Usually I prefer to paint in the morning when the light is good and I'm feeling fresh, but yesterday was an unusually busy morning and it took me a good while to get into the studio. When I finally made it to my little work station, inspiration was questionable. Then I remembered that there was a new challenge offered at
Karin Jurick's Different Strokes Blog. Opening up the photo for the challenge brought a deep gulp to my throat--how was I going to capture all the frantic activity in
the photo? After staring at it for a while, I opened it in my picture viewer and flipped the photo upside down. With it upside down, I couldn't dwell on how I was going to paint cars or buildings or trees. I just painted shapes and colors. When I was just about finished filling the surface, I flipped the photo upright again to see how close I was to the
original photo. Surprisingly, though the results were a bit abstract, it did resemble the original. That's when I added a few telephone lines and called it good. Nothing like a good challenge to clear the head. Now I'm off to the studio again. Hope you have a very fine day.
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8x10, Abstract, Abstract Landscape, American, Art, Building, California, Challenge, City Street, Cityscape, Contemporary, Daily Painting, Different Strokes, Gessoed Hardboard, Landscape Painting, oil painting, Original, Original Oil Painting, Road, San Francisco, small format oil painting, small format painting, small oil painting, small painting, upside down painting
Today's painting took me on an imaginary trip to Paris where a photo of this bridge in the evening lights was taken and has since inspired my paintbrush to color a canvas. Abstract cityscapes are fun to paint, creating all those little blinking lights of the evening and the colorful reflections on the river.
Today's painting is an 8x10 abstract cityscape from the Different Strokes Challenge . My usual subjects don't often include paintings of cities or skylines, but I took it on anyway. Painting it upside down relieved some of the stress of trying to paint a subject that is out of my comfort zone. When it was just about finished, I flipped the photo upright again and did a last bit of touch up. The painting turned out a little abstract, but I like results. It was a good challenge. 
Usually I prefer to paint in the morning when the light is good and I'm feeling fresh, but yesterday was an unusually busy morning and it took me a good while to get into the studio. When I finally made it to my little work station, inspiration was questionable. Then I remembered that there was a new challenge offered at Karin Jurick's Different Strokes Blog. Opening up the photo for the challenge brought a deep gulp to my throat--how was I going to capture all the frantic activity in the photo? After staring at it for a while, I opened it in my picture viewer and flipped the photo upside down. With it upside down, I couldn't dwell on how I was going to paint cars or buildings or trees. I just painted shapes and colors. When I was just about finished filling the surface, I flipped the photo upright again to see how close I was to the original photo. Surprisingly, though the results were a bit abstract, it did resemble the original. That's when I added a few telephone lines and called it good. Nothing like a good challenge to clear the head. Now I'm off to the studio again. Hope you have a very fine day.
I have wanted to paint this famous Seattle cityscape for a long time--the Seattle Public Market. Not sure of the best approach, I chose a black gessoed panel to help me create this nocternal view. The lettering was the most challenging aspect, keeping it straight and making it appear florescent. It was a fun little painting to create. 
Here's my election week painting. After Tuesday, the endless advertisements will be gone, the squabbling will slow, the US will have a new president, and this little 5x7 inch oil painting will be almost dry. Have a wonderful week and vote on Tuesday. 
This little 5 x 7 painting is one I did while travelling--a little back alley at sunset. I'm fascinated by the odd shapes of pipes and fans and window on the sides of buildings. The collection of trash cans and the fading light of evening all drew my attention to this scene. The painting was completed on a 1/4-inch gessoed hardboard with artist grade acrylic paints. 
