"Old City Hall and Reflection" Painting

My paintings depict buildings, landscapes and nature in an urban setting.  The repeating patterns in architecture and other manmade objects; like cars and power-lines, is a visual language that I return to often. I use this language to depict urban settings that are often absent of people or juxtaposed with nature. I am interested in the similarities between cityscape and landscape. Objective skill in painting is something I have always been drawn to. I particularly admire the work of American artists  John Singer Sargent and Robert Henry. Like the Ashcan school I am interested in depicting everyday subject matter more than romantic idealized subjects. However, I tend more often to loose expressive brushstrokes, and I look at my subject matter as a mere framework on which to paint. I like to think of skill in painting as a tool that aids in expressing emotions. I base most of my paintings on photographs. The subject matter of my paintings is not nearly as important as the paint itself. Therefore, I don’t usually devote much time to working and reworking my composition. Rather, I prefer quick snapshots taken with my iPhone the moment I am inspired by a particular view, than I do careful planning. The way I apply paint is more important than where, or how.  Different buildings, structures, and scenery are important in so much as they inspire different and interesting paint marks.