Night Life Painting

I like urban scenes because they offer a distinct set of challenges from more rural settings. In this work, primary light sources are rendered in yellow and cream, with the palette getting increasingly cooler as the subject matter recedes into the shadows. Only minimal detail is included, allowing the bold colors and expressive paint handling to be the dominant visual source. The surface of my works is textured, partly from the way in which I prepare the surface, and partly due to the style of painting, with thick paint applied with energy. This is deliberate, as I want to create works in which the "hand of the artist" is evident. Soft lighting is important when hanging, enhancing the color and energy, and minimizing the surface texture. The sides of the gallery-wrapped canvas are painted brown, and it arrives wired and ready to hang.