new look at old line

Break Line Hoe - digital painting / art prints - Dan Beck 2006

I am pretty sure that I took this digital painting for granted shortly after I had completed it. Perhaps it was because I had done so many worker in the field paintings at the time. Perhaps I found it too overwhelmingly one color - but today I really like it.

One thing I had overlooked or forgotten are the two high tension wire towers in the fog - they have always reminded me of robots or animated characters. Interesting - in that the people with hoes look very comic strip today - blank faces - undefined figures - but I am sure that was their distance more than my interpretation - but I am not immune to overlooking humanity sometimes either.

What is interesting is that the distant wire towers are what is giving this piece so much depth - the broccoli field in the background could just as easily be the ocean - except for those high tension wires.

I keep imagining these people whistling while they work - I think the line they made was like an animation even though it was real - and that was why I painted it. I remember it was a drive by moment - but their line as though hustling for a break was what struck me.

See Also

• Blogsite Exclusive Images - thumbnails of artwork found on blog with links to articles and enlargements - get a sense of the many worker in field paintings
• The Evolution of High Tension Power Distribution - thought this was very cool - the insulators are quite beautiful as well - the site either a study or a quick flip through is pretty informative
• treppenwitz: Photo Friday (vol. LXXXI) [touches of color edition] - photos of enhanced high tension wire towers - also pretty fun