Street Life in East Africa is dusty, hectic, colourful, noisy and fantastic! At a guess I would say that a third of business takes place around the pavements and streets. You can buy just about anything. Bananas are one of the staple foods of the people in the area. They come in all shapes, sizes and colours and are eaten in various ways. This street vendor is typical of what you will come across and the one common factor amongst them all is the smile.
Whole cloth, fused and painted. I stitched the background first and then went in with the fabric oil pastels and pens.
This really gives me a feel for the street life over there. I'd love to visit and see it all in person.
ReplyDeleteI'm enjoying the contrasting textures of the woven basket, the stones on the street, the pavement blocks, etc.
ReplyDeleteI really like the way you've been able to present both a portrait of the banana seller and the busy street behind, where he works.
ReplyDeleteGorgeous! I love the brilliant colours, the perspective and the texture. Very nice piece I'd be only too happy to have hang on my wall.
ReplyDeleteReally enjoying the superb line and texture thoughout and the colour is as vibrant as the subject!
ReplyDeleteOh yes! You have pulled this one off superbly. I love the beaming smile and those gorgeous ripe bananas - I can just imagine the exotic smells, dust and sweat.
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen oil pastels yet. Are they very different to use than oil paint sticks? The colour is very intense and I guess the colours don't run. Do you heat set them?
Hilary
great combination of media. you have created depth and perspective so well here with size differences and color. a great piece ofwork
ReplyDeleteThe Pastels are like crayons, made by Pentel, and are called Pastel Dye (not oil - sorry) Sticks. Yes you heat set them. The strong and more saturated colours are from the Fabrico Markers.
ReplyDeletePhil I absolutely love your piece - everything is just so evocative of Africa. One can just 'feel' the very essence and you have caught this so amazingly. When I look at it I can just feel as if I am in the middle of that street and am partaking of everything that is around me. Really, really a most fabulous piece.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely real. There is depth and clarity of this typical banana vendor. The stitching provides an excellent background
ReplyDeleteYour whole cloth painting and creations really inspire me! You have such detail, shading and perspective...a true artist!
ReplyDeleteI tried whole cloth painting with this theme and I will tell you that I went through many "tries" until I finally got the look I wanted. Whole cloth painting is very difficult and your pieces are so spectacular!
Fantastic street life Phil! A real slice of life that is palpable in this piece. The stitching really adds another dimension to the painting. I guess this is why we are textile artists and not just painters.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea to quilt first - drawing out your scene, and colouring second. I would really have to get my head around that to make it work. The basket and the street are so well quilted. The texture of the basket and the suggestion of a rough road are very effective. Brilliant piece - I love it!
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