Finished?

(Edit)
Turns out I wasn't finished. A kind soul from the internet pointed out that I had spelled Charlie Chaplin's name incorrectly. Here is the corrected version.

I started this painting 3 months ago. Due to schedule and a few problem areas in the painting, it has taken me til now to get it finished. 

Getting Back To Painting

I am finally starting some larger paintings. For 2 years I have been so wrapped up with the book I was illustrating, along with teaching, that all I have had time and energy for is small plein aires. It is always hard to get back into it. I find all kinds of resistance. I start asking myself, is it really worth the time? Aren't there more worthy pusuits? Is this going to be worth the investment? It's a terrible and unproductive way to feel. I finally slug through and start with small steps. I go through sketches and photos and make more sketches. Finally, something starts to emerge. I would like to pick up this painting at that stage and share my process with you as I progress.

This is a photo I shot in LA back in 2013. I've worked with it a few times feeling like there is something there but, until now, never got the juice going.

                                     

After doing these sketches, I felt there were some possibilities. I then did a small 4 x 5 color sketch.

I liked what was happening but was still feeling a little iffy. I finally decided to do a section of it as a study, although a relatively large study that would stand on it's own.

So this is one of the 2 paintings I am working on. It is 22" x 28". This is the first pass. When doing a larger painting I usually do quite a bit of changing, scraping out, glazing, repainting all of which gives a lot of texture and depth. So over the next few weeks, I will show the progress and talk about process to the final painting.

Here it is in a little bit earlier stage.

I will be posting my progress in the coming weeks.
Happy New Year.

Evolution of a painting

Back in the early 80's I went back to my hometown of LA and spent a few days walking around downtown shooting slides (how I miss Kodachrome). In those days, many of the wonderful old theaters were still in fairly good condition. Among others, I shot this image of the Globe.

For years it sat in a stack of slides always beckoning to be painted. I finally listened and a few years ago did this little study.

Finally, a couple years later, I began a full size painting. Here are some sequential pictures of the process. 

Things were going along fine until I decided the marquee needed to be larger.

Later, I felt the letters spelling GLOBE  were too tall.

Making changes like these can sometimes cause real problems, on the other hand, they often add a richness to a painting that doesn't happen when every stroke seems to be just right. I felt this one turned out pretty well.

Here is a link to see how the Globe has faired in recent years.