Press Telegram #2 - Pile

"Press Telegram #2 (Pile)"
watercolor on paper, 2013
5.5" x 7.5" (13.79cm x 19.05cm)
For sale at DAILY PAINTWORKS
Direct link to painting here

This is what was left of the Long Beach California Press Telegram, a pile of rubble.
Shoveled into a nice neat pile is the remains of peoples former lives. The paper itself, as it once was, is the story now.

Like many of my industrial subjects the fascination here is all the various shapes.
Whether it is a pile of debris or a hillside in nature does not always matter to an artist. Instead we focus on its artistic values. So this is more of a study for the series. When I figure out what else to say I will use this for another painting.257

"Press Telegram #1" here.

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.

Value Thumbnails 5

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

I did these thumbnails of the new Long Beach Courthouse about midway through its construction.
It is currently near the end and will soon be open. Part of the urban renewal of Long Beach California.

Shown here in its iron skeletal form, i-beams and steel girders.
Even as small thumbnails these were more challenging than I thought they would be.
The simplification proved to be harder to do than I anticipated since there was a lot going on.

The middle right thumb especially tough since the angles are not 90°. Even though drawn right it still looks wrong. I only like the top and middle left, don't care much for the others. This is one reason to do thumbnails, to work out and/or discover potential problems early.217

Futility

"303 S. Pacific #1"
watercolor on illus. board, 2012
12" x 16" (30.48cmx 40.64cm)
For Sale at Daily Paintworks, CLICK HERE


Here is another watercolor in the same style or technique as this Vincent Thomas Bridge painting, a landmark that will remain.

This painting is named for the address in San Pedro California. I felt it was important to show a local scene, the little story, one of our constantly changing urban landscape.

An unassuming tire and automotive repair shop, but on the other side of the facing wall... proudly marking our city of San Pedro is (was) a painted sign on the brick wall, one that seemed to be a fixture of sorts and stamped its place in a time when signs were painted on brick walls more often.
I've often wondered who painted it, was it the first owner of the business? Proud of his business' location, his own civic pride?

I was both sad to see it go and fascinated watching the CAT so effortlessly but indiscriminately chewing away, without prejudice, at the carcass of someones formal livelihood, taking with it all it's stories. Wiping the slate clean.

Perhaps being an artist helps me reconcile this sort of emotional conflict by recording it in paint.

I like the arm of the excavator against the stark sky, which I painted with a certain amount of upheaval.
The worker washing down the excavator and wetting the debris to keep dust down really emphasizes the scale and power of our machinery as well as our own self-imposed futility of preserving everything for posterity.170

See other paintings with similar themes here (Villa Riviera) , here (Acres of books)

Cat excavator model 320B

Click on image for larger view

Update-Previous Post & Acres of Books

*I have posted an update on the demise of the old Art Deco Building from my previous post 'State of Limbo' and the watercolor painting above "Acres of Books (backside)".

State of Limbo

"Acre's of Books(backside)"

watercolor, 2009

6" x 9" (15.24 cm x 22.86cm)

private collection

A watercolor of downtown Long Beach. Acre's of Books, which had been there for as long as I can remember, is one of only 2 or 3 buildings remaining on a city block being cleared for urban renewal. The store itself, one that I would so joyously get lost in, sold used books but is now closed. Even the interior was old and dusty like a vintage library, not some modern super store. It currently sits solitary on it's foundation-fragmented city block in a state of limbo. Will it stay and be built around because of it's Art Deco heritage or lie there tormented until it's final demise?

My depiction of it shows it's older counterpart still standing across the street, at least for now. A solid red brick building, it towers over both the book store and the modern structure visually sandwiched between the two, perhaps acting as a wedge pushing out the old. By clipping off the right side of Acres of Books, thus having it partially leaving the composition, I'm raising the question, Is it on the way out or will it survive?9

Click on image for larger view

*Update - I recently ran across an old article from 2010 on the demise of the old Acres of Books art deco building.
As reported in the article it looks like it will survive and in fact be turned into an art center. How perfect!
Maybe my 2009 watercolor had some kind of 'sorcery' effect on their decision... I would like to think so!
Link here; http://blog.seattlepi.com/bookpatrol/2010/03/03/art-center-to-fill-acres-of-books-site/