Church in Rain

"10th Street Rain (Church)"
watercolor on paper, 2013
6" x 9" (15.24cm x 22.86cm)
For Sale at Daily Paintworks, CLICK HERE
Direct link to painting here

We had our first real rain of fall this week so I thought I would paint a rain scene.
Will this (churches) be a series? I don't know yet.

I have done plenty of rain paintings. Click the RAIN label to see more.

There are tons of paintings of churches in this world. If I can find something to say it might turn into a series. I'll have to give it some thought. For now I just liked the rain motif and the shadow crawling up the side of the church.

I painted this as a continuation of a looser or more painterly approach in watercolor. Not as much pre-drawing, instead finding the image in paint. I like working this way from time to time since it is freer and I learn different 'ways of the watercolor' and what you can do with it. Even when it looks like it's failing I find I can recover it much of the time.

Watercolor has a reputation for being so final and though that is true much of the time when I do reach a point of "oh damn, your'e headed for the shredder", as I did on this one, sometimes I will hang in there figuring if it's ruined anyway I can't make it any worse so throw down paint and see what happens. This is when I lose a little more of that inherent fear of watercolor, lay it down right or it's ruined.

I should say really working the watercolor this way means a high-density paint application and I like that too. It is not the vibrant thin washes typical of a lot of watercolors. Thats OK, sometimes a heavy-handed approach serves the subject better.
Hey, maybe that is my first thought for a church series?249

Others in this dense approach here, here, here(UP 8381) and here(San Pedro Plant).

This is another adjusted image due to the Blogger image upload problems I have been having sporadically lately. The better image is on DAILYPAINTWORKS.

**I have updated this post with a 'fixed' photo. This is how it should have looked in the first place.

Vincent Thomas Bridge #16 - Part 2 - The Painting

"Vincent Thomas Bridge #16 (Tribute)"

oil on panel, 2013

18" x 24" (45.72cm x 60.96cm)

commissioned, private collection

Part 2 of 2:
This covers the challenges and decisions needed to arrive at the finish.
Challenges I faced to meet the clients and my own wants and the artistic decisions I had to make to still finish with a successful painting.
It was a balancing act

I knew at the outset the bright light blue sky was going to be an issue, and I was a little worried about that, if I was to show the green as iridescent and bright. A bright and light blue sky would compete with it yet the bridge tower was more important.
Although the client wanted a bright sunny day I had to darken the blue sky somewhat in order to get the tower to appear bright. These are the artistic decisions that must be made while still fulfilling the wants of the client.

I also knew from seeing the bridge everyday that , from this view, the sun comes from the south, or to the right in the painting, and puts the towers (their faces) in shadow for most of the day and I would need the afternoon light to showcase them.

As I said in Part 1 I was concerned that a wide panoramic view would be weak or watered down thus losing the ability to present the bridge as powerful and strong so I decided to crop in as close as possible while still leaving some air around it to breath.

Another challenge was getting some warms tones into the painting. With so much blue sky and green bridge, early on it was apparent I was going to end up with a predominantly cool toned painting which I felt would work against its personal story. Even with a warm afternoon light on the concrete bents (archways or piers) there was not much surface area to apply the warms.

Adding the marine layer catching the sun solved the warm to cool ratio problem. I now had more surface area of painting for warms tones. And since the marine layer generally hugs the ground I was able to save the blue sky.

Because of the personal story behind the painting I wanted the San Pedro tower slightly more prominent so that meant downplaying the other somehow but still have the lighting make sense.

Decisions to make predominant the San Pedro tower:

Besides the warm vs cool problem the atmospheric conditions of the marine layer helped solve two other problems or challenges: it let me soften the background and far tower (to down play it) and gave me the benefit of spacial depth or perspective.
It took some time to figure that out. I let the painting sit for a few days, contemplating so I would not ruin the third attempt. Remember, I was thinking blue sky, as the client wanted, and although many of my paintings feature the marine layer I wasn't considering any of that in this one.
I was happy with this realization since adding it served triple duty.

I then decided to 'turn down' the light on the far tower just a bit which also worked toward the goal of making the important tower more prominent. Now it glowed a little more than the other.

At this point there was a lot going on in the foreground and it was detracting from the tower and the story so I let the painting sit while I worked on other projects and kicked it around in my head.
I revisited the bridge over the next few days at different times of day to figure out what I was missing.

