Welcome painting

Wickford Welcome  5" x 7" acrylic

This painting I finished on Sunday. My best estimate would have to be 4 hours, but maybe it took me a bit longer on this one. I'm not much for architectural subjects, and my hands really want to make curvy shapes rather than straight ones. So I don't often paint such structural compositions, but this doorway just captured me when I walked by it in downtown Wickford, RI. The brickwork is actually yellow from flaking paint with a lot of the original brick color coming through.

Working on this piece and trying to get the lines both straight and casual looking was a challenge. I really don't want to add so much tight detail that you lose that brushy effect, and make a technical illustration instead of a loose painting. An artist that I admire who does this well is Mike Bryce in Pawtucket, RI. I've met him a couple of times through friends and at art events, and his style is just masterful. 

Looks like I need to paint a lot more hard edges and get my perspective down pat.