My obsession with all things old may not have begun with buildings, but they have definitely become my primary focus.  Old historic buildings are beautiful examples of architectural styles from the past, and are certainly worthy of admiration.  My obsession, however, are with buildings that are trying to stay alive and relevant long past their intended time and use. Many are leftovers of the industrial age, manufacturing spaces that are no longer necessary in our technology driven economy.  In the modern urban landscape, they linger on, hoping for reincarnation as someplace useful again.  To me, they tell wonderful stories of our past, how we lived and worked, what we created and used.

When I first drove past the giant milk bottle shape in the Philadelphia skyline, I was immediately awe-struck. What a gem! I knew I would need to paint it, but the right angle and lighting proved elusive for more than a year. Countless times I photographed it, only to be disappointed with the results. Then it happened. My son had recently moved and leaving his home, I turned onto Diamond Street, and there it was! The rusty water tower stood before me like a great ancient monument glistening in the sun. In the View from Diamond St. I had all of the compositional and lighting elements I had imagined for this painting. The Harbison milk bottle sits in its field of blue sky, while below it, the busy, modern world hustles about its business. The side of the El tracks breaks through the composition and provides a pop of color against the browns and grays surrounding it. Recently, the milk bottle has gotten a paint job and looks like it did for its many years standing guard over the Harbison Dairy. Beneath it, the old building is being converted into living spaces. I am so happy to see it find new life and appreciation, and doubly happy that my painting was done before its transformation as a reminder of that part of its life.

A drive down Delaware Avenue near the casino will bring you right past Corner’s. (Admittedly, it may be hard to see as it’s been covered in scaffolding for quite a while now.) This big, old, empty warehouse from the early 20th century is supposed to become – what else – new living spaces. Unfortunately, the contractor chose to remove the entire roof, and the walls began to crumble, hence the scaffolding. What I love about this building is its big, strong, stalwart visage. It stands up proud, facing out at the river in an area with very little else around it for now. That image is what I was striving for in this painting. There she stands while the winds blow in the beginnings of a snow storm all around her. How many snow storms has this building seen in its lifetime? How many more? Last heard the city had blocked the new owners from tearing it down despite its condition, so hopefully it has many years yet in its future.

The Willow Street Steam Plant is a magnificent dinosaur of a complex just north of Callowhill Street.  For anyone who uses the Vine Street Expressway, it is a familiar part of the landscape.  This was again an elusive photo to snap as I am usually traveling past at a pretty quick pace.  As it turned out, a traffic backup provided the opportunity I was looking for.  At the time, I had no idea what or exactly where the building was.  In fact, it was a Facebook friend who enlightened me while I was sharing my progress pics.  What I love most about this building are its smoke stacks, that punch up and down across the top of the squarish shape of the building base.  The graffiti too creates new shapes, lines and colors against the mostly rust brown facades.  From what I hear, there have been a variety of proposals for the site, but nothing that has taken shape.  I hope that whatever the future holds for it, that some of its most interesting parts will be left intact.  The commuters would miss it along their journeys.

So many of the neighborhoods in Philadelphia are going through a phase of gentrification these days, and there’s a lot of controversy that surrounds that.  It’s a complicated issue with valid points on each side, and one in which I have yet to determine my own opinion.  In seeking an image to convey my mixed feelings I created Hope & Norris.  (The street name helped add to the image, I think.)  At the time, my sons and nephew were all living in the Fishtown area, and I asked them to find places and images that showed the changing neighborhood.  This one, by my nephew Andrew Broden, was perfect.  On the left side of the painting, a row of new, modern style homes is being constructed (on Hope Street).  On the right side of the painting sits an old building, not in its best condition, but certainly hanging in there.  Between them sits the empty lot, waiting like so many other places in the city.  What does its future hold? It is certainly empty no more.  Our city creates a wonderful blend of old and new throughout its neighborhoods, as it has throughout its history, and will probably continue to do so in its future.

There’s a lot of talk these days about the plight of small businesses, but that’s nothing new. Throughout the second half of the twentieth century, supermarkets, shopping malls and big box stores began to replace the small corner stores of the past. In Philadelphia, the Unity Frankford grocery stores were one of those victims. Not far from my home, this gem sat empty for years. I often dreamt of buying the store to become my gallery (based solely on my love of its sign, by the way). When the news surfaced that someone had purchased the building, I realized that if I didn’t paint the store soon, it might be gone before I got the chance. I love the neighborhood feel of these old corner stores; a place where everyone knows each other and gathers. The new building has gotten some nice improvements, but much to my dismay, the sign is gone. I’m so thankful that I was able to create this before it was gone, At least its memory will live on.

Of all the different subjects I paint, nothing is dearer to my heart, and nothing seems more important than these old buildings.  I’m always on the lookout for them, the old working man’s places, snapping pictures everywhere.   If you know of one that would make a great painting, please contact me.  I’d love to add it to the collection.

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