STONEWALL
36 x 36 in.
2022
Acrylic paint on canvas.
The Stonewall uprising was a series of spontaneous protests by members of the gay community in response to a police raid that began in the early morning hours of June 28, 1969, at the Stonewall Inn in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Lower Manhattan in New York City. Patrons of the Stonewall, other Village lesbian and gay bars, and neighborhood street people fought back when the police became violent. The riots are widely considered the watershed event that transformed the gay liberation movement and the twentieth-century fight for LGBT rights in the United States.
After finishing up the Selma painting for the Hues of Freedom show this month, I have been working simultaneously on three other pieces for the show, starting with Stonewall.
As I mentioned in my posts for the Selma painting, I have unique color palettes for each artwork. There is a bit of crossover, but each one is also unique.
Here are the two unfinished artworks side by side for comparison. All of the paintings have the same underpainting for the continuity of the series.
A little closer shot of the painting to see the color blocked in for balance. If you look closely at the windows of the building, they aren't lit yet. That will be next.
Here's another shot of part of my studio. Just like most artists, the bulk of the work is done in sessions. Each of these sessions is based on drying time and the amount of wet paint I have going at the time.
Now you can see a lot more detail coming together, highlights, window light, shadows, and more.
Here's a peek at all four pieces together. More on that later.
A little different view from my studio.
The brushes! So many times during painting sessions I find myself looking for the right brush for the right moment. I have them, but where?
I usually paint on an easel, but with four paintings the same size, I prefer something a little lower to the ground for ease of reach and comparison.
This photo of a beanbag chair is my chill-out area while I work. I am looking over tons of old photos to draw inspiration from for all of these works.
I am starting to write the names of the LGBTQ activists on the chalkboard areas on either side of the front door to the Stonewall Inn in this photo.
I am starting to bring in some of the facial features and clothing details now.
Adding some of the lighting effects in this shot.
Here is a close-up of the final piece. Adding lighting effects and finishing the names of activists that helped the cause.
Some of the final detail added, like shadows and highlights.
A close-up of the sign work.
Face and clothing detail.
And the final close-up. The finished painting is at the top of the page.
