I'll admit it, I'm no gourmet. I know the questionable ingredients, sub-optimal storage and preparation conditions added to the hectic surroundings don't make a foodie paradise for the knowledgeable, but street (and storefront) food is one of my favorite ways to get to know a place. It's hard to believe that at this late date there are still a fair number of spots in Manhattan where you can get a big made-from-scratch slice of perfect thin crust cheese pizza for a dollar. This one is on 23rd street near 7th avenue and always has a hot just-out-of-the-oven pie being sliced into disappearance and handed over the counter on paper plates to the line of waiting customers, no matter what time of day or night.
I've been looking at the best angles to capture this scene for a few years and had decided on the right time and angle on a trip to the city last November. Doing my normal race around circuit in and out of the city must have taken its toll on my already shot knees, resulting in a complete blowout of my left one and a near total loss of mobility at one point. I had to buy a cane and learn how to use it properly (it takes practice) just to get back to the apartment. Fortunately, after a little rest and some meds I was back in action carrying my stepladder down the street to shoot reference photos around 10PM on the only dry night of that week. As usual in New York, almost no one even looked at me perched on my ladder on the sidewalk. The shots were used to create a composite photograph that had all the characters, composition and dynamic feel I was looking for in one image.
I've always loved the light spilling out from the interior of Edward Hopper's "Nighthawks" and our view into the tableau at the counter from the darkness of the street. Dollar Slice captures a lot busier scene, but it's my tribute to that point of view and dramatic lighting. My paintings all begin with a complete rough underpainting to establish the drawing, colors and values. Then I work over the entire painting bringing up the details, surface quality and blending that make oils my medium of choice.
Nighthawks by Edward Hopper 1942
My wonderful gallery representation: LewAllen Galleries, Santa Fe, NM
And as always, you can also contact me directly by email: info@sethtane.com and follow my occasional photo posts on: Instagram