The bridge, the one in the painting was a little weak, it needed some weight thrown into it.

Darken the foreground and soften the foreground edges with a shadow from Palos Verdes creeping up from the bottom. That is what happens late in the day.
That epiphany made the bridge, up to the near tower, more important and gave the bridge something of substance to sit on as well as firmly anchor it to the right corner. I like the way it launches from the right corner
It also gave it that needed (visual) weight and supported the back story of the bridges' history; firmly secured in the harbor, that it IS the only of the three bridges that will remain.

I also took some artistic license by throwing a shadow under the bridge that in reality would not be there at this time of day. This made the four bents (archways or piers) visually stronger, clarified its structure, and downplayed some of the needless foreground busyness.

Other crucial but more technical factors were maintaining the correct proportions and getting the perspective right, miscalculations and it starts falling apart fast.
As in a portrait it is important to get the exact proportions of any structure and the Vincent Thomas Bridge's design is based on ratios of thirds.

My final review before calling it done I decided it still needed just a touch more life to it.
I came back in and added some traffic, just enough to bring it alive and since Caltrans maintains the bridge and the personal story is of one of them, I parked a Caltrans truck under the San Pedro tower, as one final salute, subtle and understated, not too obvious.

What I finally arrived at in the painting was the most important part of the bridge (supporting the personal story) is the most prominent. The focus is on the approach in the foreground leading up to the San Pedro tower.
Everything else; the rest of the bridge, the Long Beach tower, the lower foreground, the background are all supporting characters. None of them are painted with the same degree of finish. Each has been downplayed, softened in a vignetted manner or simplified, including the cars on the bridge.
And again, done in a subtle and understated way, not too obvious.
That was the balancing act and how I avoided the typical postcard shot.

It is a living bridge.

One thing artists do while working is turn the painting upside down, sideways and view the mirror image for both practical reasons and to check for irregularities.
The practical... the swing of your arm when drawing arcs etc and to avoid smearing wet areas while working.
But more importantly it disassociates your mind from the subject in its recognizable form, allowing you to see any drawing problems, flaws, weakness' and see the painting more abstractly, so you can assess it from an artistic and design point of view.

I noticed that turned this way its beautiful, graceful but powerful shape became even more apparent. It is simply a beautiful form in its own right.

(Oh, and by the way your welcome, now you don't have to turn your computer on its side to see what I'm talking about!)

Vincent Thomas Bridge #16 - Part 1 - The Story

"Vincent Thomas Bridge #16 (Tribute)"
oil on panel, 2013
18" x 24" (45.72cm x 60.96cm)
commissioned, private collection

Here is part 1 of 2 on a recent commission and one that proved to be very challenging.
Today the story, tomorrow the challenges.

This is the third incarnation, the first two versions were scrapped and wiped out.
Since there is a strong personal story behind this commission it was important to get everything right so I had no problem tossing the first and wiping out the second.
Sometimes you know early on when a work is not going to pan out. Better to get out early than to keep digging the same hole deeper.

This is my favorite view of the bridge, from up high on Knoll Hill, and the most revealing of its great boomerang serpentine curve.

This bridge of curves was a challenge to paint however. While most bridges are straight (yawn), any curves being a part of suspension cables and arches, the Vincent Thomas Bridge's greatest feature's are its curved roadway and its steep approaches which much rise high for ships to pass underneath then dramatically fall to meet the opposing dock. And done in a relatively short distance.

This view I painted coming up one approach shows the other side plunging at what seems like an impossible angle. This is the Vincent Thomas bridge.

First though, a little bit of history.
Opened in 1963 there was much controversy. It was originally ridiculed as a "The bridge to nowhere" but is now an integral part of the LA Harbor. Of the three large bridges in the harbor it is the only one that will remain. The Commodore Schuyler F. Heim and Gerald Desmond Bridge are currently being replaced.
That only adds to its stature. It was born out of adversity and is the only survivor. It took 19 years and 16 pieces of legislation to get it built, all championed by then San Pedro Assemblyman Vincent Thomas, for whom the bridge is appropriately named after.

The painting:
It is a tribute to a former bridge painter whose ashes were mixed into the paint used to paint the near tower, the San Pedro tower as the bridge painters call it. In fact bridge painters have a strong personal connection to 'their bridge', their identity is very much wrapped up in it.
You can see how weighty the subtext of the painting was already getting and I hadn't even started yet!

