Who knows why some artists are attracted to one subject more than another. Some paint wildlife exclusively while others paint mountain scenes. Some are interested in the human figure, while others are compelled to paint flowers. This painting causes me to wonder why I am so drawn to old, weathered, dilapidated waterfronts.
Maybe it's the work being done there. Or maybe it's the feeling of down to earth history. It could be the textures, the rough way of making a living. But the pull is strong.
In this painting of Water Street along the working waterfront in Apalachicola, the subject matter demanded lots of textures and an absence of strong colors. I used just a spot of rusty color to break up the grays and blacks of the warehouses. Study the underpainting by looking at the ladder and you'll see that I started with burnt sienna and faded to blue/gray. Then I painted the negative space to pop out the ladder.
The design is basically an upside down T. Lots of obliques give the feeling of some movement in a very static scene. Despite its deserted look, I wanted the painting to suggest that there is still life going on here.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment