Sunday, January 31, 2010

Late, As Usual


It all began years ago when I was in college. I was studying under the trees, carefully checking my watch every now and then to be sure I would be on time to class. Finally I went to the classroom. I figured I had about five minutes until class was to begin.

This particular classroom was oddly arranged. The door was in the front of the classroom, so that all of the 100 seats in the class faced where I was to enter. So I walked in and was surprised to find that all of the seats in the classroom (but one) were already filled and that the professor was standing just in front of me, lecturing.

So I sidled my way around the professor and, with several "excuse me"'s eased myself and my backpack down the aisle and into my seat in the center front row. I could feel 100 sets of eyes upon me (99 students, plus one professor).

"Nice of you to make it, Mr. Kent." It was the professor, of course.

So I unloaded my backpack and took out my pad. I was poised to take notes.

"Okay, that's it for today. See you all tomorrow." (The professor again.)

I try to be on time. I really do.

As a December 2009 monthly challenge, Cathy Johnson posted a resource photo of the Arlington Hotel here. She liked the early morning shadows, but when I saw the hotel, I wanted to paint it at night, in the hotel's heyday - the 1920's I imagined, or before. Cathy loved the shadows, and I figured that the light from the lamp post or from the unseen activity across the street could still produce those.

When she posted the photo, she invited us to "change it, move elements around, choose different colors." So I moved the telephone pole that I thought was in a bad spot for the composition and made party lights instead of wire, so that we are viewing the couple from behind those lights. I added a door, uncovered the windows, and added a small hitching post. I put trees in the distance.

Note that back then there were trees. There was no Interstate Highway System or tv or internet. People had to learn skills like piano or painting or writing to have something to do.

To be fair (to myself), I drew the scene in December, although I did not paint it until last night. This is still January, so I am only a month late, right?

I found it fun and interesting that to make the night sky first I had to lay a wash of Winsor Orange. So the sky was initially a very bright orange. Then I laid a wash of cobalt blue to make the dark color you see. Over that I lent spatterings of drybrushed cobalt blue. For the building and sidewalk, I began with a very, very light wash of the Winsor Orange, and built up from there. These are the two main colors, though I also used transparent yellow, and of course the bright cadmium red in the foreground.

I kind of wish you could see the original, since the scanning really did not like my splashes of color. The spots of orange on the building are not that annoying, really.

For Shadow Shot Sunday, I contribute a bench and a wastebasket. I played a bit with the composition, and tried to make a balanced and interesting contrast in values and shapes. When I saw this bench, I stopped dead in my tracks. I felt lucky to find the "hatching" in the shadow. To me it is a very "textured" shot.


34 comments:

  1. I love your painting of the hotel - it really looks like a great celebration is in progress.
    Shirley

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  2. Haha, that's great! I love that you were always late, it sort of makes me feel better about being so disorganized! You've done a great job! And thanks for the notes on color!*writing all that down* ...though, I'll probably lose it.

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  3. I always say, better late then never!
    Your painting is lovely, I especially like the colors in the light and shadows, and I find my eye wanders past the hotel down the street to the shadows and darkness. Fantastic!
    I also like your shadow show photo... All the little lines on rock salt textured cement!
    ~Really Rainey~

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  4. I agree, Its always better late then never...You are doing a great job! Love to be on your blog. You have captured the mood of celebration...:)

    Free Hand Madhubani Painting

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  5. I loved your story - and had not guessed the punch line until it arrived! I think you are working up to writing and illustrating a book - wonderful art and great stories!

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  6. When I was in college I would skip a class rather than be late - I would have died of mortification,I think, if that had happened to me ... (thanks, mom) lol. I love your hotel painting, and besides the colors you chose (which work really, really well), I loved the addition of the couple. Nice touch! The bench photo is great - filled with texture and interest - great choice! nancy

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  7. Lovely watercolor here. And the Haiti piece, and the cafe watercolor...you really have an adept hand at it! I also enjoy reading your posts...always interesting and fun.

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  8. Hi Dan, your story reminds me of several painful experiences - especially when I forget to adjust my clock because of daylight savings. Your work is wonderful!

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  9. So nice to see a version of the hotel, other than mine. Lovely.

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  10. Ha! I arrived at dinner a few minutes late this past Christmas, apologized and heard this comment: "You aren't late. Well, if you are, it's the earliest you've ever been late." I laughed. So I know how it is, DFan.

    This is a wonderful painting! Love the atmosphere it projects. Excellent!
    .
    The photo is incredibly good!

