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Harlan Simantel Paints Irvington
(Published in The Historic Irvington Newsletter, March, 2002)
"What are you photographing?" the suspicious woman asked me.
"Just taking pictures of the trees and street," I replied. "I take reference photos for my paintings."
"Okay, I'll just watch," she said, not believing me. She apparently thought I was casing her neighborhood, near 25th and Brazee.
"Look, you're welcome to drop by my house on 23rd, and I'll show you my paintings." She didn't respond, but followed me. I felt conspicuous as I took a few more photos, then left the area.
Ever since that sour encounter, I've felt a bit paranoid about snapping photos with my digital camera in Irvington. She probably had good reason to be suspicious. Ever since, I carry a few business cards just in case.
Why paint Irvington? I prefer landscape painting -- clouds, mountains, trees, rivers. I grew up in the Oregon City area and remember riding along with my dad in his logging truck when I was about four, looking at the scenery. Maybe that's when my love of landscape painting began.
In 1988 I married and moved to Irvington. It took a few years for the tree lined neighborhood to grow on me. I didn't think of painting it until I took some striking photos of fall foliage. I began to see landscapes in the city. My Irvington paintings emphasize trees, with sidewalks, streets, and houses as a backdrop.
I once saw an aerial photo of Irvington. It looks like a virtual forest from above in the spring and summer. You notice the prolific trees first, then houses and streets peeking out. No wonder racoons, squirrels, crows, woodpeckers, and hawks like to live here.
Why do I paint from photos? Isn't that "cheating"? Lots of artists use photo references. Some of the Impressionists did, like Degas. After downloading my photos, I keep about one in ten. I then crop, compose, and adjust contrast in Photoshop. I print the best of these. From my pile of prints I pick one that inspires me. It may take two hours for a small painting; four to ten hours for a much larger oil painting.
I also paint outside, with my portable box easel (for instance, the painting on this page). These rough oil sketches take two to three hours. It's a challenge, with the light changing, wind gusts, and passers-by stopping to ask questions and watch me work. But I welcome their interest and curiosity. Once, while painting in Grant Park, a four year old boy, picnicking with his family nearby, kept wandering over to quietly watch me paint. I soon noticed his small hand in my free left hand. Experiences like that make the challenge of painting from life worthwhile.
I don't make a living selling paintings, though I sell one every now and then. I paint for the pleasure of it and show my paintings on my on line gallery. (Go to Google.com and type in "Art by Simantel").
Fall is my favorite season in Irvington. You just might see me wandering your neighborhood, camera in hand. And I won't mind if you ask me what I'm doing.
All art work Copyright © Harlan Simantel
Your e-mail feedback is welcome. URL: http://www.teleport.com/~hsimante/hartext/irvington.html