From Newport Polo to New York City

I finished my last polo pony a few weeks ago.  I had one more to get out of my system, and now I'm done!  Maybe I'll paint more if I go to another polo match in the summer (if it ever gets here), but for now I think I've exhausted my subject matter.

If there's one thing I've learnt from these paintings, it's not to be afraid of getting close to your subject, or of trying something different.  Getting rid of the background was the best thing I did, and it's a little surprising that I didn't think of it myself.  It seems so obvious now.  But that's one of the benefits of having some great artist buddies.  A little suggestion like not having to paint the background exactly as it was in the photo, or just leaving it out altogether and sticking with the red, made all the difference.

I'm now working on a few pieces of New York, a subject I haven't tackled since 2009.  Wow, how time flies!  My current piece is a sunlit New York building.  I love the old architecture of New York.  The detail and skill involved in creating these works of art in their own right is amazing.  Unfortunately, I have no idea what building this is.  Could be any where in New York city.  I walked around so much I got blisters.  Ouch!  But wherever it was, aside from its obvious beauty, it was probably the light and shadow (my favorite subject) that first captured my attention.

The painting's obviously in its rough stages at the moment.  I'll make corrections along the way.  Getting the dimensions and perspective right, and everything lined up, is pretty important when you're painting any kind of structure.  Otherwise it just doesn't work.  Buildings need to have solidity and balance, or when you start simplifying and taking artistic license the painting won't work.

This piece has been somewhat slow going, but I'm making steady progress.  I'm chomping at the bit to get more painting done this afternoon.

 Polo Pony V - 16x20"

NYC Shadows (work in progress) - 14x18"