Art deco in international orange

Art deco in international orange by Joel Archer

The Golden Gate Bridge is one of the world's largest examples of the art deco style. The famous suspension bridge spans the Golden Gate, the opening of the San Francisco Bay into the Pacific Ocean. 

Joseph Strauss was chief engineer in charge of overall design and construction (1933–1937) of the bridge project. However, because he had little understanding or experience with cable-suspension designs, responsibility for much of the engineering and architecture fell on other experts. 

Joseph Strauss' initial design proposal (two double cantilever spans linked by a central suspension segment) was unacceptable from a visual standpoint. 

JS' initial design

The final graceful suspension design was conceived and championed by New York’s Manhattan Bridge designer Leon Moisseiff.

Manhattan Bridge by ScarlettElla

Irving Morrow, a relatively unknown residential architect, designed the overall shape of the bridge towers, the lighting scheme and art deco elements – such as the tower decorations, streetlights, railing and walkways.

International orange – #C0362C

Rejecting carbon black and steel gray, Irving Morrow selected the famous international orange color because it blends well with the span's natural setting as it is a warm color consistent with the warm colors of the land masses in the setting as distinct from the cool colors of the sky and sea. It also provides enhanced visibility for passing ships. 

The distinctive orange color was originally used as a sealant for the bridge. The US Navy had wanted it to be painted with black and yellow stripes to ensure visibility by passing ships.

Art deco after dark by Jase Wells

Caught some intense sunlight on the GG by ℙαґḯṧḯ℮ηηε

Art deco concrete block by Rod

GG detail by Christopher Hall

GG lamp and cable by Christopher Hall

Golden Gate Bridge - holga by Laura Shindollar

Golden Gate Bridge details by Glenn Harper

Hot metal deco by bradman334

Middle point by TVL1970

Superstructure by Stephen von Worley

Solemn attendance

I invite you to take a few minutes of your time to (click and) discover the pictorial universe the industrial painter David J. Teter has created. A world of contrast between the strength (theme) and the refinement (treatment). 

But I will remain silent.

I always have this excuse: English is not my native language, so it is difficult for me to talk about art, blah blah. But that's not it.

Even in French, I would never be able to bring you all the generous knowledge the artist himself manages to convey. So if you click the title in brackets above the work, you stumble upon the words of David J. Teter, who talks about his work, unpretentious, in simple words.

Here are some magnificent bridge paintings by David J. Teter.

(Clarity)

 Rails, Bridge, Refinery oil on panel, 2009

(Oh no!… Chrome green)

 Vincent Thomas Bridge # 5 – Study watercolor 2011

(Problem solving – Vincent Thomas Bridge # 4)

 Vincent Thomas Bridge # 4 – Catalina Express watercolor, 2011

(Stately presence)

 Vincent Thomas Bridge # 1 oil on panel, 2010

(Tiger stripe shadows)

 Train Bridge (w/ Shadows) watercolor, 2011

(Urban river 5)

 LA River 3 oil on panel, 2013

(Vincent Thomas Bridge # 8 – Containment 1)

 Vincent Thomas Bridge # 8 – Containment 1 oil on panel, 2011

(Vincent Thomas Bridge # 13)

 Vincent Thomas Bridge # 13 oil on panel, 2011

(Vincent Thomas Bridge at 6 x 6)

Vincent Thomas Bridge # 2 oil on panel, 2011

The Vincent Thomas Bridge is a 1,500-foot (460 m) long suspension bridge, crossing the Los Angeles Harbor in the US state of California.

The maintenance of the bridge is a constant job, never finished. 

– DJT

Ocean liner in watercolor

Belgian Express – 44,7 x 67,5 cm

The maritime artist Willem Hoendervanger was born in 1980 and has been a professional artist since 2005. He lives and works in Vlissengen in the Netherlands. Realistic without neglecting the artistic element, he paints mainly in watercolor with gouache. He particularly likes depicting modern ships.

Discovery – 44,7 x 67,5 cm

Nieuw Amsterdam – 49,3 x 68,3 cm

Pool Express – 44,7 x 67,5 cm

President Hubert – 40 x 60 cm

Safmarine Lisbon – 45 x 65 cm

Sebring Express – 44,7 x 67,5 cm

Statendam – 46 x 74 cm

Westerschelde – 45 x 65 cm

Sky majesty

Horizon Fire I (2009)

Born in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, Canada in 1982 Ambera Wellmann paints the beauty of the weather. She conveys the sense of space and movement found in clouds.

« Some of her skies are luminescent with reflected light, almost as if the clouds were generating their own light. In the darker canvasses, they have the opposite feeling, as though the cloud forms were devouring the light.» (lines and colors)

 Cloud # 3 (2009)

 Cloud # 7 (2009)

 Cloud # 11 (2009)

 Cloud # 13 (2009)

 Cloud # 25 (2010)

 Cloud # 34 (2010)

 Cloud # 35 (2010)

 Cloud # 40 (2010)

 Cloud # 41 (2010)

 Cloud # 44 (2010)

 Cloud # 51 (2012)

Cloud # 55 (2013)

Le Douanier des bouquets

Bouquet of flowers with an ivy branch (1909)

Henri Rousseau (1844-1910) was a fauvist primitive painter. Ridiculed during his lifetime, he came to be recognized as a self-taught genius whose works are of high artistic quality. His best known paintings depict jungle scenes. But he also created wonderful bouquets of flowers.

A harmonious result is achieved when balance, scale, repetition, rhythm and proportion all effectively work together.

– Paula Pryke, florist

Bouquet of flowers with China asters and Tokyos (1910)

Bouquet of flowers (1909)

Bouquet of flowers (1909-10)

Bouquet of flowers with an ivy branch (1909)

Bouquet of flowers (1910)

Bouquet of flowers

Click here to digitally color the Lotus flowers of Henri Rousseau.

Lotus flowers