Boulder on the Park - SOLD

I've always loved this building at 1850 South Boulder.  I never knew it was called "Boulder on the Park", nor did I know that it was originally designed and built for Holland Hall School by Charles A. Sanderson and Roy Wesley Sanderson in 1923.  Another very interesting fact is that KTUL Radio Station purchased it and converted its interior and exterior to this "Art Moderne" style.  With this research, I now understand that this simple style of architecture is what really appeals to me.  Included in this style are the rounded, curving forms and simple, white buildings without all the colorful decorative elements.  Sometimes, as they say "less is more".  Here's more information about the  history of the building.  It was listed in the National Register in 2003.

My favorite part of this acrylic painting is the wall in shadow and the garden area off to the right of the painting.  This is also done with acrylics, this time almost entirely Golden Open acrylics.  I enjoyed their extended open time on this allowing edges to be softened a bit.  The size is 8 x 10".

Warehouse Market Building - SOLD

Not long ago, I was driving downtown at dusk, traveling East on 11th and a giant, full moon hung next to the tower of the Warehouse Market Building!  What a sight it was.  Fortunately I had my camera and snapped this shot while at a stoplight.  I knew this would be a cool shot for a painting of this deco landmark in Tulsa.

While now it houses Lyon's Treasures and Mazzio's Pizza, during the 1930s it was the principal supplier of groceries during the 1930s.  It was designed by B. Gaylord Noftsger and built in 1929.  You can read more about the terra cotta medallions that decorate the front of the entryway here.

For this 12 x 9" acrylic painting that full moon and the general shape of the building are what interested me.  I tried to make some reference to some of the ornamental details, but kept the palette subdued as it was dusk.  I began with a value map of transparent burnt sienna and then built on that with primarily cool primaries with just a splash of warmth for the neon signs and light emanating from the inside below the canopy.

As much as I dislike grocery shopping, I think it might have been much more enjoyable to shop at such an attractive place, don't you?

Fairgrounds Pavilion

Tulsa's Fairgrounds Pavilion is yet another example of lovely Art Deco architecture.  I particularly like the arched entryway...but it's easy to see that the terra cotta frescoes around the top of the building are irresistible!  Who wouldn't like seeing those horses, steer and rams' heads decoratively placed among the flower details?

The clear, bright morning I took the photos really made the blond bricks glow. I strove to capture that bright, sunny feeling as I felt it well portrayed how one might feel on the occasions to visit such a place.  After all, who doesn't like to go to the fair?  The painting was done with heavy body acrylics on 8 x 10" prepped mdf panel.

Designed by Tulsa architect Leland I. Shumway, the Pavilion was built in 1932.  According to Tulsa Foundation for Architecture, Mr. Shumway was known as a "School Architect" having designed "Barnard Elementary School, 2324 East 17th Street (1925) Lanier Elementary School, 1727 South Harvard Avenue (1925) Roosevelt Elementary School, 1202 West Easton Street (1926) Wilson Junior High School, 1127 South Columbia Avenue (1926) Franklin Elementary School, 1135 South Yale Avenue (1927)".  However, he designed some fantastic houses in Tulsa's Riverside addition.  Read more about this architect and his contributions to Tulsa architecture here.

Tulsa Monument Company Building

Built in 1936, one cannot miss the striking Tulsa Monument Company Building located at 1735 E. 11th Street on historic Route 66. It was designed by Harry H. Mahler to simulate the appearance of a monument. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008. You can read more about it and many other historic places in Tulsa by visiting the Tulsa Preservation Commission website.

Earlier this month a recently completed extensive architectural survey of downtown Tulsa was published.  The survey revealed 14 potential National Register historic districts downtown with nearly 150 buildings becoming eligible for historic rehabilitation tax credits.  Read about this exciting survey here.

Followers of my blog know that I'm very keen on capturing the beauty of Tulsa's architecture as subjects of my paintings.  I know that I can never hope to paint all the places here that I find interesting, but I'm going to keep trying!

From time to time individuals ask me why I've chosen a particular building to paint.  Very often it has to do with the way the light of day created a feeling about the place.  As my travels around downtown often occur early in the morning, many of the scenes reflect that light. Usually they're devoid of people, and I feel that this "quiet" allows the viewer to really focus on the structure and hopefully get a sense of what I appreciate about the place.  I strive to keep in focus what it was specifically that appealed to me the moment I snapped the photo and then interpret that through paint.

The particular day that I shot the photo of the Monument Building was a very bright, clear Autumn day.  The sky was intensely blue and against that dark backdrop the white structure was very dramatic.  As I was planning this painting, done again in acrylics, this time on 8 x 10" prepped mdf panel, I thought about what the place was all about, the history of it and chose a very subdued, limited palette with strong value contrasts. The crisp, strong vertical and horizontal elements of the building could have been portrayed with great accuracy and careful draftsmanship. I felt like that approach might strip away the personality of the building and chose a compromise between accuracy and artistic license.

Entrance to the Philtower Building ● SOLD

This Neo-Gothic architecture was beautifully highlighted the morning I took this snapshot.  The glowing lights beg for visitors into the grand entrance, don't they?

I used my new Golden Open Acrylic paints for this painting done on 12 x 9" prepped mdf panel.

The aim here was to abstract as much as possible and suggest enough of the shapes to get the idea of the grandeur of the entrance.

Claud's Hamburgers

9 x 12" Acrylic, mdf panel

According to the sign, Claud's has been serving burgers to Tulsans since 1954.  A fixture in Brookside, this little eatery serves delicious super-thin hamburgers.  I'll take mine with mustard, pickles and onions please.

The simple little white building with the green awnings and signage sure caught my attention early one summer morning.  Snapped a photo and this is the painting based on that snapshot.

I chose heavy-body acrylics for this painting and wanted to keep the palette fairly subdued to emphasize the historic feel of the place.

Mayo Hotel

I loved this bright backlit morning shot of the Mayo Hotel.  A view from next to the Federal Building with Tulsa's Main Library in the foreground, you can see the top of the historic Mayo Hotel behind it.  It's wonderful that this treasured Tulsa landmark has been lovingly restored!

I chose acrylics to do this painting so that I could keep the brilliant colors of the morning light clear and bright illuminating the edges of the buildings and glowing through the trees.  I intentionally left the "MAYO" sign atop the building vague as my focus was the building itself illuminated by the sunlight.  The painting is 14 x 11" prepped mdf panel and will be framed.

Now Showing at Pearl Gallery, Tulsa and Water Street Art Gallery, Sapulpa

PEARL GALLERY:  A selection of my Tulsa cityscapes including "Yellow House" will be on display December 3-30, 2009 at Pearl Gallery, 1201 E. 3rd Street, Tulsa, Oklahoma.  The Opening Night Reception is Thursday, December 3, 2009 from 5-8 p.m. and is free and open to the public.

 _____________________

WATER STREET ART GALLERY: New to Water Street Art Gallery are a large selection of my recent pastel works as well as some of my original pen and ink botanical drawings.  These works offer beginners a wonderful way to get started collecting original art or to help someone else do the same!  16 S. Water Street, Sapulpa, Oklahoma, Hours: Tue-Sat 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.