It has a rough texture despite looking smooth as oils always look. Dirt and dust mixed into the paint. As often happens. This is an early one. I would guess it’s only the 5th or 6th painting I ever made in this format. I hadn’t committed to just using paper, so this was cut off a small pre-made canvas at some point to put it in mine with every other plein air.
The tall building hit by the sun goes fully white, and the recessed areas in the hollow building go fully black. Two beams are delineated, seen through the middle “window.” The building is shown to be hollow. The sky cannot be explained by clouds alone, it seems like I may have summarized the motion of clouds over time. I don’t have pictures from that day and I don’t remember painting it anymore so I don’t know.
A large concrete divider with a bright green sign is partially shadowed; it flows from the stark shadow underneath the van. Both are mushy; the divider has an afterimage: it’s a gate or partial fence, I think.
Visual motion caused by perspective is awkwardly stopped at every point of connection (looking at the area running below the windows and above the concrete divider).
The space is sectioned in an ordered way. The hollow facade and distant building are at a 3/4 view. The rest is shallow space as if adhering to 90-degree angles that don’t exist. The brick pillars and black bar are straight, as is the ground, and so is a second concrete divider at the lower right.

South Street Station Before Renovation, Providence Rhode Island
May 2014 in Spring
11 x 9.25 x 1 in. (frame), 7.875 x 5.875 in. (artwork)
Painting media: Oil on canvas, acrylic, soil
oil colors, acrylic, paper, fiberboard, museum board, veneer plywood, epoxy, polyurethane

The frame is hand-fabricated by the artist using unique processes

Series 4
David Eli Tompkins