Limited Palette, the BD look

25x25 oil on linen 

 For years now everyone who sees my paintings in the beginning stages tells me to leave them like they are.  So be it. 

Recently Suzanne came to a party and said, "that is the Paris of my memories." 

Urban life was less colourful.  Neon signage wasn't in your face and we didn't have cell phones.  Quel horreur.  No internet. Sacré Bleue.  Things were dusty, or perhaps it's my memory.

So I've had BDs in mind. If you're French you know what a BD is.  It is a bande dessiné, a graphic novel.  The French are master illustrators. Here is a great website BDNET.COM  to find the latest tendences and those all time classics.  I love XIII. 

Eat your heart out.

Party in Times Square - a paletteknife painting of NYCParty

Party in Times Square

36x36cm oil on canvas

I tried to get that night atmosphere with the glaring lights

Soon to be on sale at Carré d'Artistes

Times Square Sunset - a palette knife painting of NYC

Times Square Sunset - 36x36cm oil on canvas

It's so thick looks like Nutella on toast. 

Years ago if I came across this painting I might have scorned.  Too easy, yeah right.  After painting like this I realize how much skill it takes, more concnetration, no time to waste, no strokes out of place.  This painting will be on sale with Carré d'Artistes some time soon.

Long Island Highway

LongIsland Highway

30x30cm

ol on linen

Broadway Traffic

Broadway Traffic

30x30cm

oil on linen

This is for a new gallery. 

Help me decide the title of this painting

I've thought of three titles.

Tell me which one you like best and if you have another idea leave a comment.

Cruising 

is the title voted, thanks for participating

100x120 cm oil on canvas

This will be either in my show in May or in the salon in June.

I working with a different technique than normal, less alla prima. Last week my studio neighbor asked me when I was going to stop painting by numbers. I didn't flare up, offended, but I did try to justify myself.  

He said I could do better.  So I thought about it. 

He graduated from the Beaux Arts de Paris and is teaching.  I may not like his work and think he's a failure of an artist because he's a teacher. This is a rotten unfair opinion, life is different for everyone, he's younger than I, has a few kids.  I can't consider him a failure because he is teaching painting but I do.  

I thought about what he said and I like him because he says what he thinks straight in your face. 

I decided to try to paint differently and here is the result.

Thanks Phillip, you've helped me free my brush.  

You're a teacher who see people's qualities.  I appreciate your opinion.  Now get your ass in the studio and paint.

Gotham Street

Gotham Street

101x80cm

oil on linen

Of course this is a joke.  Do you read Batman?

Here is the next one, it's bigger...

I like the way it started, love the drips.   Will ever loosen up and let these "mistakes" show.  

Will I finish this one before the end of the world?  Isn't that supposed to be 21-12-2012

What a mess my palette...

Another big one

Here is another 100x150cm canvas.  I like the abstraction in the underpainting

I love my atelier

Experimenting with spray paints

This is one of the largest paintings I've done recently; 100x150cm.   I decided to post my progress.  It may become the invitation to my next show:  The Grand Marché d'Art Contemporain at the Bastille (Paris) from 1 to 5 November.  We'll see when it's finished.

An exciting thing that I recently wished for is to utilize spray paints in my paintings.  To my delight, when I moved into my new space I discovered boxes of spray paints that my friend left for me.    

It's great to be experimenting again. 

Here is a detail.  I think that it blends well with my urban landscapes.  I love that the colors dry so quickly and leave an absorbent matt surface.  It makes for great contrast with the oils.

Here is a detail of the top left corner, looks like an iced cake, that's the spatula knife.  

Le Dome

Le Dome

60x60cm oil on linen

The Dome is one of those gorgeous historical cafe's on Boulevard Montparnasse, a great place for a continental breakfast and people watching.  This is another from the series of the Parisien Blue hour.

It feels good to finish a painting.  After all the parties the last few months I was seriously wondering if  I needed to hire some new elves, you know, the ones that paint while I socialize.  Isn't that what artists do? Yes, we hire elves to paint for us. 