I needed to somehow represent its history and its very personal story, all by means of paint on a surface.
This did help guide me in several decisions even while contemplating the painting long before breaking out the brushes.

The clients wanted:
The classic view showing the entire bridge.
Shown from the San Pedro side of the channel so the San Pedro tower was most prominent due to its personal story.
A sunny day with blue sky.
And the signature iridescent green paint of the bridge.
OK, sounds easy enough ...

I wanted:

Everything... yep... everything.

That means all that IS my work plus all of the above history and story.
Not as easy.

I was happy enough to paint this view, even knowing ahead of time that very often panoramic shots of iconic structures lose their power as you pull back. I would have to find a way to instill in the painting all of the above without ending up with a typical postcard type image, one that is watered down or not very interesting to look at, doesn't say much and doesn't have that extra quality it would need to make the bridge alive. Most people who strongly identify with a structure think of it as a living entity.

I too wanted the San Pedro tower to be slightly more prominent to suit the personal story behind this commission but not just by virtue of its view. I would need to figure additional ways to do this but done in a subtle manner. It is easy to overdo a concept like that and before you know it you have a cheesy, corny, overwrought painting (a postcard image).

Both a sunny day and a bright tower. This worried me from the beginning since, as an artist, I knew I was working with two competing elements.

I always have some idea of the direction an artwork is going to go, at least enough to begin, but this one had some stumbling blocks right from the start, hence the first two failed attempts.

The layout (view) wasn't the problem. It was putting paint to surface, but not from a technical point of view, I can do that.
It was the way I began (the first two). I work in layers similar to a watercolor approach and sometimes the first few layers are crucial to its success. You begin wrong and you'll never arrive at the finish.

It's like going left when you should have gone right.248

Storage Yard Nocturne

"Storage Yard Nocturne (Palms)"
watercolor on paper, 2013
9" x 6" (22.86cm x 15.24cm)
For Sale at DAILY PAINTWORKS, CLICK HERE
Direct link to painting here

The storage yard is inadvertently becoming a series. Something I did not plan but this is the third and I have my mind on a couple others at some point.
Here are the 1st and 2nd.

Industrial settings are odd sometimes. You will see things that you won't find in suburban areas. Here two streetlights, one a warm sodium and the other a cool white light, right next to each other. Even though the orange sodium light is really lighting the storage yard it is still amusing they are side by side. It also made a nice dramatic cast shadow against the gate and driveway.

For me I like the way I was able to play the warms and cools against each other in such a vertical format.
Although this is a real site I made some changes, as I always do, to make a stronger composition. It was fun designing the shapes of the palms. I also added the stack of steel jutting up from the left, the power wire and changed the building.247

* I am still having difficulty with some images uploading in blogger. The image quality if off a little but is the best I could get.
It's random, some days it works fine, other days it's dreadful (and frustrating).

The image on DAILY PAINTWORKS is better.

**I have updated this post with a 'fixed' photo. This is how it should have looked in the first place.

Tied Up Dog

"Relic Sunrise"    SOLD
watercolor on paper, 2013
6" x 8" (15.24cm x 20.13cm)

This watercolor ventures a little outside of my usual palette, something I have been experimenting with lately. The challenge is in avoiding the typical postcard picture and the moment you choose a sunrise or sunset you are immediately faced with that quandary no matter what the subject.
This is due to the fact that both have been done so much and the colors of each are rooted in bright saturated yellows, oranges, pinks and purples.

However I do like the idea of doing some sunrise works, since most of my paintings to date have been later in the day. In many of those I managed to avoid this quandary by waiting until dusk when the colors of sunset have been sucked back into the horizon, painting just before sunset, or by turning east, north or south and away from the treachery of pinks and purples.

Having said that I will occasionally do one with the appropriate colors.

Whenever I see boats jacked up on stilts, looking like they have been forgotten, I think of some caged bird or a dog tied up as other dogs run wild. Here the forgotten boat faces the unseen marina, and away from the viewer, where other boats bob gently in the water. Neglected and left behind, it stands to face another dry day.

That was the idea but I think the bright colors actually defeat that concept. They don't quite burn.
I will have to try another version and re-tackle the melancholy theme.246

Series - Locomotive - Norfolk Southern 2550

"Norfolk Southern 2550"
oil on panel, 2013
5" x 7" (12.7cm x 17.78cm)

Number six in my New Locomotive Series.

