New Painting: Astoria Rooftops

Astoria Rooftops, 2010-11, oil on linen, 10 x 8 inches

I began this painting as a plein air study last August from the rooftop of my building. It was one of those impulse paintings when you don't care about the time or place, you just have to do it. After getting home from work one evening, I went up there and loved how Astoria looked from above at sunset. Because it was so late in the day I had limited amount of time and light, and so the painting was left unfinished. Later through the fall and winter it became a studio piece, but I never fully committed to it, at least not until the last couple of weeks when I decided I couldn't drag this one out any longer. I got to work and was able to finish it last night. The painting is a bit more detailed than I originally intended, but I didn't fight it. I'm proud of this little piece, and I think this may have sparked a series of Astoria rooftop paintings.