Place Colette - Paris

Place Colette - Paris

60x60 cm, oil on linen.

Who doesn't know Colette, what a femme!

and here is a better photo of the Hotel du Louvre

my palette- work in progress

Recently I was contacted and asked to share my palette.  Here is a photo:

From left to right the colors are:

on top left -Ivory black (it is reddish because the tube I bought was slightly defective, but the color is fantastic - kind of a mixture of cadmium red middle with ivory black), left front is Ivory Black, then second on top left is Prussian blue, Phtalo Green, Ultra Marine blue, Cobalt violet, Quinachridone, Ochre, Permanent Red, Cadmium Red middle, Cadmium Orange, Cadmium Yellow middle, Titanium White.  The light green on the left is some color that I bought by mistake and can't remember the name. The  light blue next to it is left over of mixture.  

I use a medium to dilute the oils that consists of 98%  thinner (not turpentine) a few drops of refined linseed oil and a few drops of crystal varnish.  I use cotton rags to clean my brushes with.

When I start a painting I usually begin with the most important colors that set a tone to the painting.   Here is the next night scene of Paris 

Hotel Du Louvre

Hotel du Louvre

60x60cm oil on linen

This photo was taken with my HTC phone and doesn't do the painting justice.  So many colors are washed out.  When the batteries recharge on my serious camera I'll get a better image. 

Anyway the I like the painting because it is of that hour of the day in Paris which is so special, the BLUE HOUR.  It is my pet - the parisian blue hour - when all the terraces fill for the apero, especially on warmer days.  

Happy birthday Caterina V.!

Beep Beep! - back to NYC

Beep Beep!

50x50cm oil on canvas

More and more I want to abstract what I am painting.  It's like jazz, I don't really like jazz but only a person with a hellova technique can play jazz.    I feel like I know what I'm doing so now it's time to have fun.

Green Light

Green Light

oil on canvas, 40x40cm

I've been hiding out painting the last ten days.  This highway intersection is in Long Island, the power lines are amazing in Long Island. 

Below is what I am working on, note how the bright colors are blocked in first.  They set the tone for the whole painting.  The middle ground is an abstraction of juxtaposed colors and contrast.  It's a scene from Boulevard Saint Germain in the 6th- Paris

Lemon Car

Lemon Car

30x30cm, oil on linen canvas

Broadway

Broadway

80x65cm

oil on linen canvas.

Happy New Year, a little late.  Here is the first painting of 2012 the year of abundance!

Contest continues now you vote

Dominique en Velo

12x12 cm oil on canvas

Here are the choices for the possible winner of a signed catalogue:  Showtime or Laguardia Please or Taxi 4D90 

you have until thursday 22 December to vote. I loved all the entries, thanks for commenting now you vote. One vote per person and you can vote your own title, of course.

1 LauraInSeattle said... "Showtime"

2 Brian Killeen   "title contest: laguardia please

3 'Taxi 4D90' by Helen Cooper here on the blog and Stuart Weiner on the website DailyPaintWorks.


 the same title n3 was suggested by two people so if this one wins I will send a catalogue to each of the two persons that suggested the same title.  Sorry for this mix up next time I'll be more clear about posting the title suggestions as comments one this blog.

Mail Truck and Name That Painting Contest

Mail Truck 

oil on canvas 30x30 cm SOLD

This was a refreshing painting to do.  The Long Island power lines where the inspiration but the application of the paint felt like painting watercolors

If you haven't suggested a title for the painting from last friday's post just below you're missing a chance to win a signed copy of my NYC Streets catalogue.  Three titles will be selected Thursday and then you will vote on the winner.  Look below for all the details..

Contest, name this painting:

Help me name this canvas, the winner will receive a signed soft cover copy of my catalogue on NYC urban landscapes.  Link is on the left

The contest works like this:

Post a comment here suggesting the title that you like.`

One title per person. 

 Thursday December 15th I will choose three comments and post them.  

Then you will vote on the comment you like best. The comment with the title that gets the most comments wins.

The painting is 70x100cm oil on canvas and here is almost finished.