I was commissioned by a group of designers and restaurateurs to create several large oil paintings for a new Las Vegas restaurant called Pot Liquor. The concept for the new restaurant was an upscale hip BBQ joint. Along with the designer, I came up with a several painting concepts depicting farm animals in unique styles. Each painting focuses on a different animal, set within very different backgrounds and utilizing different painting techniques to make sure each piece has it's look of it own. There were several individuals involved with the creation of this space, and you will notice the varying tastes being realized within each painting.
PIG
This painting grew out of combining of my personal painting style, being more classical in nature, with the subject matter decided upon by myself and the designer. The only request I was given was to paint a pig with the butcher's diagram depicted on its side. As I mentioned, this is a BBQ restaurant so you will understand the subtle humor in the painting, considering its final home.
So in this painting I have placed a pig upon a wooden platform, standing before a drapery hanging over a brick wall. The scene is lighted by a warm golden glow creeping across the canvas from right to left, before it is ended by a strong cast shadow over the left side of the painting. My goal with this piece was to create a very "classical" looking painting, while still incorporating the buyers requests.
This painting grew out of combining of my personal painting style, being more classical in nature, with the subject matter decided upon by myself and the designer. The only request I was given was to paint a pig with the butcher's diagram depicted on its side. As I mentioned, this is a BBQ restaurant so you will understand the subtle humor in the painting, considering its final home.
So in this painting I have placed a pig upon a wooden platform, standing before a drapery hanging over a brick wall. The scene is lighted by a warm golden glow creeping across the canvas from right to left, before it is ended by a strong cast shadow over the left side of the painting. My goal with this piece was to create a very "classical" looking painting, while still incorporating the buyers requests.
COW
The desire for this painting was, to show a very simple pastoral scene with a cow as the central focus, but obviously updated with the butcher's diagram and some technique changes in the actual painting. The horizon separates a golden sky and flat plains. The landscape falls off into large heavy vertical brushstrokes with the goal of making the scene, as a whole, feel a bit more contemporary. One of my primary concerns with this piece was to create an interesting contrast between the warm golden sky and the darker cooler cow in the foreground.
The desire for this painting was, to show a very simple pastoral scene with a cow as the central focus, but obviously updated with the butcher's diagram and some technique changes in the actual painting. The horizon separates a golden sky and flat plains. The landscape falls off into large heavy vertical brushstrokes with the goal of making the scene, as a whole, feel a bit more contemporary. One of my primary concerns with this piece was to create an interesting contrast between the warm golden sky and the darker cooler cow in the foreground.
ROOSTER
This painting was based on a personal request of one of the owners of Pot Liquor. His request was to create a very modern urban landscape with a large rooster standing on a Cadillac in the center foreground. Obviously, this is a rather specific request, so you will likely notice the differences between this and the other paintings. I wanted to use very heavy and loose brushstrokes to depict the urban scene, to bring a more modern style to the final piece. As you move nearer the center of the painting more details begin to emerge until you reach the rooster, which is painted more traditionally.
This painting was based on a personal request of one of the owners of Pot Liquor. His request was to create a very modern urban landscape with a large rooster standing on a Cadillac in the center foreground. Obviously, this is a rather specific request, so you will likely notice the differences between this and the other paintings. I wanted to use very heavy and loose brushstrokes to depict the urban scene, to bring a more modern style to the final piece. As you move nearer the center of the painting more details begin to emerge until you reach the rooster, which is painted more traditionally.
Working with Pot Liquor was an interesting and very rewarding experience. I have always enjoyed collaborating with others to create pantings which I may not necessarily have chosen to create on my own. This type of commission allows (or forces) me to work outside of my zone of comfort. And this in turn helps me in my growth as an artist.
Thanks for reading,
Donovan Fitzgerald
Thanks for reading,
Donovan Fitzgerald
