Painting Twilight

The last time I was in Paris I stayed in Montmartre which is the famous art district where so many artists, like Lautrec, Picasso, and Chagall, lived and worked. Because I stayed there, I was able to see the neighborhood in evening light and that is what inspired this painting "Evening In Montmartre." With it's cobblestone streets, stunning Basilica, artists, bistros...Montmartre is full of charm! This street which leads to the carousel at the bottom of the steps that lead up to

the Sacre Coeur Basilica was stunning in the evening light. The shop lights and windows, neon signs, and crowds of people, were bathed in a pink afterglow that lasted only a few minutes and most of this painting was done from memory. In a situation like this, I try to paint my response to the mood that the scene evokes and I allow myself to use whatever colors create that mood. If you look at the left side if this painting, you can see it is simply bits of color in an abstract arrangement that represents signs, banners, windows and parts of buildings. The street light at the top is the one object that is clearly detailed and it helps explain that whole area. The figures, which are also just bits of color, add life and movement to the composition. It is so tempting to include everything in sharp detail but it is the artist's responsibility to decide what to include, what to leave out, what to suggest and what to emphasize. These decisions are what turns a painting into a work of art. Happy Painting! Dennis Pendleton