Nowhere, Montreal

Keeping up with the painting and the blogging, here is today's work (both the painting and the blog!). I can't promise to be posting and blogging so much, but in the midst of the pandemic we have little else to do. Today was a brilliant 17C near perfect day, which means half of Montreal was out and about. Knowing this, I rode my bike into the middle of nowhere, literally. On the map this location is a no-man's land on Norman Street between Lachine, NDG, and ville St. Pierre. At least I can't be accused of traveling to another borough! Still though, two bikes, 10 cars, and a guy on an electric skateboard went past me.

I did a painting like this years ago, it was showing giant beer brewing vessels that had just been dropped off at the local brewery for installation. In this painting, the cylinders are actually flammable gas containers supported by steel beams painted blue. The whole section of Norman street had hundreds of these, and I finally stopped at a little driveway where I could set up the chair and paint. I liked the tall tree in the background, and the shrubs and grass in front. The scene was surprisingly light and colourful considering it was a dusty and dingy industrial park. I have never been able to make it so far on this road, the pandemic has minimized all traffic, there used to be a dearth of trucks, cars, smog, and noise on this road, and I suppose there will be again soon enough.

This was the first painting from the Winsor and Newton 20 page block, from Avenue d'Art that I picked up before the stores closed. It has a mild texture closer to cold press, and I kind of liked it so far.

7 x 10 " rough press , May 2020