Rosie the Riveter

For Long Pose, two weeks ago, we had Shelley being "Rosie the Riveter" . I didn't do the full figure. but rather more a portrait. Shelley did a great job with her hair up in a net and make-up like WWII period. This is my mixed media approach with drawing in charcoal on watercolour paper ( 140 lbs), then a wash with yellow, blue and red acrylic, blow-dry, apply acrylic ground for pastels, blow-dry, finish in pastels. Then, a few days later, the real Rosie the Riveter - the woman who inspired the original art work, died- so she was in the news again. She was 90-something when she passed away.The timing was a strange coincidence.

Honest Ed's

My other "City Evening" paintings are smaller- 16x20 - but I felt this called for a larger canvas so it is 20x30. Painted last year - this year is too  new for completed paintings!  Alas, Honest Eds has now closed - and the signs here show some burnt-out bulbs as things were headed in that direction at the time of this reference shot. I always am drawn to reflections so I liked the reflected lights on the wet pavement contrasting with the pedestrians almost only as silhouettes. I also liked the fact that there would be a story with each person. Were they shopping -or just heading home from work? My other "City Evening" paintings are on earlier blogs - I'm not sure if I will do more later or not- it is interesting to try to have both the cool of a winter evening and yet some warmth to the painting. There is definitely more working with tonal contrast, than say, a Spring garden scene. Yet, this is the reality of winter in a city and we all know what it feels like!