Parc Ex, Montreal 2019

At the corner of Rue de Bellechasse and St. Dominique in Little Italy there is a big construction project going on, looks like an old industrial park has been rezoned for condos and retail. In the background of this painting you see the elevated portion of Rosemont Boulevard, in the foreground is the walled-off construction zone with some equipment visible over the fence and of course, the ever-present traffic signs and cones. I painted a construction scene once and it was a big hit, at least it was sold to a colleague who now hangs it proudly over the toilet. Don't worry, I have one of my paintings in the bathroom too, and what better place to put an artistic tribute to Montreal construction than the bathroom?

I spent a lot of time on the rue barre sign in the foreground because it needed a lot of detail being the first thing a viewer will see when they look at the painting. It was an interesting touch to include, like, saying, don't look here ! Look somewhere else! The base of the sign was made from three washes, and two texture overlays, along with two different shadow effects (the cast-shadow behind, and the shadow between the object and the ground at the front of the yellow dome). The background items took a long time too, but I made sure to keep them looking brief and fresh with minimal detail. Controlling the level of detail helps give the illusion of depth, and also helps the viewer know where to look. I'm getting good at doing that construction-orange colour but I wont tell you the secret formula!

5 x 8 " cold press. Watercolour, September 2019