Taxi Traffic

Here's my latest painting, showing the ubiquitous New York City "yellow" taxis waiting in traffic. This one took considerable time as I tried to get the taxis "just right" in terms of color and variation. I can't begin to count the number of washes I used just for the cars alone, and in half-a-dozen different shades of yellow and orange. Also, I faced the dilemma of how much background detail to include. In the end, I opted for a sketchier background with muted colors so attention wouldn't be drawn away from the line of cabs. Most buildings aren't very colorful anyway. The perspective is that of a pedestrian/potential passenger standing at the curb looking up and down the street looking for an available taxi. It's funny how kids in New York City quickly adapt to the ritual of hailing a cab, raising their little arms at the corner waving at oncoming vehicles. On the very rare occasions we use a taxi, Ben and Sam will step up with us and hold out their hands while expressing their preference for SUV or minivan taxis over the usual Crown Victorias. As usual, this is a 9" x 12", watercolor with pen & ink, on Fabriano cold-pressed paper, 140 lb.