Tuesday, August 31, 2021

Montreal Skyline at Night

Last night I took a bike ride out to the new Glen Hospital which has a steep embankment running along its south side with great views of downtown Montreal and surrounding areas. The terrain has a narrow footpath where I set up my bike-studio. This time I brought along a portable battery-powered light, one that is meant for illuminating sheets of music on music stands. It easily clipped onto the back of my bike pack, so I could paint this scene without the need for any street lamp. You can see the eerie blue glow at the bottom right of the painting where I signed, that is the light from my portable lamp. The rest of the scene was a dramatic mix of shapes and colours. The trees were nearly jet black with a hint of reddish yellow, while downtown was a kaleidoscope of amber lamps and car headlights on a highway overpass. On the horizon line was the jigsaw puzzle of office towers and condos. Obviously the subject matter was overly ambitious for a 5 x 7" painted at night, but in the end it really does capture the mood. The composition is a classic of Hiroshige's style, filled with triangles and overlapping elements.
 

Montreal Skyline at Night, watercolour 5 x 7" cold press, August 2021 (No. 2805)

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