Metro: Through the Eyes of Artists Posters

"Rosemead Blvd Underpass, Near Whittier Blvd."
Oil on Panel, 11 x 20

Metro: Through the Eyes of Artists Posters

I was selected as one of three artists for this years "Through the Eyes of Artists Posters" Metro project.
The focus of this years poster is the city of Pico Rivera, Ca, my current area of residency.

This one was a bit tough at first, I couldn't figure out what to paint. There is no "landmark" here in Pico, sure there's the Sports Arena, the Pio Pico House, and the Walmart, but they don't lend themselves for picturesque purposes. Not for this project, at least not through my eyes.

Other cities have a stand out landmark which make this process easier, for example, Hollywood has the Hollywood sign, and the walk of fame. Echo Park has the park with the lake and all that, etc.

I was stuck for a while there, i knew i wanted to make the painting of the everyday area, I asked for suggestions from friends and family, a few suggested Smith Park, which had crossed my mind but once again, when i went to investigate, it just did not look right, there was too much to possibly crop down comfortably to make into one composition.

It is my friend Gaby who deserves all the thanks on this one, her suggestion sparked the idea behind this painting. She said that every time she was driving to Pico, she knew she was there when she got to the Rosemead underpass, this was for her, the stand out landmark. I loved the idea.

Seeing this through the eyes of the everyday passenger of said Metro services, as my friend Gaby had pointed out, this visual landmark let her know she was in Pico Rivera, and as with her, i imagine many Metro customers use such visual aids on their commute so as to know when they are near, or have arrived at their destination, i.e., when i pass the McDonald's near the Target, i have two more stops to go, or after i see the Rose Hills sign near the 605 freeway, I get off the bus on Norwalk, or in this case, once they see the Rosemead underpass, get off on the next stop, Whittier Blvd.

But that's not all! (as they say in the infomercials) These Underpasses, because there's more than one, there are several all around Pico Rivera, and there's a new one under construction on Passons Blvd at the moment. They serve as a gateway into the heart of the city of Pico Rivera, where the majority of the commercial areas are located. It was perfect.

I loved working on this one, everything, from the atmospheric effects, to color choices and brushwork, worked out the way it was meant to be.