Last Minute Shopper

Even though I typically paint winter scenes, rarely are they overtly Christmas-themed ones.  In part it's a function of not wanting to even further #pigeon-hole myself as being a #vintage#winter#Christmas genre painter.  That said, snowy winter nights and warmly-lit sanctuaries are such part-and-parcel of what I do that inevitably a Christmas painting or two would be the emergent result.

This entry, "Last Minute Shopper" is based upon a photo I found of downtown Ogden, New York, where the main street was decorated for Christmas.  Even though it's a specific time and place, it really could be any main street in Canada or the Northern United States.

I have a great affinity for this time period (I peg it as sometime in the late 50's or early 60's) because it is essentially the era into which I was born.  I remember the big cars, men wearing fedoras, and the stand-alone department stores with lunch counters in them.  Stores like Woolworth's used to be an 'anchor' for many a main street, in the way that the big chains now anchor the modern malls.  These main streets, decked out with their garlands and kitschy Santa lights, would have been witness to much hustle and bustle at Yultide, with shoppers rushing about to fill their lists.  And let's not forget the requisite locally-staged Christmas parade...all homemade floats, fire trucks and marching bands.

Which brings us to the poor fellow in this painting, who, like a lot of men, has clearly left all his shopping to be done on Christmas Eve.  His soundtrack as he makes his rounds is the clatter of closing shops and the crunch of his own feet on the new fallen snow.  He is the lone denizen in this painting, which is actually one person up from the reference photo.  Adding a human into the scenes I paint is something of a hallmark.  It adds what I consider to be the all-important element of 'story' to a painting, and gives the viewer someone to relate to.  I usually have them walking, back turned to us, into the painting.  This serves a couple of purposes:  I don't want the overall scene to be high-jacked by a recognizable face, and the fact that they are moving into the scene serves as a visual lead to draw the viewer in.

I ultimately sold this one to a man of similar vintage to me, who grew up in a small Canadian town with a main street Woolworth's.  The fact that this piece could rekindle such fond memories for him is also a gift for me...and one of an on-going, not last-minute, variety.

Merry Christmas, everyone...and try hard to be ensconced in a comfy chair with a cocktail in hand by the evening of the 24th!