Judah Street Sunset

Oil on canvas, 18" by 24". This is Judah Street at 45th Avenue (out in the "Sunset District" or "the Avenues" in San Francisco looking East. The "N-Judah Car" of the SF "Muni" runs along the tracks. The cars are silver gray and not very colorful. The setting sun was at my back when I photographed this scene. This is a mixed business and residential area of SF with shops and resturants along Judah Street. This is about 5 or 6 blocks from the "Great Highway" and Ocean Beach. The street car goes right past UCSF Medical Center and all the way downtown on Market Street to the Embarcadero on SF Bay and then out to the AT&T baseball stadium where the 2012 World Series hampions, the SF Giants, play. Quite a ride.

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Comment by Dorian Aronson on July 12, 2013 at 21:58: I would imagine this is one of your greatest paintings Stu. You must feel joy deep inside. It brings me joy just to look at it..........smiles : ))

Comment by Stuart J. Gourlay on July 12, 2013 at 19:40: Thank you Michael. I actually spent a lot of time on those wires to get them to look right because I felt they were important to the scene for exactly the reason you state. Thank you for the compliments; sometimes I think I am just expressing OCD leanings with some of the detail that I put in my paintings. I often refer to myself as a "detail freak" or a "recovering detail addict". Stu

Comment by Stuart J. Gourlay on July 12, 2013 at 19:27: Thank you, Hazel, Jon, Silvana, Laura, Dor and Jessica. Hazel, I will find my photo references and post them. Silvana, check out several of the submitted photos in the "streets" gallery; you may find some you like better than Richard's; Jessica sent in a couple of nice street scenes with cable cars. Jon thank you for that video reference; he is really an incredible painter and you are very right about the importance of suggestion and allowing the viewer to participate. And Jessica and Laura, it was the warm and cool contrast and the light on the distant buildings that made me take the reference photos to begin with and then to paint the scene. It was about 5:30 PM in the winter and we were waiting on the street for a restaurant to open; I had my digital camera and could not resist shooting this. My wife and I had just been to the DeYoung Museum to see "The Girl with the Pearl Earring" art exhibit. I lived in San Francisco for 9 years while I was a medical student and surgery resident. I rode the "N-Judah" street car down this street many times, and this scene brings back many memories to me. Stu

Comment by Michael Chomse on July 12, 2013 at 19:24: Lovely work, Stu. I like the way the overhead lines stitch the space together, like a quilt. Their confident sweep through the sky mirrors the traffic lines on the road, affording our eye a safe space to play in - along the buildings... You have a good eye for that simple, yet important, design detail. Your control of the values and hues hold it all together. Great.

Comment by Jessica Futerman on July 12, 2013 at 18:42: Lovely light on the distant buildings - the shape of the farthest building & the light really draw the eye down the street.

Comment by Dorian Aronson on July 12, 2013 at 17:01: WowZa! Smiles : ))

Comment by Silvana M Albano on July 12, 2013 at 9:53: This is great! I have just watched the video and have no idea on how to start! I know it is shown..... but I wanted to change the scene... without a model it is impossible for me! This painting is just great! Most probably I will follow RR guidelines...

Comment by Laura Xu on July 12, 2013 at 8:41: Wow! I really feel this is afternoon. There are so many cars, a lot details. The color warm cool, the atmosphere perspective are really good.

Comment by Jon Main on July 12, 2013 at 7:45: You know, Stu, I think it's important to have suggestion - let the viewer particiapte in creating the painting. If you have time check out this video by the fabulous Joe Zbukvik. It's watercolor - but the way he handles the street scene and cars... = poetry. http://vimeo.com/44328608

Comment by Hazel Persson on July 12, 2013 at 7:11: Wow!!! Love your play of light and cool, and the sun shining on the distant buildings. A lot of work painting all those cars. Can we see your reference photo too?