Years of service shows on this old Norfolk Southern locomotive, its low number 2550, tells how long it has been around. It is beat up, rusted and has faded worn paint. No glamour here.

Norfolk Southern bills itself as "The Thoroughbred of Transportation" and this locomotive has earned its reputation as a thoroughbred as well as a work horse. NS locomotives are often called "catfish" by railfans  since the stripes resemble catfish whiskers.(6,245)

Amtrak

"Amtrak Bridge Oceanside #1"

oil on panel, 2012

3.5" x 5" (8.89cm x 12.7cm)

For Sale at DAILY PAINTWORKS, CLICK HERE

Direct link to painting here

I painted this after a visit to Oceanside California in the late afternoon.

The bridge passes over the Loma Alta Marsh near the Pacific Ocean.

The late afternoon light makes for a dramatic image with the landscape dropping into shadow and the bridge catching full sun.

This one was done then a I did another version at 5" x 7" which has the train on the bridge and figures on the right.244

* I am still having difficulty with some images uploading in blogger. The image quality if off a little but is the best I could get.

**I have updated this post with a 'fixed' photo. This is how it should have looked in the first place.

Urban River 8

"LA River #2"
watercolor on paper, 2013
7" x 10" (17.78cm x 25.4cm)

This is from my Urban River Series which includes The Santa Ana River in Orange County California.

As in others from this series the concrete banks are visible at the upper left of this composition.

Here is a view of the concrete bank and Willow Street bridge, built in 1946.

I love the smooth forms of the banks and the way they intersect with the gentle arches of the bridge

This is the urban river, part nature, part man. In each of these I have divided up the composition to varying degrees, favoring either the natural or man made as I search for different ways to present what I am seeing, to have something to say.
That guides me in the artistic decisions and determines how I paint it.
In this one I liked the idea of a busy composition juxtaposed against a calm cool spring day. The lively  hustle and bustle of the city without really showing any of it.243

Urban River 7

"LA River #1"
watercolor on paper, 2013
7" x 10" (17.78cm x 25.4cm)
For Sale at DAILY PAINTWORKS, CLICK HERE
Direct link to this painting here.

This is another from my Urban River Series which includes The Santa Ana River in Orange County California.
As in others from this series the concrete banks are visible at the upper left of this composition.

Here is the Los Angeles River looking south towards downtown Long Beach from the Willow Street bridge on a bright spring day. The bridge in the middle ground is a pipeline bridge.

I liked this view for the bottleneck the river takes just after passing under the Willow Street bridge.
During the winter months when there is a lot of rain most of the (green) riverbed is under water including the large trees.242

Tree Nocturne Red Curb

"Tree Nocturne (Red Curb)"
oil on panel, 2013
2" x 2⅜" (5.08cm x 6.01cm)
For Sale at DAILY PAINTWORKS, CLICK HERE
Direct link to this painting here.

Here's a new one from my Tree Nocturne Series of an old desolate street.
Again I paint the warm glow of an orange sodium street light which plays so beautifully against the cool blue night.
Under the tree the fire hydrant hides in the shadow guarded by the red curb.241

Once again images are uploading with poor quality. I made some adjustments but a more accurate image can be found at DAILY PAINTWORKS.
This problem seems to come and go. Oh mercy!

**I have updated this post with a 'fixed' photo. This is how it should have looked in the first place.

Urban Haze

"Storage Yard Haze"    SOLD
oil on panel, 2013
5" x 7" (12.7cm x 17.78cm)

I see a lot of scenes like this living near the ocean. Bright days tucked under the marine layer.

Colors intensify but are not too glaring, not like a bright clear day. All the moisture in the atmosphere affects colors in a different way, they seem to bleed softly into the air.
Even harsh environments are gently cushioned under this canopy of moist air, not quite blocked and grayed out as on foggy days. The marine layer lets the sun through just enough to let us pause and relook at what we would normally dismiss.

That's what I see and why I choose the often maligned urban setting. It would be too obvious, and easy, to take an already pretty landscape and make it prettier.240

Marina Towers Oceanside

"Marina Towers"    SOLD
oil on panel, 2012
7" x 5" (17.78cm x 12.7cm)

I did this after a visit to Oceanside California in the late afternoon
just as the tower was beginning to drop into shadow.
I love this time of day.239

Series - Locomotive - UPY 2760

"UPY 2760"
oil on panel, 2013
5" x 7" (12.7cm x 17.78cm)

Number five in my New Locomotive Series.

