Down Town View

Late Fall Evening on Gilbert
28x22, oil on linen, 2009

This is my latest plein air painting. We finally had some decent weather where the temperature wasn't insanely cold. It was in the upper 40s on Friday, which I can handle. I have been admiring this view of downtown for a while. I see this effect everyday when I leave the studio to drive home. There are wonderful flat, atmospheric blues that glimmer off the skyline. I had to practically stand in the street for this, and the effect really only last for about 15 minutes, so I laid this in from a photograph and did all the color from memory. As expected the painting was missing a lot of the warm from the photo reference.
The photo also helped paint the cars. I wanted to put out cones to stop traffic so I could paint them from life, but there are apparently some laws against this. Fascists!

I also worked on a different canvas than usual. I thought I would try a rougher canvas, so I purchased the Claessens style 29. A super heavy weight linen that has a tight weave and rough texture, almost like burlap. It was different to work on, but if you paint thickly, you get some effects that almost feel like a pastel drawing.
It should be hanging in the window of Rottinghaus Gallery in Obrienville.

This also is a great example of how terrible I am at photographing my work. This is a terrible image. I need to take this to a professional.