Nocturne

"Washington Square Nocturne," oil on panel, ca. 2003

One of the more interesting and difficult subjects for art is the night. When done effectively, nocturnes evoke the dark hours whether colors are true to life or not. 

Certain painters like Frederic Remington are known for their paintings of darkness and shadow. Although his work was as an illustrator of Western life, Remington's nocturnes transcend. Using his personal experiences in the West he evoked the dim lights of night, from pale green moonlight to the cold flicker of steel in darkness. 

Long ago Remington's example gave me reason to attempt similar ideas. In the end, only a few of those studies has survived, the others having gone into hiding somewhere.