Al Mac's (Justly Famous) Painting

I’ve come to think of my paintings as portraits, even though my subjects are inanimate objects. With each my paintings, I’m trying to visually articulate to the viewer what I find beautiful or poignant about a particular sign. My creative career started with studying industrial design and graphic design at RISD. After graduating, I settled in Providence, RI . Around that time, I became interested in historic preservation as I noticed some of my favorite local architecture and signage being torn down for new development. I also was at the beginning of my design career, but soon found that I had more to express than is possible with design alone. I longed to make art. I began to paint and quickly focused on using painting as a medium to document the buildings and signs that I loved. As my painting progressed, I started to hone in on the signs themselves. To me, a sign can embody a lot of meaning- history, community, commerce, impermanence, obsolescence. I am also taken by the sculptural beauty of signs and strive to pay homage to the craftsmanship and artistry of the sign maker. My process for creating a painting begins with extensive photography of a subject. Back in my studio, I choose my reference photograph based on the angle that I feel best accentuates the subject. Working from that photograph, I create a drawing— cropping, editing and adjusting in order to create an impactful image. I choose to eliminate rust and texture, opting to focus on form. Every element included in the image is intended to enhance the composition and direct the eye. My approach to painting combines hard-edge technique and carefully blended transitions. I work in oils, applying paint slowly and meticulously, without masking. I eliminate visible brushstrokes, aiming to create a textureless surface. The result is a bold, graphic, idealized portrait that reflects what I find most powerful about the subject.