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Freeways & Overpasses: An Artist's Muse, Part II

Above: Ben Aronson's Closed Ramp, Westside Highway

There has been such an ongoing interest in a post I did months ago, called "Freeways & Overpasses; An Artist's Muse" that it's time for Freeways & Overpasses; Part II.

Clearly this subject matter continues to inspire artists all over the world, regardless of style, medium, or execution. I could seriously dedicate a blog to this subject alone, but for now, this second series will have to suffice.

By the way, these posts are my personal favorite posts to write and compile, but they take weeks, even months ... so I cannot do them as frequently as I'd like.

The following pieces are all beautiful and timeless. Both serving as a record of human technology, evolution and transportation as well as contemporary landscapes. The following works are glimpses of the world as it stands today, with freeways as 'escape routes' and overpasses as 'architecture'.

Because the last post was so well-received I have tried to include as many as I could find- within reason of course, in this one. Some of the following paintings are available, some are not, but all are worth admiring.

In the photorealism style:

The Paintings of Danny Heller:

Above: "Suburbia Freeway #1" by Danny Heller

Above: Danny Heller's "Suburbia Freeway #2"

above: Danny Heller's "Nightscape #1"

The Work of Patricia Chidlaw:

Above: Patricia Chidlaw's "Westbound Freight"

And her "Railroad Bridge"

and her "Overpass"

The Work of Anna Conti:

Above: Anna Conti's "Steel Forest"

Above: Anna Conti's "Metamorphosis"

The work of Stephen Dolmatch:

Above: "Evening Westside Highway"

Above: "Tilted Swirl"

Above: Unknown title, Stephen Dolmatch

Stephen Hicks' work:

Above: Stephen Hicks' "16th and 10th ave".

above, Hicks' "Prospect & Washington"

Above: Eileen David's "Lefty #9"

Above: Peter Nye's "280 Overpass" (sold)

Above: Tom Birkner's "Under The Bridge"

Above: Bill Mosely's "SR-125" (for sale)

Above: Nicholas Evans Cato's "Tiger Stripe"

Above: Thomas Germano's "Underbelly"

Looser and more painterly interpretations, but equally as fabulous:

The work of William Wray:

Above: William Wray's "134"

And his "LA "

The work of David Shevlino:

Above: David Shevlino's "Exit"

above: Shevlino's "Evening headlights"

and his "Onramp"

The work of Tom Brown:

Above: Tom Brown's Freeway paintings from daily painters

Stephen Coyle's Work:

Above: Coyle's Big Dig Beginning

Above: his Rearview Nightmare

Above: Coyle's March 3rd

Above: "Onramp" by Nathan Bond

Above: George Nick's Route 93 and VW van

above: Chris Greco

Above: Eileen David's Under The FDR

Above: David Wells Roth's "Route 80"

Above: David Wells Roth's Overpass

and his "Under Mass Ave"

Above: Doug Braithwaite's "Wall Avenue"

And Doug Braithwaite's "Hunter Gatherers"

Above: unknown title, by Jon Rader Jarvis

Above: Scott Yeskel's LA #8

Above: Scott Yeskel's Los Angeles, 2002

Above: Craig Stephen's "Freeway Palm"

Above: Stephen Magsig's Shadows, from his fabulous Postcards from Detroit series

Below are more graphic representations:

by Elizabeth O'Reilly :

Above: Elizabeth O'Reilly's Afternoon Light

and her Expressway At Night

Above: Gowanus Expressway By Night

and Ron Milewicz:

Above: Citiwide Morning by Ron Milewicz

Above: his Woodside Station

Above: Sharilyn Neidhardt's Sunset Bridge

By the way, several of these painters are represented by (and their works are available from) the following galleries:
The George Billis Galleries.
The Chelsea Art Galleries
DFN Gallery
The Paul Theibaud galleries
online at The Daily Painters Gallery

I'm sure I have inadvertently omitted hundreds of other freeway and overpass paintings. So, maybe there will be a part III!
Enjoy.

Art That's For The Birds. Literally. And A Peek At A Painter's Project Room

I have written about David Tomb's work before and even shown you a sneak peek of his upcoming show, Birds of The Sierra Madre at SF Electric Works gallery opening February 22,2oo8.

Over half of those bird paintings have sold already- and the show hasn't even opened!

However, now you have an opportunity to own some of these Birds of The Sierra Madre paintings as prints, with the proceeds going directly to the birds, so to speak. (All proceeds go to El Triunfo).

Below is the first print in this series, David's Horned Guan:

above: The Horned Guan; below: detail of The Horned Guan

Price $250.00

Order it here

But here's something you won't see at the show, the interesting and beautiful process of David Tomb's paintings, which, even in their partially finished form are art.

A peek at the process behind David Tomb's Bird paintings:
Project Room current project Fall 2007

Click on the images below to enlarge:

Don't miss the show!

David Tomb
Birds of the Sierra Madre
February 22 - March 22, 2008
Opening Reception: Friday, February 22, 6-8pm

Birds of the Sierra Madre
This work is inspired on birding trips to Mexico: Chihuahua, San Blas, Jalisco, El Triunfo (Chiapas) and research from the California Academy of Sciences, University of California, Berkeley, Occidental College, Los Angeles, and the Los Angeles Natural History Museum.

David Tomb's site.
Artist Contact Info:
David Tomb
1240 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
tel. 415.695.0474

Lust-worthy Home For Sale In Los Feliz

When I think of my 'dream home' it includes amazing views:

On February 1, 2008 adidas Originals and Diesel will enter a four-year product collaboration by introducing the first adidas Originals Denim by Diesel collection. Two male and female jeans models will be available exclusively at adidas Originals stores worldwide.

This is your chance to win a thousand dollar purse for the price of postcard postage.

How this contest works:

You send them an original handbag design on this template by midnight of Monday, January 21, 2008. They will post all submissions on their site. Then, everyone votes for their favorite designs. The design with the most votes wins the handbag that started all this commotion. You know, the one designed by that famous Japanese artist who made being an otaku at least as cool as carrying a high-end French luxury purse?*

Above left : the design that started it all, Murakami's Louis Vuitton Alma Handbag.
Above right : The actual Murakami fabric on the winning handbag. Click to enlarge