ACRYLIC ON CANVAS • 12″ x 12″
Sold • prints available; email julie@juliemeridian.com to buy prints ⇢
Featured in juried show RED! at Webster Arts (Sept-Oct 2020)
This is my sixth year of creating an original painting to benefit Works/San José. I’ve used this opportunity to revisit styles I like (Re-Release, 2014, Edna and Barbara Have Coffee, 2015) and create paintings that aren’t otherwise part of a series (Shimmer, 2018). While figuring out what to paint for this year, I realized a few of those individual paintings have aligned into a new series of their own.
The other paintings in this emergent series are Corridor (2017) and A Seat at the Bar (2016). The common elements are that they’re in restaurants/bars at a quiet time (just two people), have some repeating element with furniture or lighting, and interesting reflections on the walls or floor.
This one started off from a reference shot of Haberdasher I took for party planning a few years ago. Haberdasher is an excellent cocktail spot in San José’s SoFA district. It originally started as a speakeasy-style place called Singlebarrel, and the remodel to Haberdasher added cozy elements like red velvet curtains. I did a little searching and photo compositing to bring in two people in the same spirit as the other paintings and also to help balance it.
I noticed that most photos of places like this either have no one in them (to show off the decor) or are busy flash-filled snapshots, and I’m aiming more for how it feels to have a little quiet conversation or contemplation. Now that I’m aware of what elements I’m spotting in these, maybe I can find a few more?
![Starting sketch](https://turbo.juliemeridian.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/01153232/0_sketch-8.jpg)
![Yellow ochre](https://turbo.juliemeridian.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/01153234/1_yellowochre-8.jpg)
![Burnt sienna](https://turbo.juliemeridian.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/01153237/2_burntsienna-8.jpg)
![Burnt umber](https://turbo.juliemeridian.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/01153240/3_burntumber-8.jpg)
![Cooler colors for ceiling](https://turbo.juliemeridian.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/01153242/4_cooler.jpg)
![Blurry shot after reds & yellows added](https://turbo.juliemeridian.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/01153244/5_yellowblurry.jpg)
![Near final, still adjusting some tones](https://turbo.juliemeridian.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/01153247/6_nearfinal.jpg)
Julie
This painting was featured in the Webster Arts RED! show that ran from Sept. 15 – Oct. 31 2020. Check out the virtual gallery at https://www.webster-arts.org/red