Kill the TV - Progress

I managed to get the energy up to do this underpainting last night. Once I was doing it, the energy came back strong.

The TV is definitely a mind killer.

Here is a bad photo of the progress that I made.

Yes, the background is orange/red done with iron oxide and cadmium red.

The line and shading were done with my usual mix of Van Dyke Brown, Ultramarine Blue and Iron Oxide Red. As I mentioned in other posts, I try to not use pure black unless I am trying to make a point about something.

I didn't get much on the clouds but did get a little Titanium White to give some ideas of what I want.

The clouds are not as dramatic in the photo that I took, but the composition needs balance in the upper left, so I hope to do a large cloud formation there.

Don't think that I am going to become a preachy anti-TV type. I like the TV just as much as the next guy. TV is crap and we all know it, but we can't help ourselves. The more you watch the stupider you get and I have watched way too much TV over the years, which explains a lot.

After the fire III

Here is the third painting in the Marysville Series.

I hope to have five paintings in this series.
Why five? I think that to get a real feel for the extent of the damage and I need to tell a story from a number of vantage points.
The more I work on these, the more depth they seem to have, for me at least.
As I have said before, these paintings are about hope.
The scenes are also an architects dreamscape. How often do you get to see a building like this with no roof and blue skies above. The fire has forced a deconstruction of the structure to reveal something new?
The main subject of this painting is, obviously, the door. The red color, which is somewhat exagerated is a bright and lively object in an otherwise drab scene. It is open slightly which gives a sense of longing to kno what is beyond or that something is about to be revealed.
I am excited to see the series together.

More Studies for Working River II

This scene seems to lend itself to a horizontal format.
The previous post showed the vertical version, which
cuts off the Fremont bridge. Also, more of the river
is shown here.
I think either one could be nice, but it depends on what
the potential patron is interested in.

Working the River Again

Someone contacted me this week about a painting that had been sold at the opening a few months ago. The painting in question was "Working River I", which was sold.
I am excited about the idea and have started thinking about it.
This is a sketch of a slightly different view of the scene.

Bless this mess

I decided to take the day off from my day job today. Last week my wife (Jen) had a tumor removed from her neck.
We were hoping that it was benign, but learned yesterday that it was low grade cancer.
I spent the morning with Jen to get her a follow up x-ray, which will tell us if she has any cancer in her heart or lungs.
I am still numb from the news. I thought that it would be good to do some painting to relax. It helped.
The Marysville paintings take on more meaning with my wife's current health issues.
I need some good news and some hope. The Marysville series is about hope and rebirth after tragedy.

Update:
My wifes X-Ray came back negative! Good thoughts and artfull gestures must do the trick.

Marysville Dreams

The School fire at Marysville school was devistating, but there is hope.
My experience with the building after the fire moved me to capture a moment in time that will not be seen again.
Since this vist, the plaster has been removed and the historic woodwork and plaster has been warehoused for future use in a new building.
I was hoping that my architecture office would be hired to do the remodel and expansion of the school, but this was not to be. Perhaps this will make these images even more memorable.
It would be nice to have the planned series of five hung on the walls of the school in the future. Perhaps an art purchase by the project? Perhaps a donation by the artist. We will see.
I think the image above is the centerpiece of the series as it shows something that evokes hope and rebirth (the trees reaching towards the sky).
I have the next in the series sitting on my easle to taunt me.