Monday, August 27, 2012

North End Alley, Study", 11in x 14in, Oil on Canvas


This is a quick study for a larger painting that I plan to paint of the same subject. I hope to paint the larger piece 24in x 30in. The mood of this painting was inspired by a John Sloan painting "Pigeons". Sloan was part of the ashcan school - a group of painters who I greatly admire. The ashcan painters were great at capturing the gritty qualities of urban life. This is something I hope to emphasize in my own work. I initially intended to include some figures in this painting, but after deliberating and some good advice from my wife Brooke, I decided to leave it as is - with more of a sense of mystery or ambiguity. 

Thursday, August 23, 2012

"Afternoon Commute", 12in x 16in, Oil on Canvas


This is the second of a small series of urban studies I'm working on. With these studies I am trying to explore invented color palettes in hopes of conveying a specific mood - in this case late afternoon.