Friday, August 19, 2011

Los Angeles River Sketch






















This painting is an interpretation of the Hyperion Avenue Bridge as seen from the Los Angeles River Greenway Trail, looking South.

I was hiking south along the Los Angeles River Greenway Trail taking photos of the river for reference. It was a warm Saturday morning in June and the trees in the river were bright yellow and green. The river was flowing gently and reflected the blue sky perfectly. I simplified the bridge architecture in order to communicate the pure elegance of the scene more effectively: the calm blue river, ducks flying overhead, the trees growing in the water, the graceful arches of the bridge, and the power lines. This is the essence of the Los Angeles River to me, nature coexisting with industry in an interesting juxtapositioning of unrelated elements.

This painting is going to be on the cover of the October Westways Magazine.