From doing a lot of crossword puzzles I know that 'ess' is how you spell the letter 's', which also describes this access point to the Champlain Bridge. They recently completed a massive renovation project which included a widened bike path over to Nun's Island, and even a new bike path going under and towards Point St. Charles along the river which is not open yet. I found a good spot to stand on the Nun's bike path with this chaotic view of the highway merging onto the bridge. I wanted to create a sense of disorientation about where I was standing, so when you look at this painting, you are also not sure where you are standing. Just a pile of concrete barriers and confusing signs.
Having a good line can make all the difference in a painting. To establish the Ess shape I made a single energetic brush stroke that was not exactly true to the scene but looked great. The actual scene had less of a tilt on the bridge perspective, but I wanted it to seemingly stretch from top to bottom. It was also important to get that tow-truck sign (middle right) in there, just to add to the sense of chaos!
Champlain Bridge, Ess Shape, watercolour 5 x 7" cold press, September 2021 (No. 2811)
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