Iron Oxide Alley, Somerled Avenue, NDG, Montreal

After working in my kitchen for a long time today I headed outside for some sun, painting, and lots of noise. Somerled avenue is getting back to its busy, congested ways with plenty of buses construction trucks, fire trucks, loud cars, etc. This scene was perfect for a few reasons, there was a bench to sit on, it was side lit with strong afternoon sun, and it had a lot of earth colours that  I wanted to practice. In fact, the fence between the building was likely painted with a red iron oxide paint, and the bricks are coloured by iron oxide pigments, the same ones I have in my kit. My signature is once again hidden on a sign, it was actually a health clinic so the heart was actually there!

To capture the brilliant orange brick I used venetian red (PR101) with some red iron oxide (PR101), the fence was pure red iron oxide, and the bricks on the right building were burnt umber (PBr7), some red iron oxide, yellow ochre (PY43), and a touch of phthalo blue (PB15). The large shadowed brick was venetian red with some carbon black, it didn't take much to make it very dark. These paints definitely carry the colour-intensity of the scene. As usual, the blue sky was phthalo blue (green shade PB15:3) at the horizon, and gradually blended in with indo blue (PB60) towards to the upper sky. The shape that the sky produces is an off center "T" that is very pleasing. A lone tree and some grass in the sidewalk cracks is the only sign of nature. Also, the roof of the left building was once painted orange but it was sun-bleached. 7 x 10" rough press, watercolour, June 2020