"Sailing Center" side-by-side 16 x 12 oil

"Sailing Center" finished                                  "Sailing Center" not quite finished

Yesterday I posted my painting of the Cohasset Sailing Center from our North Meets South Paint Out.  As with most of my paintings, I place them in my studio where I can look at them in passing to see where I may need to make adjustments.   I thought a side by side comparison of the painting I brought back from on site, and the finished painting would be useful. See the finished painting on its own below.
My process is that I do NOT use a photograph to finish the painting.  All the information I need is in already on the canvas, and in my head.  I review each edge and each plane, looking for inconsistencies, any unintentional geometry, confusion, notes that don't ring true, color temperature and freshness. 
Above, the finished painting is on the left.  I looked at every upturned plane to make sure it was cooler than all down-turned planes.  I added the harbor through the windows.  When we left the painting site, I had included some notes about the value through the windows for reference.  I refined, slightly, the large brackets beneath the roof.  I vibrated cool into some of the sky-facing planes, added some interest and warmth to the inside of the building.  I softened some edges, cleaned up some small perspective issues, and even moved my signature. 
What do you think?  Thanks for looking!

 

"Wednesday Evening" 16 x 16 oil - leading the eye

I have written about this painting in its early stages.  You can read about its progress here in these two earlier posts:
 "Newbury at Night" start
"Newbury at Night" in process

Years ago I asked my painting teacher how I can know when a painting is finished.  His response was that you need to know what your painting is about, know the idea behind your painting.  When you can do nothing more to support the idea, then you are finished.  At the time, I'm not sure I had enough context to understand what that meant, but over the years it has stuck with me, and is the drive behind my painting process.  

Wednesday Evening - detail

So... "Wednesday Evening" has always been about the transition occurring at dusk in this Boston intersection - the juxtaposition of commuters' speedy exodus and pedestrians meandering into evening.  I designed the painting to use the people in the foreground as your path into the painting, while leading the eye along the road and into the acceleration out the ramp to the Mass Pike. I used many, many shapes in the painting to lead your eye into the distance, into the dusk.  As an example, the detail shown here shows two   street signs and the upper tail light of a car in the middle ground.  These three shapes are intentionally angled to point to the blur of light as the cars exit the city.  I also supported that idea by softening all the edges in the high contrast areas of the painting, the lamp posts, the large dark structure, etc.. but I left the edges crisp in the taillights' glow along the Pike.  The tall building on the right side acts as a stopper so your eye doesn't leave, and I added the idea of architectural detail which  points down to the same area of light.  

My intention was to lead the eye, and to keep the viewer engaged in the painting, observing the contrast in tempos between the Pike and the street.  As always, interested in your thoughts.  Thanks for looking.