New York skies

July 20 24x36 oil, copyright Erica Keener

A quick trip back to Manhattan for this one.  Actually, it was painted several weeks ago, but the paint is so thick it has taken a long time to dry.  It's been awhile since I've done any of my abstracted sky paintings, and this one didn't start out that way.  Based on a photo I took from the terrace of our hotel, I originally intended to include a building under construction.  It was a beautiful clear day and the clouds were reflecting in the windows and showing through the unfinished skeleton of the structure.  But as I started layering the blues, they just sort of took over.  Usually a two hour stretch at a time is enough for me - my back gets tired and I start to get bored - but this time I went for about 3 1/2 hours before I quit.  The paint just kept getting thicker until I was almost sculpting it.  Too bad I didn't think about using a palette knife - I'll have to try that next time.

Figuratively speaking...

One Minute Poses 18x24 charcoal, copyright 2010

It has been nearly 15 years (when I was in college) since I've done any figure drawing from a live model, so when the Preble County Art Center began offering Life Drawing I jumped at the chance.  Figure drawing was one of my favorite art classes and I've missed it, especially since it is rather difficult to draw one's own back!

I've gone twice now, and have made a few discoveries.  First, I am quite rusty and can definitely use the practice.  Second, I need to pay more attention to proportions - the heads tended to get too small.  Third, I really need to work on hands and feet - these are even more difficult for me than faces.  

On my Facebook page I've made an album of the drawings and plan on adding a couple of pieces each time I go to see how much progress has been made.   It should be an excellent opportunity to gain some experience.

That's how I roll

As I was recently contemplating a failed pastel of New York (aka a "wiper"), I had a bit of an epiphany about how I work.  I'm really not much of a planner.  I know this doesn't seem too revelatory to those who know me well, but bear with me.

After trips to New York City and out west, I was determined to do a series of paintings based on photos I had taken.  I gave it a lot of thought, went through photos, cropped them and played with images.  In other words, I spent a lot of time planning them out.  But looking back at all my paintings, these aren't the best ones.  The best ones are those that I had no idea I was going to paint until I stepped foot in my studio.  A few involved some minor planning - I did take the time to crop the photo of the brownstone, but it was only a few minutes before I started on the canvas.  And although I had considered the nautilus, it was an impulse the day I finally decided to paint it.

So, lesson learned.  I will have more paintings of the southwest and New York - when I feel like it, not when I think I have to.  Now if you will excuse me, I'm going to go paint...something.

Corner storefront

Corner Storefront 8x10 oil, copyright 2010

There seem to be a lot of these storefronts on the corners in New York, and it was the arched windows of this one that caught my eye.   The entire first floor of the building consisted of these arches, and the symetry of it intrigued me.  It is actually a rather ornate structure which I simplified quite a bit.  It is also faced with a pale colored stone block which made for a monochromatic painting.  I took a some artist license and converted it to brick for more color.  This painting was done quickly as I wanted to give it a sketchy feel, almost as if it was plein air.

A bit of the Upper West Side

Brownstone with Geraniums 8x10 oil, copyright 2010
SOLD!

The first couple of days in New York City my friends and I stayed on the Upper West Side, not too far from Central Park.  It's a pleasant neighborhood, and from what I experienced, it seems a little more laid back than areas closer to downtown.  The architecture of the buildings fascinated me - I'd love to take an architectural history tour of the area.  The steps of this particular brownstone caught my eye on the way back to the hotel after a picnic in the Park.

This one was an interesting challenge, as I had to spend a good bit of time sketching it in before I could begin painting.  The trick was to not get too detailed, especially since it is a rather small piece.  The nearly monochromatic palette added to the difficulty of trying to sort out those details.  In reality, the pots were the same brown as the building, but I thought making them pop a bit would add interest.  They also gave me an excuse for a little of that blue I love.

Central Park arch

Eagelvale Arch, Central Park  18x24 pastel, copyright 2010

As promised, this is the first of what I hope to be several pieces inspired by my trip to New York City.  This particular stone arch caught my eye as I was walking through the Park in the late afternoon.  The simplicity of the double archway and the quality of the light and shadow were what drew me in.  Once home I did a little research to find the name of this arch and found that it is the only double arch in the entire park; the right is a bridle path, the left is a walking path.

Turns out there are many stone and metal archways and bridges throughout the Park.  I also have picture of an unnamed "rustic" bridge that I intend to paint eventually.  Had I known all of these were such prominent  features of the Park I would have taken the time to wander through it a bit more.   But now I have something to look forward to for a future visit.

As a side note, after I started this one it struck me as a bit funny that of all the things I'd seen in New York, the first one I decide to paint is the scene that seemed the most like home.

A peek at Starry Night

This was the scene in the Museum of Modern Art in front of Starry Night.  It's a wonderful painting, and I was able to get closer when the crowd was thinner, but this sort of thing is standard at popular spots in New York City.  As a former museum person, I have some issues with heavily promoting an object, then not properly accommodating the crowds it draws.  As an artist, I was rather frustrated with not being able to take the time to look that this painting deserves.  Fortunately the museum has many other wonderful pieces (including another Van Gogh) that are easier to get close to.  In fact, one can get too close, as one of the guards pointed out to me (oops).

Despite the crowds and the 90°+ heat wave, I had a great time in New York.  Inspiration was to be found everywhere.  My biggest issue now is deciding where to start.  After a few days of going through pictures, I was finally able to narrow it down.  I painted a pastel today, but I'm going to let it sit for a day or two before I decide if it's done.  I'll post it after that.

By the way, the one photo of Starry Night that I was able to get came out blurry.  Most of the rest of my pictures turned out well, though.