Metal...

My friend Jerome saw this painting and said, “metal is hard.” Yes it is, and it’s also hard to paint. But once you let go of the idea of painting metal, and just start looking at it as a series of shapes and colors, it gets easier. Airstreams are particularly fun to paint because not only are they reflective metal, but they are also rounded, so they have really interesting reflections. They tell a viewer a lot about their environment, just through the colors of the metal. When painting a scene like this I have to really let go of the idea of what I’m painting and just focus on the colors and shapes of what I see. Put the right color in the right place, and assume it will all work out. This 18×24″ painting is one of my new favorites.

4 Responses to “Metal”

1. jan says:

   January 24, 2013 at 11:29 am

   It’s one of my new favourites too–wow!
2. suzanne hoffman says:

   January 25, 2013 at 2:50 pm

   Really fabulous! Another one I want to make larger on the screen to get a better look at your colors and how you’ve laid them down (hint hint, winter is such a good time to talk to your web designer ).
   All my best,
   Suzanne
3. Rusty Jones says:

   January 26, 2013 at 10:49 am

   Really excellent expression. Simple shapes, simply stated for an overall powerful painting.
4. Anonimius says:

   January 27, 2013 at 1:17 pm

   “so they have really interesting reflections. They tell a viewer a lot about their environment…”

   Why do I feel happier after I look at the color and tonal combination on that representation of a metal Airstream? How do you do it, Page, how do you do it.