Urban and related paintings 2016 – 2015
Recent Urban Paintings
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recent Mission Hills scenes
(work in progress)
Here is what I’ve been up to the past few months – painting more view from the Mission Hills area of San Diego.
Also, I hope to continue painting more scenes from the Downtown area – here is one venture (around 15 x 16 inches – oil on paper)
Altamirano Way, Mission Hills, Cliff May House
Altamirano Way, Mission Hills, Cliff May House – 17 x 28 inches, oil on linen, 6/2011
Here is a painting I recently finished, a home in the Mission Hills area of San Diego, one of several recent ventures trying to generate interest and attention to my commissioned paintings of homes venture (www.abodeart.com) Cliff May was a prominent architect in Southern California and was best known for his California Ranch Style homes back in the 1940’s and 50’s. I’m very happy that this relatively new venture (at least new in that I’ve been pursuing it more seriously) is starting to show promise with my recently getting a number of commissions. My goal is to not let commissioned work veer too far of course artistically from what I’d pursue on my own. I also need to make sure I get a healthy balance with my own paintings along with commissioned work.
Here are two recent commissions that I made in the Hillcrest area.
Here is another painting I made recently, not a commission but the owner of the house bought the painting after seeing it.
The King is Dead, Long Live the King
The King is Dead, Long Live the King, 04/11, Oil on Canvas 24 x 24 inches
update: This painting will soon be on view in Boston’s Copley Society Show – Matter, Medium, & Meaning: A Contemporary Still Life Show, curated by George Nick
19 May – 01 Jul 2011
a post-note – this painting won a Juror’s choice award
more views of the shipyard from the pier at Cesar Chavez Park
Yellow Cranes at the Shipyard, 03/14/11, Oil on panel 11 x 14 inches
Navy Ship with Crane, 03/15/11, Oil on panel 11 x 14 inches
Two new alla prima studies at the shipyard. I’ve been going down there in the morning the past couple of days. The more time I spend there I keep seeing new possibilities for subjects and new ways for putting together a painting. Eventually these may evolve into larger, more ambitious and mult-session paintings of this subject.
3 new waterfront studies
Shipyard Study #2, 03/08/11, Oil on panel 11 x 14 inches
Train-yard Study #1, 03/09/11, Oil on panel 11 x 14 inches
Train-yard Study #2, 03/11/11, Oil on panel 11 x 14 inches
I’ve been painting down off Cesar Chavez Parkway in Barrio Logan with the views of the shipyard and train switching yard or train-yard, not sure of the actual name. I’m excited by this place an amazing wealth of subjects worth investigating. I’ve been looking at views further in the distance “zooming in” and giving myself permission to move stuff around more than I usually do. Sometimes when the view is so busy it frees me up to be less literal and more abstract – push the painting more. I want to continue making a number of paintings here at different times of the day and explore how far I might increase simplification and abstraction.