Bleeker and Thompson St., NYC

"Red Awning"  8x8"  Oil  SOLD

A while back I was asked to do a painting for American Express that they could use as window sticker to be placed on doors of retail stores in cities in and around New York. They asked for a "typical" NYC image, so I headed downtown, and did a painting of the other street corner (the left hand side that doesn't show here). In typical NYC political fashion, the upper east side merchants wanted a scene that depicted their neck of the woods. So as luck would have it, I was hired to do two paintings, to make everyone happy. (No one was happier than me). This painting was from the pictures I took for that Amex job.  It was a cloudy day, but the job was a "rush" so no time to wait for better light.
Yesterday I came upon this photo and decided to paint it, but wanted to change it to a sunny day. I don't usually do that - but  that beautiful red awning seemed to need some drama. By adding some shadows and strong highlights I think I kinda pulled it off. And if I didn't, thats OK... it's definitely snappier than the photo.

Want to paint urban landscapes in an ancient hillside town in Italy? Come to the Cortona, Tuscany Workshop, Sept 24 - Oct 1, 2014.