Choosing a focal point

I'm going to try to stay loose on this painting. I may also consider letting the under painting dry at this stage so I can build up rich bright color at the focal point.
I have not decided yet where the focal point in the painting should be.... the stop light, street sign or the front door. Which ever I choose I will have to tone down the others some what.

Large brushes to start

Once I get the line drawing down, I fill in the dark and the lights with a mix of Titanium white, Paynes Gray, Phthalo Blue and French Ultramarine. In the beginning of a painting I like to use large brushes and make the whole thing a big blur of dark and lights, saving the details for later.

Blue House Oil Painting

I started a new painting this morning. After looking through a couple hundred digital photos I’ve taken and keep in a file called "Consider painting these pictures Mike ".
The picture I decided to paint today is of a blue house on a corner in my old home town. One day while visiting I was stopped at a red light, a very long red light! I found myself staring at the blue house on the corner and day dreaming about my childhood. I walked past this house every day going to grade school and I guess I was amazed that the whole town has been consumed by progress while this blue house on the corner has remained unchanged for all these years. I wish I had a picture of the John’s Candy Store across the street because I think it would have made for a nice painting, but unfortunately it’s no longer there. A casualty of progress I guess.

I’m starting this painting on a 16"X 20" canvas of an old painting of mine that didn’t go so well. I probably have a hundred such canvases in the closet. I usually just take what ever paint I have left over from another project and just cover up the mess, let it dry and start something new on it.