Following the miraculous crash landing of Flight 1549 in the Hudson, I was compelled to celebrate on canvas. This piece, which was recently sold, began with a New York Post cover and some drawing. Process after the jump.
Posting a tactile piece of imagery to the canvas always sets an interesting foundation for a piece. Of course, by now you are probably aware of my addiction to the NY Post.
What does this type of event mean to the world? US Airways received publicity that was simultaneously devastating and overwhelmingly positive. Then there is the stock market… how does an averted tragedy affect the markets?
The days of picking up a tactile newspaper will be coming to an end over the next decade. In retrospect, a piece of newspaper will mean something to those who remember such “pedestrian” means of knowledge transfer.
In the past, I have spent a great deal of time masking lines to ensure they are straight and accurate. For this piece, a hand drawn approach made more sense – it was critical to capture the energy of such an event, which included a great deal of unexpected chaos.
Almost fully drawn and ready for color splash.
Now for some darker outlines. If I so much as catch a glimpse at a Max Beckmann during the course of a painting, the outlines begin to flow like wine.
Primary and secondary color splashing, nearly straight out of the tube.
Looking to create some balance, it was at this point I determined the background color.
Nearly there.
The icy blue was inspired by the frigid temperature of the Hudson when the plane landed. Had Flight 1549 stayed together but submerged, there would have been significant casualties from hypothermia alone. Excellent rescue efforts.
And the final on the easel, as a tribute to going above and beyond to save others.
One comment
Comments are closed.