More Urban Landscapes

I have been hopping back and forth between doing the Judge and painting this week. It was a good week, maybe the best post school with the new set-up and home. I finished these two paintings this week and have two more on the easel that I hope to finish by early next week.
I always have a camera with me thanks to my iPhone so I always find opportunities for paintings like the abandoned Water ice shop, which is a former Dairy Queen I saw on one of my midnight strolls. I have taken up to walking in the evenings to destress and stretch the legs after being in the studio all day.

Midnight Water Ice 9 x 12 Oil on Panel

I have taken to painting on panel of late and was just down at the Dick Blick in Center City and restocked on panels for the big push I have planed this summer painting wise. I still hope to get back to Plein air painting this coming week.

 

 I-95 11 x 14 Oil on panel

One of the things I do when driving around is snap pics with my iPhone and this painting based on a very dark and pretty blurry pic I took driving into Philly on I-95, but it had a great composition for a painting when I reviewed it.  There wasn't much detail and it was really dark as the camera was aimed towards the sun but often these snapshots will give me an idea or basis for a painting. So the color on this is made up since the picture had so little as well as detail. I have to say  one of the colors I have come to love is thalo green. It can really add something of a surprise color punch to a painting. Its such a strong color though it can overpower a painting too, like thalo blue. Just a touch can spark up a green though in a surprising way. Its a great way to add a vibrancy without adding white to chalk down the color. To me the biggest hurdle in a landscape is handling the color green--and the human eye can see more shade of green than any other color.

So often I see a great view to paint and its from some vantage point like the middle of the expressway or road where I could never set up to work. My solution then is to just shoot away with my iphone or even video the spot as i pass it and try screen grabs or freeze frames later.