Pont Neuf, Rive Gauche, Paris, France

On a recent trip to Paris I had the opportunity to paint in the rain. Actually I found a clever place to sit under a causeway, just at the end of Pont Neuf (the ninth bridge) on Rive Gauche (the left bank). In the distance you can see the famous luxury department store that closed recently called La Samaritaine, while on the right you see some of the classic Parisian condominiums that are bordering right on the river Seine. In the foreground you see a lamp post. It is not very exciting, yet the lamp post was kind of what inspired me to do the painting, it just had that sort of rainy-day feeling that defined the experience. I threw in the flag after the fact to add a splash of colour.

I used to use exclusively Windsor Newton paints, not because of any loyalty to great Britain where they are manufactured, but because that is what mt mom bought me all those years ago when she was helping launch my hobby. Sennelier is a brand sold in France out of the famous Ecole des Beaux-Arts, and a few little outlets, including one that was literally just down the street from where I did this painting. In fact, we bought a bunch of Sennelier paints on sale for 40% off, they were like 3 euro (~5$)  per tube! The same thing in Canada is more like 15-20$. In the painting I used many of the new pigments, which were fantastic. Especially the French Vermilion (apt for the occasion), which I used in the flag.

Watercolour, 11x7.5", Jan 2012