This is a Union Pacific yard or a switcher locomotive on a bright sunny day.
These locomotives are used for breaking down trains, assembling trains or moving trains around, generally within a rail yard.

They are the railroads' version of a tugboat so they are built for their job; low-powered, low speed, high tractive effort, high torque. You can also see how its cab allows for 360 degrees of visibility to suit its tasks.
Not the romantic vision of streamlined trains whooshing through panoramic vistas.
They are strictly working class and get the job done with grunts and groans.(5)238

Series-Locomotive-BNSF 7753 Refinery

"BNSF 7753 Refinery"    SOLD

oil on panel, 2013

5" x 7" (12.7cm x 17.78cm)

This is number 4 of my New Locomotive Series.
A Burlington Northern Santa Fe locomotive passing a refinery,
emerging from a soft shadow.(4)237

*My woes I described in the previous 3 posts seems to have been remedied.
Thank you to whomever or whatever mysterious forces made the fix.

**I have updated this post with a 'fixed' photo. This is how it should have looked in the first place.

Series-Locomotive-PHL 64 Two Tree's

"PHL 64-Two Tree's"

oil on panel, 2013

5" x 7" (12.7cm x 17.78cm)

This is number 3 of the series.

The Pacific Harbor Line is the switching railroad company that operates in the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach California.

This series is a lot of fun but I am also approaching it as an opportunity to experiment in various ways.

To give it some exuberance I went with brighter colors in what would otherwise be somber grays, blacks and tans of concrete, asphalt and fencing. Even the black locomotive reflects blue.
Here, the 64 rolls solo heading back towards the port of LA to work.(3)236

I am still terribly frustrated with the way images are uploading. I just can't get decent image quality.

If anyone knows why please let me know. Thank you

**I have updated this post with a 'fixed' photo. This is how it should have looked in the first place.

Series-Locomotive-BNSF 7730

"BNSF 7730"

oil on panel, 2013

5" x 7" (12.7cm x 17.78cm)

This is the second in my new series.

The BNSF Locomotive 7730, at the lead of a consist, in the shadow of a mountain beginning its long climb up the Cajon pass to the high desert here in Southern California.(2)235

*Has anyone else noticed problems with the way images are now showing up on Blogger?

I drafted this post a couple weeks ago and noticed a decidedly poor image that uploaded to Blogger.

It used to be I had no problem with the image I photographed, adjusted when needed, and uploaded.

In fact it became routine.

I have adjusted this one three times, uploading different versions, and it still looks washed out and the colors are off, I still can't get a good QUALITY image!

I have some other posts drafted and they all look the same.

If anyone else knows how to fix it please let me know.

**I have updated this post with a 'fixed' photo. This is how it should have looked in the first place.

Series-Locomotive-UP 4343

"UP 4343"
oil on panel, 2013
5" x 7" (12.7cm x 17.78cm)

This painting marks the beginning of my new Locomotive Series available on DAILY PAINTWORKS.

Here are a couple of UP's in the light-filled late afternoon chugging through the Alameda Corridor.
The 4343 displays the earlier graphics before Union Pacific changed to the flag.
The characteristic cad red lightening bolt still remains.
So cool.(1)234

*Has anyone else noticed problems with the way images are now showing up on Blogger?
I drafted this post a couple weeks ago and noticed a decidedly poor image that uploaded to Blogger.
It used to be I had no problem with the image I photographed, adjusted when needed, and uploaded.
In fact it became routine.
I have adjusted this one three times, uploading different versions, and it still looks washed out and the colors are off, I still can't get a good QUALITY image!
I have some other posts drafted and they all look the same.


**I have updated this post with a 'fixed' photo. This is how it should have looked in the first place.

NEW SERIES OFFICIAL LAUNCH!

I am very excited to announce that today marks the official launch of my new Locomotive Series available on DAILY PAINTWORKS.

Here is the direct link to the first one ...  "UP 4343", showing a couple of Union Pacific Locomotives in the late afternoon, a glorious burst of light from behind... perfectly apropos for the launch.

See my DAILY PAINTWORKS  page.

This series showcases the locomotive, for now its classic profile, of which there will still be plenty of variation as you will see.
Variation in the size of the locomotive (with-in the picture), location, lighting, weather conditions, back, middle and foreground, cropping etc.

