Garbage Day

I've been mowing half of our community lawn for most of the summer.  The clippings fill our big city trash can nearly over the top.  A few weeks ago, I stayed up too late working on an art project and woke up after the trash truck had come and gone.  I figured I'd lost my chance to have an empty trash can for the week.  As I moped and prepared some lunch to take to work, Hope came calling through the back window.  I heard the garbage truck picking up the trash of the neighbors behind us!  In a split second, Crazy Matt kicked in and made me jump into a pair of untied tennis shoes, and run out the our front door.  It was kind of challenging finding the perfect balance as I sprinted with our overloaded trash can around the block.  After I rounded two corners, the truck came into view.  I ran straight down the lane on the street and barely caught the truck before it rounded another corner.  Phwew!  I didn't hit the gym that morning, but I got a workout in anyway.  And I was pretty dang excited to tell my wife the dramatic tale of her hero:)  Click to read the story behind the art.

I took some photos of the chase scene.  This was the first sketch, but I felt like it didn't give the feeling of 'that truck is way in the crazy down the street!'

Now we're talking, that is what it felt like.

Colors using reference photos.  As my baby would say as she investigates a dirty diaper, "Ewwww!"

Ahhh... Much better.  Now I'm basing my colors on a sunrise.

I figured out the vanishing points and corrected my perspective.

I decided to do what I've been hearing about in my classes and on podcasts... take a risk.  This thing is a heck of a lot more colorful than most of my paintings up to this point.  I'm also blurring the edges to add texture and give a sense of motion.  I didn't detail the heck out of the background elements either.  The picture tells the story without having to be technically correct in every aspect. My sweet wife sacrificed big time to help me have a lot of Saturday hours to finish this thing.  Thanks Sweetie!  You're the best and I'm so lucky and grateful to have you!  13 hours in Photoshop.