Williamsburg, Brooklyn Ferry

It is said sometimes that the artwork of an artist will reflect his mood or state of being at the time of its creation. There is a quality of light that I very much feel brings me comfort and familiarity in this painting. I have often touted Edward Hopper and George Bellows as a couple of my favorite painters. They are my favorite specifically because of the way they capture the very light I am trying to show here. My young boys, wife and I recently took our very first road trip together as a family. We drove up to Asheville, North Carolina, for the first few days, then meandered through the Blue Ridge Parkway for awhile and went up to where I grew up in Hudson County New Jersey. We spent time with family and dear friends. All the while I knew that the light around me (especially that awesome time late in the day when the colors coalesce and the shadows become longer) was one of the key ingredients to making me feel truly comfortable and at ease. You know, like a vacation is supposed to. The location from which this image comes from is apparently pretty well known. The many New Yorkers that visit South Beach (where my studio is) instantly recognize this Williamsburg scene.

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Painting of studio parking lot after the rain

One of the aspects I am aware of is the difference in the quality of light that falls over south Florida as compared to where I am from in northern New Jersey. One of my favorite paintings by George Bellows captures that northern light most strikingly. His "Winter Afternoon" painting gives me comfort. In that painting he captures the view of the Palisades where I grew up. I knew well the little jagged orange that represent the morning sun on those cliffs. I can go on and on, my point is that the representation of light is a catalyst to certain moods for me. In this painting a torrential rain had fallen over my studio in the early evening. As it often rains here the clouds moved fast and it was clear again leaving the parking lot wet. Little puddles acted like a mirror to the sky above. The light danced and jumped all over my vision bringing me a sense of excitement that I had to try and capture.

Back in the Alley Trading Hands

This is the first painting I have done that is finished with a palette knife. Over the years I have been wary of paintings done with a palette knife, too many have a sort of look that bothers me. I guess the context in which I have seen these kinds of works has something to do with it: they are usually boldly displayed in cheap frame shops. They tend to have a uniform finish as if no care was taken by the artist to follow the form depicted, any how, yuck! I have developed a speed over the years in beginning a painting, I think I followed the advise of an artist I briefly studied with around 2001 or 2002 at the Arts Students League Ms. Mary Beth McKenzie. She had me begin a painting over and over again. I think that the value I have gained in this practice was to really let go of any worries as it pertains to be too perfect. You gain a sort of bravery this way because you realize that paint goes on in layers, so that any seemingly "wrong" passage can be corrected with a

Art by John Sanchez

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