"Paint a Parking Lot Challenge" Results

In last month's Paint a Parking Lot Challenge I asked you to paint a car park on location using whatever medium or colors you want.

We had over 44 inspiring responses from artists around the world, ranging from seasoned professionals to people just starting out on the adventure of painting. You braved heat, moonlight, rain, passersby, wild animals (well, a fox), bugs, and wind, plus cars that wouldn't stay put.

It was really hard to select the winners. I was impressed with everyone's effort, and grateful to all who participated. In this post I want to spotlight a few of the results that I thought made the most of the opportunity.

The painting by Steve Hughes, a Professor of Illustration, really stood out, so I would like to give him the Grand Prize. I love the care he gave to the excavator, and the cool colors behind it that made the yellow and black stand out. 

He says: "This is the parking lot near the Ore Dock in Marquette, MI. June 28–July 2 (rained several days in the middle of this span)."

He continues: "I think this machine has been parked here for more than a month. So, I was able to take a few days to finalize this one. Working in gouache and Moleskine sketchbook." 

Steve receives a "Department of Art Patch," and a choice of three video downloads or DVDs.
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Next winner is Wendy Line. I like the way she captured the shadow under the parking porch, with the varied colors of the cars. 

She says: "This is a parking lot at the Port of Fremantle in Western Australia, painted in gouache. The building behind is the oldest original port shed, built in 1903 and one of seven that still line the harbour."

Wendy continues: "Some of these sheds are used as retail venues while others are empty and awaiting renovation. As a working port with many heritage buildings, Fremantle is a popular place to visit. I'm filling up sketchbooks with the local sights but usually avoid cars, so this was a good exercise." 

Wendy and all the next winners will receive a Department of Art Patch and choice of one video download.
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The next one is an abandoned photo booth at the corner of a parking lot by Joshua Davis (5x7 gouache on crescent panel).

The image brings back memories to me of stopping at these places. I love the desolation of this casualty of changing technology.

He says: "I really liked the mint green paint job... I took some liberties with the background."

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This one by Al Granberg really is a portrait of a parking lot, cracks, litter, shadows, and all. He says:

"My parking lot selection is one of the several parking lots on the grounds of the closed Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford, Connecticut. It’s close by and I go there often to sketch the magnificent old trees and historic buildings on the scenic grounds. The large parking lots, once busy, are now empty and neglected, except for the locals who park their cars in the shade to enjoy the scenery and solitude."

"I thought the trash-filled steel drum on the crumbling asphalt peninsula would provide a bit of interest to my composition and so that is where I set up my easel."



"Painting an expanse of featureless asphalt, forced me to focus on whatever color and textures I could depict. The shadows helped to add shapes and patterns that break up the gray, as did the network of cracks. As I worked, I thought of work of Robert Vickrey, who specialized in painting magnificent egg temperas of asphalt and cobblestone streets and parking lots. The finished painting is 8 x10, painted with casein on illustration board."
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Next up is Meredith Moles, who painted the Motel 6, Fort Bragg, CA. using Acryla Gouache on panel. I love the pure ordinariness of the motel lot and her story of her encounters:

"This is one of two paintings I did on vacation this week. It was the first time I’ve finished a painting on site! The other painting was done at a Botanical Gardens, where the passers-by were rather stand-offish, most seeming not to want to bother me. But at the Motel 6, people were interested and chatty and really delightful. I talked about painting and heard about travels, grandchildren, cars, and what it’s like to have a pet pot-bellied pig. (The pig, who must have weighed 200 lbs, was getting a break from her hotel room and enjoying a walk in the parking lot!)"

"Like others, I found it challenging that cars were coming and going, and decided to give myself a break by parking my own car in a key spot in the painting. The red was a good addition, I think. I was also grateful for the grey skies so there were fewer moving shadows, and in any event I love the moody, foggy Northern California coastal atmosphere."
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One of the standouts using pure watercolor was by Tony Coniglio, who says:

 "The painting is done with a Van Gogh pocket watercolor set, in my #PerfectSketchbook .
Kept it loose which is something new to me to do , mostly try to put a lot of detail in my work, but this was fun to do."

"This is the parking lot next to The Mutual of Omaha. Facing another parking lot of a popular local German and specialty beer pub."
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And finally I'd like to give a prize to Max Rebo from Germany, who did a fine painting of a store he remembered from childhood, and he made a video about it. (Link to YouTube).

Have a look at the Facebook Event page where all the entries are posted. My compliments to everyone who joined in, and hats off to those of you who bravely painted outside for the first time, or painted in gouache for the first time.

So Max, Tony, Meredith, Al, Joshua, Wendy, and Steve, please contact me to let me know which video you want and which mailing address to send your official "Department of Art" patch.
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Original blog post about the Parking Lot Challenge.
Facebook page for the Parking Lot Challenge.