Empty Pool, Confederation Park, NDG, Montreal

When I turned the corner off Somerled Av towards Confederation Park, I saw the brilliant blue empty pool glowing in the hot sun. A quick walk around the fenced-off pool I found the perfect spot to sit on a park bench. The whole scene was observed through a fence which I did not try and show except in the back behind the two large shade umbrellas.

One key decision when painting on location is the orientation of the paper, landscape (horizontal) or portrait (vertical). In this case landscape was the natural choice due to the wide lines and angles of the pool and cool shapes of the platform. The 3-D shape of the pool carries the foreground through to the background which creates an exciting composition. Due to the pandemic lock-down the pool is shut indefinitely which made this painting possible. The wealth of rich blue tones include cerulean in the pool walls and cobalt on the umbrellas. I also included a pile of sticks, some deck signs, and the pool ladder in the foreground to help with the composition, but I omitted a complicated lifeguard ladder/seat which would have obscured the scene.

7 x 10" rough press, watercolour, May 2020