Sunday, October 23, 2011

Chase City VA


Chase City VA >or<
pastel on Wallis paper, 16x12

I finally got off my porch and made it to the next town.  Chase City is about 15 miles away--a ride through the country side; then suddenly there's a view from an overpass that reminds me of Baltimore.  This is it--more or less.  I moved the water tower and omitted a few buildings.  For this view I'd have to look up and down; right and left.  I will add that Chase City has some very beautiful homes, and MacCallum More Museum and Gardens (where I've exhibited my work) is there.  For painting, I chose the grittier side. 

The tall building in the center has lettering on the bricks:
THE
SOUHT
SIDE
ROLLER
RINK
My guess is that the sign painter, after climbing down the 30-foot ladder, said, "I'm not climbing up again to change it to SOUTH SIDE--people will know what it means."  Actually, the sign can't be read from the road (most of these buildings are falling down)--I noticed it when I zoomed in with the camera.  From making posters I know how easy it is to transpose letters.

Update Oct. 31.  I just learned from my friend Everett's comment that this was a ROLLER MILL--not a Rink.  I guess that means a grist mill where flour was made.  I learn something new every day.


This work has been an education in how not to work with pastels.  I began the painting at the Y; then continued at home in the upstairs bedroom.  My nose was completely stopped up from pastels.  I looked at this the following morning and thought, "What crap."  I took it outside, whacked it against the side of the house, then used a house painter's brush to remove all the pastel.

I started again--got about three-quarters through and suddenly decided I should glue the paper to an Ampersand board.  To ventilate the workshop while spraying glue I opened both doors; then had trouble with placement of the paper--15 minutes is a long time to hold one's breath.  I covered the painting with wax paper, rolled it to remove bubbles, and used three of my wallpaper sample books to weight it down.  It worked.

I then put the painting on my "big easel" (for you, Celeste) and applied pastels to the sky and water tower.  The pale blue fell down onto my buildings!  It looked like sheets of rain.  I cleaned it up by blowing the dust and repainting; now I believe it's almost finished.

First I need to figure out how to cut off the top two extra inches of Wallis paper (18x12) without smearing the work; I cropped the photo.  I don't want to think about framing--glass, spacer, frame, fingerprints, etc.  I'll worry about that later; I just ordered a set of watercolors.
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22 comments:

  1. RobinOctober 23, 2011 at 6:07 PM

    I am always so happy to look when you have a new blog post, Hallie. The colors in this are so vibrant, are the buildings really that colorful? and I love the perspective with the fence in the foreground but the shadows are what really makes everything pop out at me. That, and maybe the warm fall colors. Do you use fixative on your pastels? then you wouldn't need glass and you could use epoxy to attach a wire on the back of the board.

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  2. hw (hallie) farberOctober 23, 2011 at 7:55 PM

    Hi Robin. It is a colorful view; that's because the tin roofs are varying shades of rust and silver. I did a colored pencil drawing first--making it a summer scene. It didn't work because the greens were fighting the reds, so I went with autumn. I didn't know you could skip the glass with dry pastels; I'll look at fixatives. Thanks.

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  3. lifeartistOctober 23, 2011 at 9:58 PM

    Old grit is so much more interesting than brand new shiny and clean. Give me grit and schmutz any day! You have captured that gritty interesting stuff including the rocketship water tower.

    You need to wear a mask with pastels. Breathing the dust is really bad for you. I need to keep seeing your very playful work for a while.

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  4. hw (hallie) farberOctober 23, 2011 at 10:32 PM

    Thanks, LifeArtist. I'll be playing for a while longer--art keeps me breathing. I do prefer the old grit to the pretty--I've always liked the many shades of rust and old copper. I was tempted to omit the legs and leave the water tower as a rocketship.

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  5. suzannepaintsOctober 23, 2011 at 10:49 PM

    Very nice explanation. Art is hard, n'est-ce pas?

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  6. hw (hallie) farberOctober 23, 2011 at 11:05 PM

    Thanks Suzannepaints. I worry if a painting seems easy--I think I must have missed something.

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  7. Celeste BerginOctober 23, 2011 at 11:12 PM

    LOL! Hallie! Thanks for the mention in your post...I laffed! Yes, it is good to know that you are using that big easel...(I wish I could see the box again!). What you have described is how my last wrestling match went with pastel. Your result is worth all the hassle (mine was not!) I am wowed by this painting....it is impressive. I am especially in love with the chain link fence. The sign painter had to have been bummed when he realized.. but then he has been immortalized in this blog!...I wish he could read and comment here :)

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  8. JaneOctober 24, 2011 at 1:28 AM

    In spite of the struggle with the pastels, this really is stunning Hallie. The colors are so vibrant and the light in the sky lights up the whole scene, but I think the most important 'detail' is the strong shadow in the foreground giving the sense of distance . Beautiful!
    And have fun with the watercolor, I am sure you will love it!!

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  9. AnonymousOctober 24, 2011 at 5:56 AM

    Hah! I was just thinking that Celeste had just mentioned the Wallis paper and I'd never heard of it before.

    Despite all the issues with the pastels and dust, you sure came up with a winner of a painting, Hallie. This is so stunning. The colors are amazing!!

