hollywood Boulevard. I've always remembered it being pink and thought what an ugly choice of color, now I've come full circle and have embraced the Pink.
Something about the combination of run down Hollywood sleaze, Mark Twain and Pink that make for and absurdly potent combination. I remember the Hotel from when I went to Hollywood as a child to visit the bookstores on Hollywood blvd and later as a young man to work out at the YMCA nearby.
I've had photo's of this place for years, but was finally steered into action by recent PA visit to Hollywood and a friendly sense of competition by my old painting pal Tony Peters who lately painted the same subject for his latest show.
posted by william wray at 12:24 PM
29 Comments:
Like the gritty, sleazyness you've captured Bill- Very atmospheric
Ryan
That is one fine looking hotel. I would spend the night there.
This is seriously delicious! Love those reds in the darks, and the 2 little windows at the top. Wonderful.
I love the feeling of movement in this one, and how you mix the broad, loose brushwork with use of the palette knife to add those straight, thin lines. Gives the painting a cool combination of texture.
Nice, yours has a much looser treatment than my version of the hotel. I like the broken color. The green sky is a nice touch.
I love the vintage hotel sign, plus the run-down fence.
Sweet! The brash pinks and green(s) work nicely off each other, and I love the lively brush marks. Bravo.
From modest city to metropolis they all seem to have an old hotel that`s fallen into disrepair or has been converted to apartments/ flop house. The interstate system is to blame, it made the nation accessible but left many behind. You`ve done a great job capturing this condition.
Apocalyptic...
can smell the spoons being heated up...
The painting is great, but your personal history with the piece brings something new to it.
Very cool,
Joe
Great stuff!
I absolutely admire your new grittiness! I am in awe at how you can paint 'despair' and make it look beautiful. Are your brushstrokes purposely controlled or do you freely and unexpectantly place your paint? (I hope this is an appropriate question)
Gorgeous color, I love it! Nice and loose.
Chris Bolmeier
The abstraction/representation combo is amazing. I love how patchy it is, especially around that fence, yet my eye pieces it all together. So much character in this painting, really great!
I'm not a big fan of pink buildings... but you may convert me yet!
Thanks Ryan-- I think it's rubbed off over the years.
Jessie --I think that can be arranged.
Jessie --I think that can be aranged.
thanks Tracy,
It funny how a little stroke or two "makes It" for some.
thaks Ed, I kind of over did the Knife lines at first then came back with a brush and knoced back the hardness of a lot of them. It's a fine line.. Heh heh...
Nice painting interesting crop
Hello! Just wanting to say how much I love your work- I really admire your use of color and ability to create atmosphere- and to let you know I'm putting a link to your blog on my painting a day blog ;)
thanks Tony-- I'm over blue skys.
thanks BG
Quite tasty, William.
This is great William. I love the strong brush work contrasting the underpainting that's showing through. And the variety of edges.
Holly crap Bill!! I love this. This has to be my favorite piece of yours I have seen. I like the way the dominant pink is echoed in the slightly offset letters of the sign.. nice touch. Powerful composition.
Found your work by accident while searching for info on the MARK TWAIN HOTEL. Very nice work. Your style really lends itself to the subject(s), particularly the MTH. You've captured the bleakness exactly. Nice work.
thanks Chris,
You can see it in prson at the Wendt Gallery in Laguna starting thursday. See my links.
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