My first trip outside of the US was to London… my brother, Tim, lived there… this city holds a special place in my heart. So, you can imagine how stoked I was to be commissioned by Randi and David Wender to create this painting as a gift for their newlywed friends — Lara and Neil (congratulations!)
https://www.facebook.com/borbay/videos/781377472208892/?__xts__[0]=68.ARCMv2ac_MhRyKPCK1h3FCtsflXGQJDmfZBIRxlm1DILWTZ5I3XMXTw4wU4QgxZBZoMeM5fuACd9Rm6xP4rOOcnFUwxsvrFiWhpJLTX5R6_I0mCDSf4Vh3QI_bFoLZJU7r_1uSm-mtSqco_Id67W-V5lUY-2GQ74LCk6yxnn_pT7goR-2OeEBF4SvY7qwgO_EWMsqUUC6nsGL0OxcglPbYWdBwtiWyXsydbO&__tn__=-R
You can check the entire process inside 60-seconds… dig that song? Check out The Rotaries…
Kicking things off with a basic outline, and some deep-orange in the sky.
Ah, that cadmium red… gets me every time. The logistics for this painting presented a problem (alliteration FTW) — would I get into the wheel, and paint around it? Or, would I attack the sky first, and hit the colors last?
Now it’s time for the sky… night skies in cities have a certain flavor to them… I thought this captured it, but I would eventually have to repaint to create a richer gradient.
By now, you probably smelled the pie I was cooking… go background first, wheel last. The more time I spend on this phase, the better the final painting… but it’s a challenge to live in the shadows on what will ultimately be a colorful canvas.
But all that ennui fades when the lights come out to play…
This was the first major turning point… I added the structure to the wheel, in the blue you often see in the skyline. The stanchions caught some purple, pink and blue… and are ready to support the wheel…
And after turning the canvas a few dozen times, I was able to nail down the wheel. Painting the color was a blast… there are three tones for each shade, and they bleed into one another. All that remains in the water, and tightening up some buildings.
And voila! The London Eye. Thank you Dave and Randi for the commission! Your support means the world, and I hope your friends love this painting…
Fabulous intoxicating colors – I wanted to be there! VJ
Thank you Vicki!
Thank you for capturing such a special memory for us so beautifully! We love our painting! It’s stunning.
Lara & Neil
Thrilled to hear, thank you for sharing! I had such a fabulous time creating this piece to celebrate your love… Dave and Randi have been dear friends for a long time… it was an honor. Enjoy Lara and Neil… and if you find yourself out by Jackson Hole, drop me a note!