Some guy is facedown in a suburban cul-de-sac. Is he dead? Tired? Or just weighed down by the crushing weight of the American dream? You be the judge. I think that Cul-de-Sac is my first successful painting because it defies ready explanations and evokes a mood that doesn’t resolve easily into words.
My reference photo for this was an old snapshot of a bicycle at the end of a suburban driveway. What drew me to the image was the shape of the cul-de-sac and the bland California ranch house on the opposite side of the street. It reminded me of my grandfather’s house in San Diego.
Yet I didn’t want to paint the bicycle. It was a boring subject that also looked like a royal pain in the neck to paint. What to put in its place? The idea of a guy in repose came in a flash and I just ran with it.
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