Seventh and Warren

This is the first image in a series of paintings entitled: “Hudson Warren Street”. A series which began one rain soaked Monday afternoon.

As a landscape painter, I had always been used to evaluating the artistic possibilities a day had to offer by the type of light there was. From dawn to 10am and from 2pm to sunset provide for me the most dramatic contrasts between light and shadow. I also looked for interesting cloud formations. So on rainy days I was usually not looking to take reference photos for future paintings. I might be attracted to the time just prior to or after a storm passed, but never during the rain. I also was not at all interested in architecture, automobiles, telephone poles, traffic signs or anything man-made. However, on this particular day of running errands, I noticed how the rain on the windshield of my van transformed the buildings, cars and people into lively, dancing, jewel-like ribbons of color that energetically danced across the glass. Fascinated, I turned off the wipers and stopped in the middle of Warren Street (fortunately there was no one behind me) took out my camera and shot through the rain soaked windshield. The result was a painting entitled “Warren and Seventh”, the first of the Hudson Warren Street series. Thus began a growing desire to paint the urban landscape, and Warren Street provided plenty of material to experiment with.

 With the influx of art galleries, restaurants and antique shops, Hudson of today is not as I remember it. It has gone through a renaissance with many of the historic buildings being revitalized. The street is also abuzz with visitors traveling up from New York City on the weekends. What started this series for me was how the colors of the city were energized by the rain. However, it gradually grew into an emotional response to the changes taking place and the anticipation of what Hudson could yet become. Having painted here and tried to sell my art since around 1975 with little success, I had dreamed of moving to some beautiful place where tourists might want to purchase art that reminded them of their visit. At the time, I don’t remember there being one art gallery in Hudson. Now, Warren Street is lined with art galleries, clothing stores, restaurants and antique shops. Was Hudson becoming that place? This fueled my fire to delve into the subject all the more.