And by starting with the classic profile in the same format it is on track to be a collectable series.
As I continue to 'flesh out' the series I'll add other views. It promises to be robust!
My previous post shows the thumbnails I did for this and another one.

If you are familiar with my work already then you know I work this way, bouncing from one series to another so although I will be posting plenty of these Locomotives there will also be other subjects and genre's dropped in between.

You never know what you'll find, cityscapes, landscapes, seascapes, the figure, more of my noted industrials?
How 'bout some surprises?
I have ideas bouncing around in my head like a pachinko game.

It's been fun so far and I almost feel guilty about that, almost   ; )

DAILY PAINTWORKS NEW SERIES UPDATE

"Locomotive Series Thumbnails-U.P."
pencil on paper, 2013
8.5" x 11" (21.59cm x 27.94cm)
NSF

A quick note... I have been working steadily on my New Collectable Locomotive Series soon to be available on DAILY PAINTWORKS.

Here is a page of thumbnails from this new series.
These are for two of the new Union Pacific locomotive paintings.

My locomotive works are always finely articulated and/or imbued with an atmospheric psychological impact . They deserve that kind of treatment.

In the meantime I have some previous locomotive paintings in various sizes and mediums, some already framed, currently for sale on DAILYPAINT WORKS.

"BNSF (Cajon Puddle)"

"PHL 67 at 47 Underpass"

"PHL 64"

"Union Pacific Yard" and Union Pacific 8381"

"BNSF Mojave"

"Harbor Line #70-Study #1"

Also, click the LABEL 'Locomotive painting' to see others here on my blog.
This will give you an idea of whats to come in this new collectable series!
Stay tuned!233

Sketchbook Pages-4- More Rabbits

sketchbook page, 2013
ballpoint pen
page 8.25" x 5.5" (20.955cm x 13.97cm)
NFS

Rabbits, not bunnies.

It is tough to do and avoid cute or cartoony, at least for me.
Think about Dürer's "Young Hare I" or Wayne Theibaud's "Rabbit". Although I am not really going for realism I always have those in the back of my mind because each holds its own unique quality. I am not there yet but I'm working on it.231,232

New Series to Launch on DAILY PAINTWORKS!

Currently, I have paintings dated prior to 2013 available for all tastes and budgets on my DAILY PAINTWORKS  gallery and am happy to report that coming soon, I will be launching my new Locomotive Series which will be available on DAILY PAINTWORKS.

I always get positive feedback from my clients for my locomotive series and it is considered one of my signature series: everybody has memories of trains!

In addition to that I have so many ideas percolating in my head that I will also be rolling out some as mini-series.

All of my new series will be available in more standard formats, sizes and design considerations with a collectable aesthetic in mind. 

Vincent Thomas Bridge #3

"Vincent Thomas Bridge #3"    SOLD
oil on panel, 2011
7" x 5" (17.78cm x 12.7cm)

Here is an early painting from my Vincent Thomas Bridge series that I never posted.
It is an unusual view that is not immediately recognizable as a bridge but that for me is part of its appeal.

Bridges carry a certain civic pride much like state and country pride. Their primary function may be utilitarian but for locals they are a source of pride.

This view from the catwalk underneath the roadway shows the scaffolding being erected around the tower base. Painting the bridge is a job that's never finished. It’s a 6 month process to wrap the tower from the ground up in scaffolding and then plastic sheeting to contain the work. Then the painting can begin.230

Daily Paintworks

I just joined Daily Paintworks and will be adding artwork over the next few days. By the end of the week I should have plenty of art on my gallery page.
DPW is where I will launch the new locomotive series that I mentioned in a previous post (and shown here of course).

It was proving to be too difficult to have my store on a blog.
Daily PaintWorks is set up for this purpose and I will be in good company.
I will also be making all the appropriate changes, updates, links and adding the widget to this blog.
Stay tuned.

Gutted Like a Fish

"Press Telegram #1"
watercolor on paper, 2012
9" x 12" (22.86cm x 30.48cm)
For Sale at Daily Paintworks, CLICK HERE

This is the first in an intended series although I sometimes get so busy that some series don't go past 2 or 3, we'll see.

The old Long Beach (California) Press Telegram building as seen from the backside.

The end of an era and a local newspaper, at least as newspapers once were. At one time the four story building housed the entire news operation, including the presses which could be seen at street level.

