Wednesday, October 03, 2007

BILLIARDS AT EMBERS LOUNGE



This new painting is called "Billiards at Embers Lounge". It is 18 x 24 inches, oil on canvas. I tried to clean up the photo, when I photographed the painting there was alot of glare in the upper left corner.

This is one of the first paintings for my upcoming January show that includes a figure. Over the years I have excluded any figures within my paintings, my effort was often to express lonliness or aloneness. And a figure makes for an entirely different kind of painting. I think it works well here, this lounge interior would be incomplete without the guy shooting pool. It's like my own version of one of my favorite Van Gogh paintings, "Night Cafe with Pool Table".

I happened upon Embers Lounge when I was out on photo safari a few months back. William Wray accompanied me to Whittier, we had just shot a vintage bowling alley and wanted to get a cocktail at Embers and rest our feet. We were pleasantly surprised to find the bar filled with mediocre paintings done in the 50's or 60's by a patron who had paid off his bar tab by decorating the place with his depiction of hell... hence the name of the lounge, "Embers". It was like we time warped back into the 1960's.

7 comments:

BoneDaddy said...

Wow, a change from the scenic paintings! Although this has a distant look to it, so maybe in a way this, too is a scenic shot. The pool player, the table, the light, all add to a barroom idyll.
I like it.

A Reason to Paint said...

And wow from me too Tony! Definitely one of my favorites. I love the warm colours and the narrative quality has so much appeal. More like this one please!!

Anonymous said...

Great painting! I like the warmth in it..........

tonypetersart said...

Hi BG, and thanks! I really want to be diverse, so I'm trying to make a break with my "typical" landscapes.

tonypetersart said...

Hey artp, I appreciate it! I've had alot of good feedback on this piece from my friends and my galleries. It's good to be told when I've hit the mark, it improves my aim.

tonypetersart said...

Hello AJ, I appreciate the comment. I struggled to get this painting where it's at, there are at least two other versions under this one. Made alot of changes throughout the process, it forced me to really harmonize the color.

Anonymous said...

Great work..keep going..

Thanks for sharing...


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