“Showtime By Kennywood’s Paratrooper” was unveiled to 200 attendees at the American Coaster Enthusiasts yearly KennyKon gathering at Kennywood Park on Sunday, July 27th.
Each and every one of my paintings has its own story – a unique history that usually is known only to my family. And today I’d like to share the story of my latest work with you!
Just like my other Kennywood paintings, “Showtime” was created by selecting elements that I like, choosing small features from what seemed like zillions of photographs. This allows me to compose the scene just as I imagined it, pulling in my favorite parts from photos taken at different times and from different viewpoints. It also gives me a lot of freedom in putting together design elements, getting just the right colors, lighting, and so on.
For example, if you look to the right of the Paratrooper, you’ll notice that the Kangaroo (one of my favorite rides!) appears in the background of the painting. However, in real life, from the point of view of this painting, it would be hidden behind huge trees. I didn’t care! I wanted to include The Kangaroo in this piece, so I took advantage of an opportunity to shoot some photos from the small grove of trees behind the Paratrooper. I then used that perspective to paint the Kangaroo where I needed it to be, slightly to the right of its actual location, nestled between some trees.
As I mentioned last week, Kennywood’s annual “Celebrate America” festival brings together talented entertainers from all over the country for this event. Because the area across from my booth is a crossroads in the park, I have the pleasure of enjoying having a front row seat for their shows. In a way, it often feels like they’re doing their show just for me! If you look to the right of the painting, you’ll see the amazing Howard Macone performing a magic act with crystal balls. It just so happened that on this day his two daughters were present, and I couldn’t resist using them as my models.
On the far left of the painting, you’ll see my daughter Alyssa with her husband and his nephew. This grouping was composed from two separate photos – one of Alyssa and Jon and a different photo of Jon and Julian – that were taken on different days (see below). For the second one, I asked Alyssa and Jon to pose as if he had his arm out and around his nephew. Then I simply painted Julian into the picture later!
We had a great time together at KennyKon (despite the stormy weather!), and many of the prints were sold. If you would like to get yours before they’re sold out, CLICK HERE to order one online today or call me at 1-888-PITT-ART or my local number, 412-283-4072. This is a small edition with only a total of 125 Giclee Prints and 25 Artist Enhanced Giclee Prints available… so don’t delay!
I hope you enjoyed this look into the creation of my newest painting!
To make sure you always receive the latest information about my new paintings, please take the time to sign up for my weekly newsletters. CLICK HERE to become a subscriber. When you sign up you will also receive a FREE slideshow showing the step-by-step development of my painting, “Celebrating Time and Tradition at Macy’s”.