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  10. Susan RouxOctober 24, 2011 at 7:53 AM

    I like your chain link fence and repeating reds in the composition. Don't you just love those peeks into distant towns while driving on the highway?

    South? Maybe the painter couldn't spell... lol cute addition.

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  11. hw (hallie) farberOctober 24, 2011 at 10:14 AM

    Hi Celeste. Pastels are fun but my sleeve drags through the color and I leave fingerprints (lots of "whoops"). The sign was probably painted 30/40 years ago--who knows; he might have been in my english class.


    Thank you Jane. I liked all the rust colors in the scene and loved that the water tower was the exact color of the sky that day. Late afternoon gave me long shadows.

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  12. hw (hallie) farberOctober 24, 2011 at 10:24 AM

    Conservativelybohemian--Wallis paper is really nice. Celeste recently did a charcoal drawing on Wallis (and she knows Ms. Wallis). Thank you; autumn is this area is stunning.


    Hi Susan. Growing up in the country I've always liked looking at cities from overpasses. This view of Chase City (pop. 2500 in 2000) is a mini version of what I've seen. I've always liked the sculptural look of fences. Thank you.

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  13. SamArtDogOctober 24, 2011 at 6:24 PM

    Don't let pastels whip you. They are a mess, though fixative helps, but warning... it changes the color. But it's good to use on the layer before last. It's also fun to use watercolor as an underpainting for pastels. For that matter, Wallis paper is tough and allows you to do almost anything to it. Slap the applied pastel with brush and water (fast-drying alcohol's good, too). Mostly, don't forget that pastel is just pigment on a steeeek. Whip it; whip it good!

    I too like your repeating reds. And the chain link kills!

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  14. hw (hallie) farberOctober 24, 2011 at 9:05 PM

    Thanks SamArtDog. I like pastels--it is hard, though, to wear a mask and smoke a cigarette. The Wallis paper is tough; I tried it before and used both alcohol and water (not at the same time). I just hope I can cut the two inches off without resorting to the chainsaw. (And all of my pastels are now out of their numbered spaces and boxes--they're in a dirty pile--how will I know what to re-order?)

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  15. Mary PaquetOctober 24, 2011 at 9:47 PM

    I love your choice of subjects, Hallie, much more interesting than the polished side of town. The misspelling in priceless and I'm sure your version of how it happened is likely correct. I've never had any Wallis sanded paper and I understand it's just wonderful and you can start over again. Pastels are interesting. I am still trying to master them.

    I'm looking forward to your receiving your watercolors. You are successful with every medium!

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  16. hw (hallie) farberOctober 24, 2011 at 10:11 PM

    Thank you Mary. Pastels, as you know, are fun--and vibrant; a bit like crayons in second grade. I'll never master them but I have fun coloring.

    I have some tubes of watercolor but am always stingy squeezing out the paint; I thought a Winsor Newton set of half-pans might be the answer. I can tuck them upstairs and sketch with them instead of just drawing with my No. 2 pencil. Winter is coming and I only heat the workshop when I'll be out there for many hours.

    I wish I could pick one painting medium and feel successful; I just like them all.

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  17. Dan KentOctober 25, 2011 at 2:45 PM

    A mighty fine result in pastels for all the trouble. Switching to watercolor may not help. I recently did much the same to get rid of the crap in watercolors. Happily it created a fog beyond the trees that I rather liked. I love finding signs like the one you found -Americana & quaint.

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  18. hw (hallie) farberOctober 25, 2011 at 6:00 PM

    Hi Dan. Maybe painting is just a game--sometimes we win; sometimes we lose. I always hate the middle part, but we wouldn't keep at it if it were easy.

    I like signs--one of my favorites is for "See More Carwash" on Seymour Drive in South Boston VA (love the play on names).

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  19. Dan KentOctober 25, 2011 at 8:09 PM

    I forgot to tell you how much I love the fence in the front. Here's one sign I like: There was a placard in the building where I work where a psychiatrist has an office. First it was in the appropriate spot just next to the door to the office. Now it is around the corner next to the elevator & the office door is unmarked! Hope the crazy people figure that out.

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  20. hw (hallie) farberOctober 25, 2011 at 8:28 PM

    Thanks Dan--the fence is actually for safety; my view was from the overpass and I like having things in the foreground. (There's probably some artistic term for it.)

    Have you checked the elevator? Maybe the psychiatrist is just riding up and down.

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  21. AnonymousOctober 31, 2011 at 1:25 PM

    Ms. Farber.

    Having spent much of my misspent youth in the Town of Chase City, I remember your land marks well.

    THE
    SOUHT
    SIDE
    ROLLER
    MILL

    was just a roller mill, I wish it had been a roller rink, it would have saved me from making some front page drive-in news at Wilkins and Hughes Drive In.

    Everette T. McGill

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  22. hw (hallie) farberOctober 31, 2011 at 6:13 PM

    Hi Everett. I really appreciate this--the bottom part of the sign had disappeared and I just assumed (I should know better)that it said "Rink." I was hoping that one of my elderly wise friends would have knowledge of Chase City--you definitely came through. Thank you.

    Now I need to ask around about Wilkins & Hughes Drive In. Could it be that you HAD to leave this area for a while?

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