Original 12 x 12 Oil on Wood Panel
Private Collection
Painted April 2021
I painted Chinatown, LA from a photo I took on a trip to Los Angeles. We had planned to spend the day seeing downtown, the Walk of Fame and all the usual Hollywood stuff. There was only one problem: everything was closed off. We had somehow managed to visit on the day of a little event called the Oscars. Very considerate of them.
So we called an audible and headed to Chinatown instead. I’ve visited three Chinatowns around the world, and I always love the mix of culture, old architecture, shops, signs and color. LA’s had all of that, plus a Bruce Lee statue, which certainly didn’t hurt.
The painting is built around a narrow street framed by warm orange, salmon and yellow buildings, with strings of red lanterns cutting across a pale blue sky. The perspective bends a little, the brushwork stays loose, and the figures are just enough to give the place some life without turning the whole thing into a census.
I really missed traveling when I painted this in 2021, so going back through old photos and painting this scene was a decent substitute. Not quite the same as getting on a plane, but considerably cheaper.
Want a print instead? You can find prints of this piece here: Chinatown, LA.
Original 12 x 12 Oil on Wood Panel
Private Collection
Painted April 2021
I painted Chinatown, LA from a photo I took on a trip to Los Angeles. We had planned to spend the day seeing downtown, the Walk of Fame and all the usual Hollywood stuff. There was only one problem: everything was closed off. We had somehow managed to visit on the day of a little event called the Oscars. Very considerate of them.
So we called an audible and headed to Chinatown instead. I’ve visited three Chinatowns around the world, and I always love the mix of culture, old architecture, shops, signs and color. LA’s had all of that, plus a Bruce Lee statue, which certainly didn’t hurt.
The painting is built around a narrow street framed by warm orange, salmon and yellow buildings, with strings of red lanterns cutting across a pale blue sky. The perspective bends a little, the brushwork stays loose, and the figures are just enough to give the place some life without turning the whole thing into a census.
I really missed traveling when I painted this in 2021, so going back through old photos and painting this scene was a decent substitute. Not quite the same as getting on a plane, but considerably cheaper.
Want a print instead? You can find prints of this piece here: Chinatown, LA.