Union Square West

Oil on linen, 16″ x20″, 2015

In this painting I was interested in capturing dramatic lighting in the afternoon on Union Square West, looking north. Although Union Square is normally crowded with people and commerce, I chose to preserve it as a peaceful moment, where the viewer is alone in the scene.

There are two elements in the foreground that break up the space – the tree on the right, lit up by the sun, and the UPS truck in the street. Without the truck, the street lines would just retreat, unbroken, to the background.