Strip Doors, 12x16, oil on linen

The morning light yesterday cut a blazing path across these shadowed doors in the Strip District. It reminded me of a Franz Kline painting. He used huge brush strokes to create dynamic impact. There is one in the Carnegie Museum that is just awesome. I kind of imagined this scene as a Kline painting done with just a few brush strokes.

Roof Tops, 22 x 30, oil on canvas

Lots of streets in Pittsburgh are stacked up on each other. Often the view from an alley is the roof tops of neighbors. In this painting of lower Lawrenceville, the late afternoon light created an interesting pattern of shadows. I especially liked the chimney shadow on the tan roof which became the focal point of the four houses. The distant hills created a nice illusion of depth to contrast the foreground.

Street Shadows, 6" x 6", oil on panel

The morning light has been great this week. This study, done just two hours ago, is an example of it. My morning commute takes me through some interesting neighborhood streets. It is easy to stop and explore the possibilities. Here I was trying to show what it feels like to look up the street. Because of the shifting light my time was very limited.  That is why I worked on a small Masonite panel. Not a lot of detail but that's OK. The study captured what I intended–the essence of a Pittsburgh morning.