The Willamette River runs North and South through the middle of Portland providing a waterfront playground for the city. The two sides of Portland are connected by a network of bridges, some historic, some just older and in need of TLC or replacement. All of the bridges are fun to paint, providing plenty of challenges regarding structure, color and design. The Sellwood Bridge is located just a couple of miles from where I live so it’s easy for me to head down to the riverfront park in the morning and set up in the shade on the bank of the Willamette River. It’s cool and breezy there, and the families, walkers and dogs pretty much ignore me, which I often prefer as I focus on painting the scene.
With the old Sellwood Bridge wearing out, a shiny new bridge has been being built and I’ve enjoyed watching the progress of the construction as the old 91 year old span was replaced by the new red arched bridge. I managed to do this painting while both structures were still in place. The blue-green grid-like structure is the old bridge.
Sellwood Bridges, oil on panel, 9 x 12