This building is being refurbished, opened up and gutted like a fish. It is urban renewal. It is not getting knocked down but certainly has been, the last few years, and currently is a shell of its former self.

On the left is the former, being removed, deleted and swallowed by the dumpster. On the right is the revamping as shown by the machinery at the ready and the slung ropes. Right in the middle, the transition, the pile I intentionally shaped like a dead fish. The holes punched in the side of the building painted nearly black like hollow lifeless eye sockets.229

Other similar themes of Long Beach California urban renewal here, here and here.
One from San Pedro California here.
Two from Oceanside California here and here.

Corrugated 3-watercolor

"Corrugated-Sulfur"
watercolor on paper, 2012
6" x 9" (15.24cm x 22.86cm)


The challenge on this one was the street since it takes up so much of the picture plane, about as much as the sky, and has the same colors so I made sure to vary the texture.
My favorite parts are the corrugated fence caught in a half light, revealing its buckled shapes, and of course the bright yellow accent of the sulfur pile.228

New Locomotive Series Coming Soon

PHL Sketch
ballpoint pen, 2013
4" x 5.5" (10.16cm x 13.97cm)
NFS

I mentioned a while back I was working on both new work and commissions. This is the reason for all the sketch posts as of late.

One of the commissions, of the Vincent Thomas Bridge, is near done and I will post it here soon.

Of the new work one is a series on locomotives and I will begin posting those within the next month.

In anticipation of that I did this quick sketch from memory to test my recall, to see how well I know the locomotive without reference. Oops, I forgot the number on the side of the cab within the diagonal stripes... could not do much about that since ballpoint pen is permanent.

Despite its whimsical cartoon approach you still have to know its proportions and most of the structure and details to get it right and I did OK here. I know because I tried this exercise before I had done many trains and fell flat on my face. It's all about practice.227

Sketchbook Page-3 (and cover)

Jobin, The Mad Catter
ballpoint pen, 2013
page 8.25" x 5.5" (20.955cm x 13.97cm)
NFS

The nature of sketchbook pages is that not all ends up good and there are a couple dreadful ones on this page but that is ok.

I'm experimenting with seeing how far I can distort the forms before I lose the cat. The top left for example looks more like a chihuahua or bat and borders on being too cute.
Trying to find a non-representational version of the cat while avoiding cute and cartoony is not that easy, at least for me.
Another Jobin, The Mad Catter here.225,226

Sketchbook Page-2

sketchbook page, 2013
ballpoint pen
page 8.25" x 5.5" (20.955cm x 13.97cm)
NFS

More fun sketching.
I don't really do floral.
Unless I can find a way to be anti-floral.
I have plans to do a painting from these studies even if for fun.224

Sketch Doodle Postcard Backside

Ballpoint pen on postcard, 2013
5" x 7" (12.7cm x 17.78cm)
NFS

Since I am working on several projects I don't have a lot to post so here is another sketch doodle.

This was done on the backside of a postcard tucked in my door by solicitors so I figured instead of feeding the recycle bin as usual I would make some use of it.

As you can see this kind of sketch doodling is very different from my usual work. That's the point.

It is a way to artistically get away from that. No pressure to 'make' anything. Just put pen to paper and see what emerges. I start with random scribbles and allow things to develop from there.223

Local Landmarks - White Point Battery Bunker

"Whitepoint Battery Bunker"
watercolor on paper, 2012
6" x 8" (15.24cm x 20.32cm)
For Sale at Daily Paintworks, CLICK HERE

A battery here in San Pedro California built for WWII and part of Fort MacArthur Museum, but never used in defense.

Originally Battery 127, its name was officially changed to honor the memory of Colonel Paul Delmont Bunker, Battery Paul D Bunker, BCN-127, hence the Bunker in the name. It's not a military bunker, it's a gun battery.

The road leading into the picture from the bottom makes a nice S line passing up through the contrails, ghostly echoes of its guns which never fired in defense and are long gone.
Adding the contrails also gives the sky some dimension. I prefer to make my skies a participant in the painting as a whole with some kind of texture, instead of smoothly rendered with no thought.

This is part of a new series of local military landmarks, many of which are within a couple miles of home.
Another local San Pedro battery drawing here.222

Email Update

My contact email with AT&T is currently down and has been for several days.
Although I think I can send emails I can not receive emails.
I hope to have this resolved by the end of Monday May 13th.

Sorry for the inconvenience.
David J. Teter

Update:
I can not receive emails or send emails.

