3 yellow blocks, NDG, Montreal

Yesterday I tried a scene with bright yellow paint on asphalt and it went pretty well but the yellow was too bright. I found this scene down on the same location where I did the definitive Pandemic Blues painting a few months ago but looking in a different direction. The yellow painted blocks were badly faded by the sun and chipped, the block on the right was almost bleached white, and the shadow had a bluish cast. The stronger yellow blocks had orangish shadows which I could recreate with a darkened orange mix that became a little too muddy. There was a crumbling asphalt pathway being taken over by grass, dandelions, and yellow buttercup flowers winding down the small embankment. A bright green garbage bin and row of cars in the background completes the scene. Oh yeah, I got to use all my iron oxide earth pigments on the small rust pole sticking out of the middle block. The shape of the blocks reminded me a lot of Dad's 'elephant stands' which are home made step stools modeled after the old fashioned circus prop they used to use in elephant shows.

Three objects tastefully arranged like this are a real gift for an artist. Even though each block probably weighs half a ton, they looked like light an airy cardboard boxes that I picked up and placed artfully. Repetition is one of those art rules that was meant to be broken on occasion, but it can really work if you get it right. The three blocks are mirrored by three clumps of flowers in the foreground, and three cars in the background. The garbage bin stands out and looks more prominent since there is only one, it looks like Oscar the grouch may even live there!

On the weekend I had more time for painting and completed 6 paintings and pencil sketches from 2 more of the green line metro stations, Jolicoeur and Verdun. I will be scanning and blogging about those soon, the week days only allow me to sneak out now and then for some fresh air and a quick paint.

5 x 7 " cold press (last sheet from pad*), watercolour, June 2020

* for the Winsor and Newton pad I got early March, the painting area actually measured 5 x 6.5" since there was 0.5" with tear-away perforations holding in the spiral note pad. You can see the perforation remnants on the right of this one.