As we finish this 2009 year, I also finish my series on the San Fernando Valley urban scenes slated to be exhibited in La Galeria Gitana this January 2010.
I have read a lot about Vermeer, the dutch master of the seventeenth century . When one thinks "plein air", nobody seems more removed from it than Vermeer. And yet, his solutions and focus could be as valid for a methodical painter , like he was, as for a guerrilla plein air painter armed with a Toyota Prius, aluminum color tubes and a rich palette.
It is winter in Los Angeles and light is fleeting. No snow scenes at hand unless one takes to the mountains. And yet it is brighter outside than in Holland most of the year. Vermeer captured the northern light masterfully. He also captured domestic scenes and simple moments only to bring them to monumental beauty . As I painted these rooftops over Burbank, I kept his "View of Delft" in my mind. Sure, the difference is abysmal, but I wasn't afraid of the passing clouds and muted tones any more. The red trees added accents, the roof workers a little narrative...Cheers to Vermeer and many more discoveries in the new year.
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