"To the Rescue"

I am especially proud of my newest piece, an 11” x 14” acrylic collage which still needs framing.

When we first arrived in Maine this past June, I saw this World War II/Korean War vintage ambulance Jeep out alongside the road at a vintage car restoration business called Twisted Metal.  I asked Frank to take a photo next time he passed by because I knew I wanted to paint it.  Here is the photo he took.  The sign in its window says 19?? and $600. The star is what captured my attention.

So this is what I first drew, then painted then collaged.  I decided to use my favorite recycled collage material:  paper towels that I’ve used to clean my brushes with.  I have so many sheets, nicely stretched out, that I have them color sorted.  Of course I had to use camouflage color for the Jeep,  but the variety of serendipitous color combinations available allowed me to play with the project as if it were a puzzle.  Thus little bits of color, yellow, lime green, pop up and darker grays, to me, indicated people inside.  Two very vintage buttons are the headlights and a corrugated coffee container is the front grill.  Of course, the star is the focal point.

My last decision making was what to paint the sky and ground.  I had started out with a grey blue sky and ochre and grey earth but I knew those were just starting points to allow me to place the vehicle.  I experimented and painted a watered down burnt orange and my most favorite paint color of them all: Quinacridone Nickel Azo Gold.  I wanted a war torn sky and I love the effect of those two washes over the grey blue underlay.  They really complement the colors in the Jeep.  

For the road, I thought MUD!  It should be muddy and very textured, where only the intrepid can go “To the Rescue!”