Bolton, Ontario Vistas

In 1995, I was taking a lot of photos on bike rides and on hikes through the woods, then turning them into paintings. The plan was to improve my skills enough to be able to paint on location. This was a small study that I used to make a larger version, which now hangs framed in Mom and Dad's house in Bolton. This small version looks similar in most respects, it gives you the sense of depth and a far-off horizon.

Bolton Red House study, watercolour 5 x 7" cold press, 1995

Emboldened by my small successes with the photo-painting, I ventured out to make some location paintings. Only to encounter rain! These storm clouds were clearing up, the sun was creating beams of light against the grey sky. It was a tough effect to paint on location. The painting made good use of burnt sienna (PR101) and ultramarine blue (PB29), you can see how it separated a bit in the clouds creating a granulation effect. A more recent attempt at a stormy sky was the Langelier Metro Station.

Sun, Cloud, Field Bolton, watercolour 5 x 7" cold press, 1996

 

And another scene painted at the same location, showing a panorama of the sun beams. I was putting a bold outline around the painting for some reason, it was like a painted frame. The signature was bold, probably done in phthalo blue which suggests I did the signature at home and not on location. I like the neutral yellow of the field, it was probably aureolin cobalt yellow (PY40) with burnt sienna. Nowadays I would paint that with yellow ochre (PY43) and a touch of burnt sienna (PR101), or raw sienna (PBr7). Hopefully I can go back and make some panoramas some day! 

North Hill Bolton Valley, watercolour 5 x 7" cold press, 1996