Catalina Pacific Concrete - Ruins Study 1

"Catalina Pacific Concrete - Ruins Study 1"
watercolor on paper, 2014
5¾"  x 7¾" (14.605cm x 19.685cm)
For sale at Daily Paintworks, CLICK HERE

I am on a little detour from working on seascapes so the next few posts will be of this continuing series.
As you will see I am trying out various approaches, from simpler and looser to tightly controlled. Some are rooted in art history tradition and may have that slightly romantic sentiment while others will have a more contemporary bent.

These 'Ruins' and the 'Demolition', first of it here, are both sub-series within my larger Catalina Pacific Concrete series.

The 'Ruins' focuses on the plant finally coming down. I have known for some time it would eventually happen so I kept an eye on it.
As I watched it slowly being razed I noticed the similarities between it and studies and paintings of ancient ruins from throughout art history.
I simply had to do these now. Strike while the iron is hot (sorry seascape lovers).

I will delve deep into this one and do larger versions in watercolor and in oil paint. For now I need to take a long deliberate look through studies.

In this first study I included the sign, light pole, fencing and the yellow arm of the excavator. I most often do this in my work, show some of the surrounding utilities, to lock it into the present.

My work is never a mere stylistic or subject rehashing of the past. Although some studies may focus in on the architecture in its ruined state, without the surrounding modern utilities and thus be a touch ambiguous, overall I want no confusion as to when and where it belongs. I live today so that is what I show.
I do however like the interplay of historical ruins artwork against my own contemporary versions.270