Chinatown and Pink Plastic Bags
Chinatown centered on Grant Avenue and Stockton Street in San Francisco is the largest Chinatown outside of Asia and the oldest in North America. The first immigrants to come to San Francisco were two men and a woman in 1848, where it continues to retain it’s own customs, languages and culture.
Grant Avenue is the southern gateway to Chinatown and one of the oldest streets there in Chinatown. The architecture varies from Old St. Mary’s church to the Sing Chong Building of which I painted in “No Parking in Chinatown”.
The town is mainly populated by Canton region of China immigrants and new immigrants including those from Hong Kong and Mainland China.
You will find restaurants galore serving great dim sum, plus wildly colored markets carrying ethnic Asian spices, teas, and Chinese veggies.
Most people who visit Chinatown have a love hate relationship with it. But for a painter it’s a feast for my eyes. Chinatown’s colors are vivid, a colorist’s dream. The chaotic atmosphere, the brightly colored signs and unique shops add to my interest. It’s a Disneyland atmosphere of touristy trinkets. The contrast of the elders selling antiques and tourists carrying pink plastic shopping bags create a wonderful juxtaposition.
I will be showing you many more paintings from Chinatown and I hope I captured the energy of this interesting neighborhood and tourist attraction.
2k14 current footage 3728 sq. inches
*Painting above~It's Not Kiki's Market II, 36" x 36" acrylic on museum wrapped canvas, Price $3240
*All art from Janet Vanderhoof’s Fine Art Gallery, maybe seen in Janet’s studio at Morgan Hill, CA. You may purchase through contacting my email jvander51@msn.com or phone (408) 460-7237. Thank you!
A Better Deal Than Kayne’s Shoes & They Are Red Too!
The value of a dollar is social, as it is created by society.~Ralph Waldo Emerson
Societies values have gone awry. What is this world thinking people paying $16.39 million dollars on the previously sold out solid red Kayne West’s Nike Air Yeezy2 “Red October”? Call me crazy but I believe you can make better use of your money by choosing to support the arts. Celebrities and wantabe’s why not start purchasing art instead of wasting your money or do you think the Yeezy2 is a work of art, NOT!
Just completed Red Clay Pot and Chinatown Red, note the RED and worth the value. The paintings were created on museum wrapped canvas, no need to frame. I thought I would try something different and paint the edges a bright color, these are painted Cadmium red a beautiful red that will show off from all angles when hung, plus they would look great as a pair.
Thank you for supporting the arts!
*Red Clay Pot, measures 8" x 8" acrylic on museum wrapped canvas with red edges, price $225.00 Delivered anywhere in US.
*Chinatown Red, measure 8" x 8" acrylic on museum wrapped canvas with red edges, price $225.00 Delivered anywhere in US.
2k14 current footage 2432 sq. inches
*All art from Janet Vanderhoof’s Fine Art Gallery, maybe seen in Janet’s studio at Morgan Hill, CA. You may purchase through contacting my email jvander51@msn.com or phone (408) 460-7237. Thank you!
Does A Painting Always Need A Focal Point?
Is the use of a focal point in a painting discretionary? It has been argued that a painting doesn’t have the strength of composition without one. I am taking an online art course that includes the topic of focal points. The viewpoint taught is that all paintings must have one. It is in doing this course that has caused me to question, whether it is necessary or not. In the painting above, I have forced myself to create a focal point. In most cases, my paintings don’t have one. I prefer to have the viewer move around the canvas, explore and experience and not be inclined to stay in one area of the painting.
Let’s examine how a focal point is created.
- Placement: The eye is drawn to the center and front of the painting, yet finding an appealing location for the focal point is important. “Where do you want the viewers eye to go?”
- Contrast: The eye is attracted to the brightest area and the darkest dark next to the lightest light.
- Color: The viewer is also attracted to the brightest most vivid color, which can be intensified by the use of complimentary colors next to each other.
- Shape: A unique shape, a larger shape or an extremely active shape may suggest a focal point.
