Cityscapes While I Wait

While waiting for Summer to dry and my camera to recharge. I looked through my photographs to find some city shots that might be worthy of drawing/painting time and effort. I found these four and put them together on a Publication sheet (since lining up photos with Chrome in that formation is impossible).

Two are from Greek Town in Detroit and two are from Puerto Vallarta. Of the four, I favor the street scene in Puerto Vallarta (lower left)second and the Liamon Cafe in Greek Townfirst. But I don't like mixing my cities when I'm thinking series. So camera outings will be scheduled. Over the next weeks, I decided to concentrate my attention in and around the Detroit area. City scenes will be perfect for the three twenty by twenty canvases waiting in the corner. Though not quite Labor Day, it isn't too early to line up fall/winter projects. After Pastries, Cityscapes makes two series. A total of six, seven paintings. A tad too ambitious--especially with Summer still in progress, but our winters are long.


Summer went through some interesting changes. After doing some work on it in the morning, I took it outside and hosed it off--too stark, too puzzle-like. I hit it with the jet stream and watched the morning splash into the grass. Then, dripping wet, I carried it back to the studio, laid it flat on the floor and began adding more dots, spraying more water as needed. I was painting wet into wet. The dots made with paint thinned with medium spread a bit and were transparent. They immediately softened the mosaic look as I knew they would. I worked in small portions, so there's more work to be done. But it was great being back on the floor. That's where the big boys (any size canvas three feet and bigger) belong.

Easel painting is new to me; I've painted on the floor my whole life, till my knees couldn't take it. Then, without a thought of anything but what I wanted to do, I just went back to it. It felt great. Continually circling the canvas checking the composition, I was in the picture. And the results of my new perspective were good.
Transparency over opacity was just the technique. I must have been ecstatic while lost in the doing, for Summer lost its shade.