Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Highway 11, another roadside attraction

The painting on my easel is currently a local landmark located just beyond Lake Bowen Spartanburg, SC I painted a small "thumbnail" version of this a few yars ago and now I'm tackling this 24" x 36".

My overhead bank of natural lights create a faux skylight so I wear the visor to block out the glare. A painting this size so of "takes me in" and I feel like I'm right on the side of the road on Highway 11. This is beautiful country! In high school we'd cruise out 11 and feel like we were in another world.

When I moved back to Spartanburg after being away for 30 years I was shocked to discover the Boiling Springs area (just down the street from this gas station) had turned into a megatropolis! Gone are the farms and acres and acres of peach fields. I was completely disoriented.

Part of my goal for 2011 is to get out and create plein air paintings to bring back to my studio to paint larger paintings of the many "roadside attractions" that are in danger of disappearing.

Happy drawing & painting!
Isabel

2 comments:

  1. I admire your goal; I also hate to see roadside attractions disappearing. My blog, “Go BIG or Go Home,” chronicles what happens when my small-town family visits the “world’s largest”…whatever! http://GoBIGorGoHomeblog.com

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  2. Traci- I did visit your site. Fun stuff! If you ever travel I-85 and pass through Gaffney, SC you'll see what has to be the world's largest butt, I mean, peach. I recently made a painting of it called, "Does This Make My **** Look Fatz?" you can see it on my website. http://www.isabelforbes.com/gallery%20current.html
    The Peach is actually a water tower. Thanks for the post. I hope you continue you "world's largest" journey. Happy blogging.

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