Saturday, May 02, 2009

the start of something big


I'm happy with the looseness of this guy, but his head is a little small.


Cop head is overworked and to big



Kid needs to be darker







Here is the underpainting start of 32x48 painting based on various shots in NYC. I had just come for looking at galleries on 57th street and had just a few minutes to kill before the airport. I took a series of shots of people milling around near central park. Ideas coming together for paintings as I shot.
A multi- figure painting is an ambitious undertaking for quickie oriented me, the third of 3 big NY paintings I've started. Not having much finished to blog, I decide to take the risk of previewing this one hoping I'll have the steam to finish it.






after avoiding it all day I jumped in... gonna lengthen the Black dudes legs a little.


Here is a lesser plien air I did one morning many weeks ago just to keep my hand in. Walked to the park next to my house, the building is were the make Sierra Madre's Rose parade float. Don't love it, but wanted to blog feed.


Highlights from the CAC gold metal show

Jeremy

Tony Peters with his award winning entry

Me with my entry

Ray Roberts

Mian Situ


Dan Pinkham Gold Metal winner

23 Comments:

Blogger Billy Guffey said...

Little one looks good, Bill. But that big one looks tremendous so far. Can't wait for the finish.

1:39 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Even your less favs are always instructive: Tiny dot of red in the green tree; power pole right at the edge of the building running out of the plane, verticals and diagonals...

So, big ones brewing--I wondered. Don't forget to paint from your viscera, Wm. Keep being brutally present and direct; that's your power. Be you and eff ANYTHING else!! Will be interested to see them.

2:58 PM  
Blogger tonypetersart said...

Hey Bill,

Good start on the big piece, it'll be interesting to see you do "the big picture" as N.C. Wyeth called it.

Thanks for posting the show highlight pics... I thought I had more hair than that!

4:57 PM  
Blogger Stephen K said...

The Sparrow book of your work caught my eye at a comic book store. I had to have it.
I have been looking for an artist with a great feel for urban landscapes.
Very cool.
I'm glad you are keeping up with your blog. I have one and am trying to get some new paintings done to write about and hopefully sell at some off beat coffee shop.
Good luck on the new stuff, you are off to a great start with those.

6:48 PM  
Blogger Leslie Saeta said...

Love your ambitious start. I can't wait to see the finished product! I also really enjoyed your painting at the CAC Gold Medal Exhibition. I thought there were some surprises in the show. Some of the paintings utterly made me speechless!

8:12 AM  
Blogger william wray said...

Bill it's not easy I have to get energized every time I start as I'm putting high expectations on myself.

3:24 PM  
Blogger william wray said...

Laseta How do I post on your blog?

3:28 PM  
Blogger william wray said...

vivki Brutal is hard on a large scale. But I'll keep it in mind.

3:29 PM  
Blogger william wray said...

Tony you need to give rogain a better trial.

3:29 PM  
Blogger william wray said...

thatks Stephen-- start a bolg!

3:30 PM  
Blogger Mark Bridges said...

That Cop is coming along great. I can almost smell doughnuts. I thought that your paint handling and brush work were a stand out of the show.

3:38 PM  
Blogger Patrice said...

Nice group from the show - but I'm loving the policeman in uniform...

6:39 PM  
Blogger Kathy Weber said...

I really like the below-eye-level perspective of the big painting- did you shoot it holding your camera at your waist?

4:43 AM  
Blogger Sharlette White said...

This comment has been removed by the author.

8:24 AM  
Blogger Daniel Peci said...

I like the frog's perspective on your big painting's startups, makes us all feel really small.

3:21 PM  
Blogger Leslie Sealey said...

Wow, your big painting is very ambitious; it has a George Grosz feeling to it. I hope you'll post more "in progress" pics!

5:58 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Interesting to see the progress and the adjustment process.

11:03 PM  
Blogger Ágreda said...

Keep that head of the walking man small. It' a plus. Looks more interesting that way.

2:49 AM  
Blogger William K. Moore said...

Lots to see.. lots to admire - you always have this much fun?

1:37 PM  
Blogger william wray said...

Thanks Mark, Pat!

1:30 PM  
Blogger william wray said...

Kath--- I jsut held the camera low. I was sitting on a marble slab.

1:31 PM  
Blogger Joao said...

Hi Bill, what a great surprise to see the painting you took to CAC. Fantastic! :)

5:22 PM  
Blogger Judy said...

I like the small head, I think it adds to the exaggerated tall feeling. good loose work.

6:05 PM  

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