Dinner Shift, 12 x 16 inches, oil on linen
This is a very good Italian restaurant in San Luis Obispo where a bunch of us had dinner together last year at San Luis Obispo Plein Air Festival. Next to the restaurant is the old Freemont Theatre. I stood across the street from it and took three afternoons to paint the old building with its marquis featuring "Gone With The Wind" and "Rocky Horror Picture Show". What a combination, huh?
I also did a sketch of the restaurant during the same week, but that turned out to be a dud. This painting is done in the studio from photo references and I took some liberties with the details.
I am also increasingly preoccupied with messing around with edge rules. I'm introducing sharp edges where conventional wisdom tells me to put soft ones, and vice versa. I'm finding this exercise really difficult, but eye-opening. Lots of scraping and re-working to try out different types of edges on each and every shape. Sometimes I stumble upon an unexpected note that I really like. "That shouldn't work." I say out loud, "...but it does." Just when I thought I'd figured something out, the complete opposite will assert itself as another truth. It's this kind of discovery that keeps me coming back for more. Time and again, I think, how boring painting would be if you could actually figure it all out.
I'm off to Lake Tahoe for a few days. I'm bringing my easel with me, but I'll be with my family so I don't know if I'll get any painting done. 'Hope so.
I also did a sketch of the restaurant during the same week, but that turned out to be a dud. This painting is done in the studio from photo references and I took some liberties with the details.
I am also increasingly preoccupied with messing around with edge rules. I'm introducing sharp edges where conventional wisdom tells me to put soft ones, and vice versa. I'm finding this exercise really difficult, but eye-opening. Lots of scraping and re-working to try out different types of edges on each and every shape. Sometimes I stumble upon an unexpected note that I really like. "That shouldn't work." I say out loud, "...but it does." Just when I thought I'd figured something out, the complete opposite will assert itself as another truth. It's this kind of discovery that keeps me coming back for more. Time and again, I think, how boring painting would be if you could actually figure it all out.
I'm off to Lake Tahoe for a few days. I'm bringing my easel with me, but I'll be with my family so I don't know if I'll get any painting done. 'Hope so.
4 comments:
what a joy to see this little painting...the light shaft on that gorgeous candy-pink(pink!)wall is the icing on the cake. Lovely job. I have to agree with you about the edge thing and how interesting it is to experiment like this...you're right it's what makes painting exciting; esploring these investigations. enjoy your trip Terry! hope you get some painting in.
Another lovely painting, as always. Everything looks so perfect about this one. In the past you have discussed a cityscape exhibition that you are goin to hold in August. I am so looking forward to knowing more about it. Ofcourse, sitting here in India, I can only see it online.
Best wishes for your show and a happy time on your vacation.
Vinayak
Thanks Sally~ It really is pink. I think that's probably what caught my eye in the first place. My paintings are usually so gray, it felt like I was stealing candy and getting away with it.
Vinayak - thanks very much! The big cityscape show is actually in November, in San Francisco. The one in August (in a week or so) will be a sort of a preview. Keep tuning in~ I have lots more city pieces to post before November :-)
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