Winter Paintings in Bolton, Gifts

On a recent trip back to Bolton to visit my parents for Christmas I had the chance to make some paintings in and around town. It was mildly cold (around -5℃ ) but the ind was fierce for the first couple of days. Things had calmed down when I made this painting of the view from Queen street and Columbia way. The fire station would be just to my right, and the highway behind me. There was a prominent blue-grey cloud cutting an angle across the glowing sky. A hayfield poked through the snow in the foreground.

Winter Field, watercolour 8 x 10" Strathmore Gemini, December 2022

 

A large tract of land has been conserved by the town, it stretches from the north hill suburbs all the way to Bolton Camp, and down to King street. Much of the trail was a mosaic of trees, snow and a little creek that winds its way through this forest where I used to play as a boy. This was the second try at the scene. The foreground tree holds the composition together, while the creek is just hinted at on the bottom right. High on the embankment is the treeline, I edited the houses out.

Forest with Creek, watercolour 5 x 7" cold press, December 2022 (No. 3517)

On the last day I walked up to the edge of a farmers field on Columbia way which is part of the Ontario Greenbelt, at least for now. The field had been plowed before winter resulting in an undulating broken terrain coated in a thick layer of snow like icing on a dirt cake. The sky and rolling hills were an impressionist's dream, pastel with lots of light permeating through. Dark green trees provided necessary contrast. I left behind these three paintings as gifts for the family.

Winter Fields and Rolling Hills, watercolour 8 x 10" Strathmore Gemini, December 2022