Lachine Canal

Going west along the bike path from the bridge that connects Ville St. Pierre to Upper Lachine (Pont Lafleur) there is a small train bridge, maybe its the one connected to Station Du Canal? I am just looking at google map now to find out the street names. I chose this angle to show off the brick work under the bridge, the interesting perspective, and the cool light and shadows on the water. Trying to capture the spirit of Van Gogh, I overlaid lively brushwork giving each section a unique feel, and made good use of yellow and green. This kind of viewpoint was made popular by Monet with his painting "The Railroad Bridge at Argenteuil" which was done at a time that railways were spreading all over Europe, and the cost of train tickets was more accessible to the middle class making it possible for artists to visit the country side. That is a big reason Van Gogh was able to make his formative trip to Arles. I did another Monet-inspired train bridge once, years ago, on my train trip to St. Mary's, I will make a blog of that one too.

This painting is very small, it would be considered a sketch by most standards. Watercolour paintings are inherently smaller than oil paintings, the maximum size of watercolour paper is only 22 x 30" compared to standard canvas size which is more like 36 x 48" and commonly even bigger. I bought a new block (where the sheets are loosely fastened together), it was made by Fabriano- the product was Artistico extra white rough press, 140lbs. It cost a lot as I recall, but so far I am satisfied with the quality and performance. The rough surface was perfect for this rugged train bridge!

5 x 7 " (12.5 x 18 cm) rough press, watercolour, October 2019