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  11. Great interpretation of the subject matter. I like that you put your own stamp on it rather than being limited to the original photo, yet your image stayed true to the hotel. I think night sketches must be especially challenging.

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  12. The hotel looks great! :) And as always your stories are fun too!
    Thank you Dan for your comment and your wishes.

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  13. Nice shadow shot!

    That room in your story reminds me of one just like that where I had my structures classes. Great story, I really enjoy your writing!

    I like the hotel painting with all the orange highlights - but I don't like the pole in the middle (I hope you don't mind me not liking something ;). I think it would have been better to either cut out the pole altogether and leave some garland or maybe push the pole to the right edge of the painting. Looked at it again: nice job on the night lighting!

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  14. Great painting Dan!! Fantastic story too- I've had a couple of those moments. I like that your painting scene is at night- and the couple just makes it fun and inviting. Great colors- great job!!

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  15. Wow! This shadow photo is perfect and I love your painting! Your college story made me laugh :)

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  16. It´s just great the sketch. About being late, well, I have a teenage boy who is just like you. Always trying to be on time! Please don´t feel so lonely!

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  17. Yeush what an awful looking building in the photo. You've really made it look as beautiful as a bustling Parisienne Café! Without the pole it would be a bit bland. The weird thing is how I didn't even notice the pole until I read about it!

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  18. Thank you all for the wonderful comments! Sketching/painting is so solitary without you all! And don't worry, Aurileide, I'm not lonely - how could I be? Watercoloredhands, thank you - I love suggestions and honest observations. I think constructive feedback will help me grow faster, and I very much appreciate it. I was delighted by your remark, in fact. I considered removing the pole - I know the whole thing about splitting the frame in half, and it is almost centered and all that. But sometimes rules need to be broken. My thoughts were like Mark's. The long right side of the building was boring. Something needed to be there. So I moved the pole to that section and added the couple. So I have created a frame within the frame with the pole and the lights. My thought was that it was as though I were watching the couple from where the party was happening. Why? Was I jealous? Did I have malicious intent (one person I showed it to thought it was spooky). It puts the viewer of the sketch in that position. So I thought it added interest - despite breaking composition rules.

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  19. The color combination of Winsor Orange, Cobalt blue and the yellow and red happens to be my favorite colors lately. They really work in this painting for me...I love it. Your imagination transformed a bland building into a beautiful night. Even if the viewer is a stalker.

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  20. Well, I am quite late in commenting. I love this hotel painting, all warm and bright. Great job!

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  21. Thanks Melinda and Ann. And I didn't mean to imply that the viewer could be only a stalker. :) It could be someone looking on wistfully, or with affection..

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  22. Dan, you crack me up with your stories. I like the painting too and the changes you made to it. Lastly, I LOVE the bench photo. That artist's eye just couldn't pass that one up! Hope you turn this into a painting, what with those great shadows.

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  23. Dear Ken,

    Here I am burning the candle at both ends once more but then we try to do everything, don't we?

    I have to confess, every time I visit your blog, I get the itch to take out my pens and ink, along with a small pad and start sketching again. It has not only been years, it has been decades. Let's see what happens.

    I truly enjoy looking and studying your work.

    warmest regards,
    Egmont

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  24. Well Ken, now that you explained your intent behind the pole, it makes sense. It suddenly looks like a diptych..

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  25. And why did I just call you Ken? Sorry :)

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  26. I like the texture of your ShadowShot also. Like I can reach my hand into the photo and feel it!! Your painting is good too...now I need to see if I can see the original at the link.

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  27. First time here but 'old SSS player' - nice to meet you!
    I like the painting, shadow shot...
    Happy Sunday!

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  28. That is a great story! We love to see the scheduled time not from a watch or phone, but by the nuance of what goes on around us. You thought you were on time based on your experiences. Neat!

    The hotel seem so wonderful, a style lost on time while hotels of today seem to be designed and built by cookie cutter...

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  29. Such a talent you have!

    My Shadow Shots, have a lovely weekend!

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  30. Excellent shadow shot (and I like the painting too!)

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  31. Great shadows. I have been looking for one of those forever. Lovely!

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  32. Being on time is harder for people who tend to live in the moment (like artists) instead of on other people's schedules. I like the lines the bench shadow makes.

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  33. I have to agree with EG regarding schedules and living in the moment! I love your shadow shot, those benches do make a great photo subject where shadows are concerned! Hope you're enjoying a great weekend!

    Sylvia

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