The Lonely Robot

Panamax Update: The Chop

I've been busy.  As of yesterday I have all nine of my canvases prepared for the Panamax show, and I have all the images "chopped" in. 

My printmaking experience is helping me immensely with this series - breaking the composition down to the core contrast of black and white, and starting the painting there, is helpful on many fronts: first, it makes me begin thinking of the lights and darks immediately, and second, after I have my line defined, it gives me the areas where I can fill in the color fields.  The latter is the next step.  I'll document that here, too.

For now, here is the entire series in order (see source images here), in what I am calling Stage 1: The Chop

Panama - 48"x36"

International - 48"x36"

Anvil - 36"x36"

Looking Port - 36"x36"

Stacks - 48"x24"

Departing - 24"x48"

Portal - 48"x60"

Above the Bridge - 60"x30"

and a late addition:

Davits 2 - 48"x48"

Here is a photo of me with some of the paintings to show scale:

 

 

Panamax Begins Today

I am beginning a new series of paintings this week for this show, Panamax, in which I will be sharing a bill with my friend and fellow artist Mike Kimball.

I am going to monitor my progress here.  Today, I have finalized my images.  In the following days and weeks, I will be musing on my inspiration, my process, and be documenting everything until I hit the finish line. 

Let me begin with the images I will be basing my paintings on. Many I have taken, and others have been provided by my friend Justin Watt, who rode the cargo ship Cap Cleveland from Philly to New Zealand this summer.  He very generously allowed me to base some paintings on them.

Here are the images I am using for my paintings, titled and listed with the dimensions of the final piece:

Panama Canal - 48x36

 

International - 48x36 - I took this shot in the Oakland shipyards. 

Anvil - 36x36 - Oakland Shipyards

Hopper - 36x36 - Taken by Justin

Stacks - 24x48 - from the Oakland Shipyards

Departing - 24x48 - from Justin when leaving the harbor of Cartagena, Columbia

Portal - 48x60 - from Justin.  Wow, just wow.

Above the Bridge - 60x30 - From the bridge of the Cap Cleveland.  Thanks Justin!

Stay tuned for more....