New Class for Modern Travel 2, (The Cincinnatian).

Steam.  A study of steam, movement, emotion and motion.

Water Spout Landscape

Copyright N.Emerson 2012.  This painting has been SOLD

The train paintings are about desire, dreams, ambition, love and longing, this painting does all of that, with the use of color and impermanent qualities.  There are elements of my more realistic work, but  also elements of the more abstract.  In this, it all came together to make what I consider to be a very successful painting.

Around the Table

Two steam engines wait for their duties on the tracks that radiate from a turn table.  Seeming peaceful, they are actually powerful beasts of iron, steal, fire, water and steam that will soon be moving at speeds close to '80 mph.The locomotive in the foreground represents another NYC Hudson.

Pennsylvania Dawn

This painting is the start of a new direction for my body of work.  I took some time off, not only from blogging, but from painting as well, and when I came back I had a whole slew of fresh ideas. The subject matter is still basically the same, but the approach couldn't be more different.  As a result, I am enjoying the painting process more than I ever have. The idea is to portray the steam locomotive more like it really was, and to also capture the feeling of the world in which they operated.  In order to do this I had to think about atmosphere and lighting, but also overall mood.  In a way, I became more realistic with the painting, but I discovered a way to approach light, shadow and color in a way that opened my eyes to future possibilities.

The new approach allows me to blend realism and abstraction, but keep the image intact.  It may be hard to believe, given the subdude nature of this painting, but over all, when I did this painting it was the most fun I'd had in years.  Make your own call, of course, but I for one am happy about my fresh discovery.