David J. Teter

Update:
It seems my email is working again.

Update 5/22/13:
Now I can't send emails, only receive. :(

Curtain of Rain

"BNSF (Cajon Puddle)"
watercolor on paper, 2013
9" x 12.5" (22.86cm x 31.75cm)
For Sale at Daily Paintworks, CLICK HERE

Here's a recent work, a trio of BNSF locomotives, called a consist, passing through a curtain of rain, a sudden desert downpour, the kind that gives rise to flash floods.

The foreground puddle helped define the ground plane and gave the painting a cool starkness, like cut glass, hard sharp edges to play against the softer edges of middle and background. It also adds that element of danger, much like a lightening strike out of the blue, the idea of sudden downpours and flash floods. Otherwise the painting would (only) be a nice pleasant rain shower. So the rain puddle becomes the vehicle for that idea of danger, you can't miss it.
It is more on the man vs nature theme.

This is one of three styles or techniques I use in watercolor. It is traditional methods on watercolor paper but simplified, meant to have a more psychological impact. See this concrete plant, this river, and this lonely home for others.
My other traditional style is more hard edged and detailed or I as prefer to call it, clarified (Clarity). Another artist referred to it as intricate which I also prefer. Some treat 'detailed' as a bad word.

This is always a nice relief from the more intricate work which usually takes more planning, a tighter drawing and more careful application from the start. See this truck, this sulfur pile, and these two.

Here I focus on the big shapes, the main idea and how they communicate emotive qualities. This is more intuitive.
I like working these different ways, tight vs loose, going back and forth between the two. Both feed and compliment each other.
Doing the tighter work keeps these looser ones from getting too far out of control and doing these looser freer works reminds me to maintain expressive painterly qualities and keep it fresh.
I can't imagine spending my entire artistic career tied to one thing or style.221

Urban River 6

"LA River #4"
oil on panel, 2013
2" x 2⅜" (5.08cm x 6.01cm)

I know I know... it's really blue...
probably should have thrown some other colors in it!

This is another tiny painting, fun and quick to do. I like to do these when I am in the middle more demanding works. Works that require lots of time and lots of sessions layering, drying, layering, drying. It gets long and drawn out so I find myself wanting some 'finished' satisfaction. That is the case right now. I'm working on several paintings in oil and watercolor, two of them commissions.

This is a pipeline bridge and there are several along the southern end of the LA River in Long Beach California where much of the harbor industry is located.
I love these huge sheets of concrete. All they do is carry the pipes across the river, but are very simple and dramatic.220

Local Landmarks - Battery Farley

"Battery Farley-Study"
pencil on paper, 2012
11" x 8.5" (27.94cm x 21.59cm)
NFS

This drawing is from a series on local historical military landmarks. I don't have to go far since they are here in San Pedro.

Even though my notation says WWII (oops!), Battery Farley was actually built between 1916-1919, during WWI. This I did not know when the drawing was made as I found out later through research.

It is here in my hometown of San Pedro California and is part of the Fort MacArthur Museum. This is half of what is called Battery Farley-Osgood since there are two of these gun placements at the location.

In fact this whole coastal area of Los Angeles had been fortified over the years, all of which is now obsolete of course. Various gun placements from WWI and WWII to Nike Missile sites from the 60's.
This map (from the book "Rings of Supersonic Steel") on the above museum site shows the entire City of Los Angeles was encircled by Nike Missile sites, like the old video game Missile Command.

After concentrating hard on the battery study I found myself getting mentally lazy so I did not take the drawing of the USS Iowa seriously enough. Such is the nature of pages of drawings, not everything on the page is good. I will have to tackle the ship again later.

I have a recent watercolor of another battery here in San Pedro that was built for WWII and I will be posting that in the future.219

Value Thumbnails 6

"Value Thumbnails-Cliffs"
pencil on paper, 2012
8.5" x 11" (21.59cm x 27.94cm)
NFS

Here's a page of value thumbnails where my focus was the distribution of lights and darks and the patterns created. It is an exploration in how different the composition looks simply by shifting the values in the back, middle and foregrounds.
I imagined a sunny windy day where clouds are streaking across the sky dragging their shadows over the landscape.

I essentially used 3 values here, the white of the paper being the lightest, but threw in a forth when it was necessary to separate elements, as in #3 where I wanted the background a light value but needed to separate sky from ocean.218