Description

A signed limited print may be available of this piece! (click here)

This piece was created on a frigid day from atop the Triborough Bridge - on the pedestrian walkway - looking south and down upon Astoria Park in Queens, New York. The East River and city skyline are in the backdrop - you can even recognize the slanted roof of the Citicorp building.

We lived in uptown Manhattan from around 1960-61, but we moved to Astoria, Queens, in 1968. After moving to Queens, Dad continued to paint and draw throughout the New York City metropolitan area.

The Triborough Bridge, which connects the New York boroughs of Queens, Manhattan, and the Bronx, wasn't far from our home.

Dad loved to paint and draw in all seasons. He found a unique romance with painting in the winter, even as the cold was neither ideal for standing outside nor for his watercolor paints. He would venture out daily on foot or via subway trains to explore and find unique places from which to capture the many contrasts of urban life.

There Were Snowflakes
One of the fantastic things about this painting was something I discovered when preparing the image for print reproduction. Back then, there was no digital photography - all photography used film. Film photography is a dirty process, especially the kind that I used to photograph Dad's art. It involved using an old-style View Camera and large hand-mounted film plates. The film is hand-inserted into the plates in the dark and then exposed individually using the camera. Some small dust particles are often introduced during the film mounting process, and those would show up on the developed film. So after the film was developed, I performed a digital scan of it and cleaned up any specks of dust, lint, etc. Under the magnified inspection, I found what looked like snowflake crystal formations in the paint. When I asked Dad about them, he replied, "It was freezing up there that day, and it looks like my watercolor paints froze on the paper" Incredible proof of his on-location work!

I love the skyline - perfect and straightforward - with a tinge of yellow behind it to signify the weak winter sun. The snowy perspective above and downriver gives this painting a unique layered depth. From Dad's quick paint strokes, you can tell he was in a race against time and the elements. 

It was a frigid day indeed. Dad was 48 years old, up there on the bridge freezing, painting this fantastic Triborough View. ❤️

Through My Father's Eyes