Looking South

[Bongo]

An amazing light show looking south

the set up on a pedestrian overpass.

Not only did I not have a plan on how to paint this, I did not have a clue. So I just got loose and let it rip - whatever happened happens.

happening

happened

"Looking South" oil on 16"x20" panel
painted Dec 29 - the last chance I had to do plein air until just now in February.

comments welcomed:

 

[Artyczar]

Love your cars. This is a great one. I can almost hear the traffic. I love how the sights along the sides of the road are blurred out/fading into each other. Very cool painting!

 

[Enyaw]

Nice depth of field

 

[Jo Castillo]

Beautiful sky and traffic. Never thought I'd say beautiful traffic!

 

[Donna T]

I thought the same as Jo - you made traffic beautiful! That sky was too good to pass up.

 

[Bongo]

Arty, Wayne, Jo, Donna thank you all, much appreciated. Especially for this painting!

This guy on a bike stopped and watched me paint. Nice guy and it turns out he's an accomplished stain glass artist. Showed me some photos of his work. He was genuinely interested in the process of painting and full of questions, then finally asked "What is it you're painting??" -

That has to be the most debilitating question a person could ask. "the scene down below, the street, cars, horizon.,.." He looked closely at the painting, but just couldn't see it. "Okay, this is a lot looser than I generally paint -- but that's a car, that's a car, street light". Still couldn't make out anything - and he was a bit embarrassed about it. Then he left to continue his daily bike ride to the zoo.

Then just as I was heading back to my car, he was coming back from his trip. "Okay, let me show you the finished painting, no you still don't see it? (pointing) That's a car, another car, the street..." He shook his head no, just couldn't put it together.

 

[Donna T]

How weird that the guy couldn’t understand your painting. It’s not like you painted an abstract interpretation of cars, traffic and the distant horizon. He might need a good eye exam and I don’t think I’d ride in a car with him!

 

[Ayin Es]

Arty, Wayne, Jo, Donna thank you all, much appreciated. Especially for this painting!

This guy on a bike stopped and watched me paint. Nice guy and it turns out he's an accomplished stain glass artist. Showed me some photos of his work. He was genuinely interested in the process of painting and full of questions, then finally asked "What is it you're painting??" -

That has to be the most debilitating question a person could ask. "the scene down below, the street, cars, horizon.,.." He looked closely at the painting, but just couldn't see it. "Okay, this is a lot looser than I generally paint -- but that's a car, that's a car, street light". Still couldn't make out anything - and he was a bit embarrassed about it. Then he left to continue his daily bike ride to the zoo.

Then just as I was heading back to my car, he was coming back from his trip. "Okay, let me show you the finished painting, no you still don't see it? (pointing) That's a car, another car, the street..." He shook his head no, just couldn't put it together.

Hey Bongo, I just read this on my phone (hence logged in on my admin account) and thought it was so funny and interesting . I think some people, despite that they can be in a creative field like stained glass, just can't see art unless it's entirely literal. Only realism can compute in their brains or something. Maybe it's a left side/right side thing, or whatever region translates these kinds of things. What a strange phenomenon.

 

[Bongo]

I've given this a lot of thought.

He was biking to the zoo, so that was his initial mindset, then caught off guard by me painting.
I think he assumed, like a lot of people do, that I'm painting the scene directly in front of me , whereas I'm actually painting the scene out the window to my left. So all time he's watching me, asking questions - he's trying to map what I'm painting to the trees, houses, hills, etc. that are a ways down the bridge in front of me. Trying really hard to meld my painting with the wrong scene. Then when I tell him I'm painting cars and roads and street lights - he can't make the transition.

Also he works all day with little bits of colored glass - so he's accustomed to thinking in small flat areas of color outlined in black. I think he felt a bit of panic not being able to see the painting for what it was.

First impressions, in this case the wrong first impression, can be very powerful, hypnotic, and cause you to discard any contrary information.

On his bike ride, he had time to think about it. And when he came back the second time, I think he had convinced himself that I was the problem and just didn''t know how to paint.

 

[Artyczar]

Maybe he wasn't human.

 

[Terri]

Well, aside from this bizarre encounter with a very nice, but maybe confused, individual, I think you had a great day! This one is a lot of fun. It might be the busiest painting I've seen from you. The cars, traffic, leading lines - it's all noisy and congested, and you nailed it!

 

[snoball]

I can't imagine that he couldn't see what the scene is! I think it is quite distinct. But you sure are a glutton for punishment, taking on such a busy, complicated scene! You shaved it down nicely and it works very well. Well done, Bongo.

 

[Bongo]

Terri, Sno thank you!