- Line direction and converging lines: Lines may direct your eye to the focal point by using architecture, calligraphy and intersecting lines. Anything can point to a focal point.
- Isolation: Separating subject from distracting elements can strengthen focal point.
- Focus: Anything that is more focused, defined, with sharp edges instead of blurred will strengthen focal point.
There are many famous artists that don’t use focal points in their paintings. Monet chose to capture an impression of the effects of light and color, as opposed to focusing on one patch of water lilies in this painting.
Hans Hoffman’s desire was to create an illusion of space, forcing the eye to move along the two-dimensional plane using color, shape and line.
Piet Mondrian’s grid paintings simplified his compositions to primary colors, white, and black lines intersecting vertically and horizontally focusing on the positive and negative shapes.
Learning the rules of good composition is important, but in the end you must make a decision for yourself.
What do you think? Does a painting have to have a focal point?
Hong Kong Clay Pot, oil on museum wrapped canvas, 48" x 48" Price $5760
2k14 current footage 2304 sq. inches
*All art from Janet Vanderhoof’s Fine Art Gallery, maybe seen in Janet’s studio at Morgan Hill, CA. You may purchase through contacting my email jvander51@msn.com or phone (408) 460-7237. Thank you!
I Did It!
"Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishments."~Jim Rohn
Yes, I did it! I completed my Art20k challenge to paint 20,000 square inches for the year 2013. My actual total for this year is 20,262 square inches. Last year, I painted over 15,000 and added 5,000 more for this year. I'm glad I did and I plan on painting more next year, but I will tell you more about my new challenge January 2014.
Having two goals back to back instills discipline.
What was difficult for me in the past has now become part of my life.
I am building a wonderful body of work.
My subject matter and style is becoming more refined.
I realize that this is becoming part of a bigger goal, part of my 5 year plan.
Goals help me stay on course and definitely see growth.
Art20K has helped me stay focused.
Having a measurable goal, an attainable, relevant and trackable goal, has made it very rewarding.
Making this goal public has given me reinforcement and encouragement.
An effective goal spills over to many parts of your life, it changes you.
I have risen from I can't do it to "I Did It".
I feel unstoppable.
I want to thank you all for your continued support. It wouldn't be the same without you. I realize that I need my community to help me continue my goals. A goal unshared becomes a meaningless goal. It is with much gratitude that I am able to share with you. Thank you!
[gravityform id="4" name="Purchase Original" title="false" description="false"] Painting above, "No Parking in Chinatown" measures 24" x 36' acrylic and oil on museum wrapped canvas $2160.00
*ART20K footage completed square inches 19398
*All art from Janet Vanderhoof’s Fine Art Gallery, maybe seen in Janet’s studio at Morgan Hill, CA. You may purchase through contacting my email jvander51@msn.com or phone (408) 460-7237. Thank you!
Happiness Project
Less is more~Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
“Happiness project” was a new adventure for me, painting a much larger painting than usual, (48” X 48”) and also have the under-painting be entirely bright red. For some reason the red under-painting made the canvas feel larger. Trying to have control in this unfamiliar setting was even more difficult.
I am definitely not a minimalist in a classic way, but when painting I like to use my teacher’s guideline, “when it says what it is there is no need to say more”.
Leaving bits and pieces of the red underpainting created a glow, especially when a transparent hue was used. When taking a photograph, the reflection of the red under-painting vibrated, that is why I took a video of the detail to give you a better view of the color and value.
I was concerned about painting the red out. I found myself asking the question “When is the painting finished?” That one extra stroke can put it over the edge.
When do you think the painting is finished? Have you ever gone to far?
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wq89E-TSZ-s[/youtube]
*ART20K footage completed 9380 square inches.
*Painting "Happiness Project" measures 48" X 48", oil on museum wrapped canvas, price $5760.
*All art from Janet Vanderhoof’s Fine Art Gallery, maybe seen in Janet’s studio at Morgan Hill, CA. You may purchase through contacting my email jvander51@msn.com or phone (408) 460-7237. Thank you!