Friday, May 25, 2007

Illustration Friday: Cars














My submission for Illustration Friday's "Cars" is a painting of a gas station and the oldest building in Santa Monica, a Landmark building in fact. If you look at these old tanks you will notice the octane is very high. They serviced all the guys that drove hot-rods that require this high octane gas. I took pictures of the place when it was in this condition and when I finally finished painting it they had refurbished it beautifully with three domed pumps, new paint, and they made it look real spiffy. Then there was a struggle over the property and now it is an office and will probably never be an old-fashioned gas station again. But in my world it will always be this place.

45 comments:

Geninne said...

Looooooooooooooove this gas station Val! The colors are stunning :)

Anonymous said...

Totally agree with geninne, stunning colors, wishing that all gas stations would look like this. They have lost all their color nowadays. i like it

isay said...

beautiful gas station!

Mick said...

A wonderful illustration here ValGal ... but, did we really need another reminder of those darned gas prices?!!! :D

Anonymous said...

Wow!!! That's a GAS. Not the kind you pass, but the kind that you pass with. Love. Bad Dog

emilayusof said...

Valerie, this is so beautiful!

bookbabie said...

Great choice for the illo, MI just passed up CA for highest gas prices in the country:(

Unknown said...

nice work

Janet said...

I LoOove everything about this, Val!

Robert McLaughlin said...

Hi Valerie,

Cool illustration. I like it.

studio lolo said...

beeeeauiful Val! So very nostalgic. And I love the starry skies!

carla said...

Val - this is awesome! I love the way everything looks so bright and shiny, and how the tanks look like they're wiggling... perhaps it's that high octabne gas that makes them want to do a little dance?

imwithsully said...

I would love it if there were actual gas stations that looked like that now. I'd stop there even if the gas prices were higher just to feel the ambience!

Ces Adorio said...

I wish the gas stations look like this. Then they would be so sleek and clean. You always have a beautiful interpretation of IF themes.

Paul Tuller said...

oo I love the style of it, super 50s look! I like how your submission for cars doesnt have a car in it, creative :)

Anonymous said...

wonderful! I like the colours a lot, and the story as well...

merlinprincesse said...

Those tanks have personnality! :)

Anonymous said...

awww.. i love that val! Sometimes I imagine what it would be like to live in one of those old gas stations. After it's been remodeled into a cool fun home, of course.

maria antunes said...

Hi, I love your illo! :D

Twisselman said...

Can't run a car without those service stations. Oh for the days of full service! Very nice.

Janice Ykema said...

great illustration Valgal... such a nice feel for the place...It has character unlike those that we have today... that has mostly just fumes!

trowbridge chronicles said...

Wonderful, notalgic illustration, Val. I wanted to thank you for the card. It was so thoughtful of you It's so nice to see your work in hard copy form, where I can see the air brush work better.

kj said...

i finally figured it out. you paint the world the way i want it to be.

:)

georg said...

Lovely illo - with beautiful colors -

Tony LaRocca said...

That looks like such a cute place to gas up! I can see the guys running out in their little uniforms, ready to check the oil, wash the windows :) Ah, the day's of customer service!

Anonymous said...

Just saw your interview on Monday Artday! Congratulations! It was great and very interesting to read..

Vinilos Ink said...

Preciosa gasolinera!!! muy linda!
besos

Mauricio said...

Always beautifull :o)

catnapping said...

ya know, they remind me of good buddies waiting around for someone to drive up...

great depth and lighting.

Michelle Lana said...

lovely piece, val!

jessielavon@yahoo.com said...

love the new art darling,been so behind,but cathching up today!

Unknown said...

Love the gas station design!!

Designing Fairy said...

So neat, captured a moment in time.

josh pincus is crying said...

Thank you so much for the kind words. It cracks me up when someone with talent such as you tells me that I'm talented. HA!

Unknown said...

Hi Val,

This is perfect for cars. Love it.
I wonder if years from now if artists will be painting modern day gas stations? They just don't have the character of the 'old' days.

Kay Aker said...

I love these old kind of gas stations! Truly gorgeous!

Pickledog said...

A fun reminder of when gas stations had real style. The octane may be a little high for my mobile though.

Greg Hartman said...

Great colors. I just watched Pleasantville and it is like the stations would look by the end of the movie.

tusen said...

it looks really lovely. And I like the delicate leaves in the trees.

Lee said...

such a wonderful authentic feel :) bet it was quite the hang out in its day....

georg said...

Hi Val!

You (and us) are lucky for you got your photo! The station sure looks nice, and I think, as you, that we ougth to take care of these old buildings.

By the way, today I saw a big Oldsmobile in my town - from the 1970'es, I think! Real pretty!

greetings from georg

Kathleen Rietz said...

Wow! So cool! This has a cool retro feel to it! -kate

° said...

yep seems like we lose more to prgress each day, u just gotta lov it. at the rate we're going will have progress ourselves right of the face of the earth all in the name of progress. looks like it was a nice station

Anonymous said...

missed this last week - i bet it is a favorite. I also like the rustic frame above for paradise; makes me want to have a cook out!

Mary Stebbins Taitt said...

I love the cuteness of your illos and the fine bright cheery colors!