Richard Estes

These images show the painterly quality of the preliminary painting of Richard Estes, a pre-eminant photorealist.

You can see how he actually paints in a very traditional way, blocking in large shapes and then moving to smaller shapes. Yu can also see how he alters imagery throughout the process.

Here you can see the finished painting.

Merry Christmas

PM…not AM

For a few years now, I have been teaching a painting class where we go into the city and paint on location. It's always been a very fun class. And it's always been in the morning. This February I will be teaching it again, however, it will be in the afternoon. I thought I knew downtown Phoenix pretty well but this has forced me to find new places. More accurately, it has helped me to see old places in a new way. That's what happened with this painting. I've seen this church a hundred times before but never this way. I did this last Saturday afternoon looking west on Monroe. I think it is one of the locations we'll go to.

Barriers and Passage Ways

Another view along the canal where I ride in the mornings.

The original scene did not have a gate in the wall. When I painted it that way, it felt like a barrier so I made the opening to allow the viewer to enter the painting.