December, 2010

Afternoon on SW 11th Street (watercolor 10 x 14) $200

This is downtown Portland about a block south of Burnside.    The little building peaking out on the left is our Portland mecca, Powell’s Books.  But it’s the bright old fashioned brick building lit up by the sun in contrast with the glass and steel building behind them that caught my eye.

I simplified the buildings considerably, taking out much brick ornamentation.  I eliminated a few street lights and lamps too.  I also moved the shadow forward a little to encompass all of the foreground cars.  Before I made the change, the closest left-hand car stole the show. The pedestrian was on the  on the scene, but not where I’ve placed him.  My applogies to the Joyce Hotel whose name I removed from their canopy since it drew too much attention to itself.

The palate is simple, cobalt blue, phthalo blue, quinacridone brown madder, and raw sienna.