The Trading Musician

[Bongo]

I set up across from The Trading Musician on Roosevelt and Ravenna in Seattle - a Citidal to local musicians, famous and not so much. They let you play even if you're not there to buy anything.... but no playing "Stairway to Heaven"... seriously, not joking.

As this guy walked by he gave me a thumbs up and hollered "I like it". So I was off to a good start -- actually, I hadn't painted anything yet but I thanked him anyway. Another asked me what was my favorite painting I made. That had me totally flummoxed. Rattled I said something like " I couldn't really say..." He looked at me sideways then walked away...... which was fine by me.

the sketch

the block in:

"The Trading Musician" oil on 18" x 14" panel. Lettering done in studio.

comments welcomed.

 

[MurrayG]

Hi Bongo. You always surprise. I would never expect these urban scenes to catch one. Really like the sign totem pole.

 

[Artyczar]

"They let you play even if you're not there to buy anything.... but no playing Stairway to Heaven... seriously, not joking."



Love this Bongo. Another great success! Good light and shadow in the yellow building here.

 

[Bongo]

Murray, thanks. I have the most problems with finding a place to set up to paint the scene. I like to paint "same-size" which calls for getting aways from the subject -- inevitably there are cars, signs, buildings, trees, streets, etc. in the way.

Thanks Ayin, this was something I had wanted to paint for awhile.

 

[Jo Castillo]

I like this and your same size way of painting. Helps on perspective, eh? I like your technique on lettering and lights. Applause.

 

[Bongo]

I like this and your same size way of painting. Helps on perspective, eh? I like your technique on lettering and lights. Applause.

Thanks Jo, and yes perspective in cityscapes gets challenging if you don't do same-size. In a landscape you might add a rock to improve a composition and if it's too big you make it smaller. But in a cityscape, you add a car and if you make it smaller it looks like a toy, or a person looks like a little kid.

 

[snoball]

You do such a good job with these pleine air cityscapes, Bongo. Very well done.

 

[Terri]

I think someone who works at this store has a subtle sense of humor.

Great job here, Bongo! Your plein air work is always inspiring.

 

[Kyle Martin]

Nice work! Where do you live?
I also like seeing your setup in your posts, I think I’m seeing a palette garage and a frame that your painting is in that turns into a wet panel carrier?
Happy painting!

 

[Bongo]

Nice work! Where do you live?
I also like seeing your setup in your posts, I think I’m seeing a palette garage and a frame that your painting is in that turns into a wet panel carrier?
Happy painting!

Terri -thanks.

Kyle - I'm in Seattle and that IS a palette garrage. I cover the strip that the paint goes on with a layer of blue tape so you can just peel off the paint-with-the- tape when dried up.

The frame is a 16" x20"store-bought 3/4" cradled panel, that I shimmed to 1" so it fits snuggly in the easel. I attach a 14"x18" painting panel to the backside. Makes a rock solid support for painting. Then when I'm finished painting I cover the back of the cradle (with the painting still inside) with a piece of foamcore using fat rubber bands.

 

[JStarr]

I set up across from The Trading Musician on Roosevelt and Ravenna in Seattle - a Citidal to local musicians, famous and not so much. They let you play even if you're not there to buy anything.... but no playing "Stairway to Heaven"... seriously---

I just saw this- GREAT catch- looks just like the place!

Did you know this place is where Sir Terry Pratchett got the overall idea for "Blert Wheedown", who made guitars and other fine stringed instruments in Ankh-Morpork, and his approach to people who wanted to be a rock and roll star without any intervening issues such as practice or musical ability--- in the book Soul Music.

"'[...] if anyone comes in and tries to play Pathway to Paradise [the troll on the door] he's to pull their head off."
'Pathway to Paradise' is the Discworld version of Led Zeppelin's rock anthem 'Stairway to Heaven'.

The Annotated Pratchett File v9.0 - Soul Music

Terry Pratchett's work is full of references, allusions, parodies and in-jokes. Hundreds of such references have been collected in the Annotated Pratchett File (APF). This page is part of the on-line version of the APF and contains all the annotations for the book "Soul Music".

www.lspace.org

 

[Kyle Martin]

Terri -thanks.

Kyle - I'm in Seattle and that IS a palette garrage. I cover the strip that the paint goes on with a layer of blue tape so you can just peel off the paint-with-the- tape when dried up.

The frame is a 16" x20"store-bought 3/4" cradled panel, that I shimmed to 1" so it fits snuggly in the easel. I attach a 14"x18" painting panel to the backside. Makes a rock solid support for painting. Then when I'm finished painting I cover the back of the cradle (with the painting still inside) with a piece of foamcore using fat rubber bands.

Thanks for the reply! I like the palette garage, it’s nice to be able to put unused paint in the freezer until next time. I don’t use one, but to freeze my paint in my small master win palette.
Also great use for the store bought panel and foam core for a wet panel carrier. 14x18 is an underrated size, and I love working on that format while outdoors.
Happy painting,
Kyle

 

[Kyle Martin]

there was an error in the message above, it's a masterson palette, not master win.

 

[Grapes]

I like this piece a lot. This cityscape has lots of things to design and paint, to fit all that in the painting. Excellent interpretation of the challenging scene. When painting on the street people tend to stop by or say a word or two. Sometimes it's nice, other times distracting.