Lachine Canal bike path, and the pink house

 

The weather today was really fantastic, warm sun, cool breeze, clear skies. And the Lachine canal bike path was finally opened between Ville St. Pierre and Verdun after being under construction for 2 years or more. I sat under some amazing pine trees smelling of sap and pine needles. The dirt was still raw from the construction but I was amazed at how nature was reclaiming the terrain. Sticks and cones were strewn about and little tufts of grass were poking up already. I assume they will come by and sod the area soon which is a shame because nature would take care of it for free. The canal was full once again, sapphire water gently rolling, hiding the toxic waste beneath (no joke, this used to be an industrial sewer). 

After Construction, 6.5 x 7" cold press, watercolour, August 2020

Abandoned factories line the canal some of them slated for destruction, some of them acting as artistic canvasses. This one made the local news because some creative vandals painted the small houses on the top left pink, with faux window shutters for decoration. The rest of the structure is slowly rusting and crumbling. I included my signature and date as graffiti at the base of the silos, always fun. Next time I paint a tall structure I will have to remember 3 point perspective, that is where tall structures appear to converge on a vertical. It was good to use some iron oxide paint to depict rust (which is iron oxide). 8 x 10" cold press, watercolour, August 2020