Different eyes

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When I first saw the Claremont Hotel in Berkeley many, many years ago, I think I was awed by its massiveness, its sheer size, its grandeur, and its setting, perched up on a hill, looking down at all else. Seeing the Claremont again last weekend as an artist, not just as an architect, had a completely different impact on me. The whites, the stunning whites, its overall silhouette against the blue sky, and of course, the datils and all the shadows on its white facade, made it eminently paintable. It is one thing to assess a building as a design or for its constructability, and quite another as a subject to paint, where you think about the right viewing angle, the perspective, perhaps a different color palette, and its overall impact as a painting.
Here are a few studies. The first, a value study in graphite; the second, a "painting the shade" study; and the third, a larger piece that evidently needs more pop, more darks.

  







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