Sunday's painting excursion was all about perseverance. The weather called for snow all day, and a strong blizzard with whiteout conditions. I had wanted to paint the ice flow on the st Lawrence for some time now, but getting to the river without a bike is a tough proposition. The bus and metro took me to Bonadvanture station, then I walked south on Peel to the Peel Basin. Recognizing the landscape, I trudged around the Farine Five Roses and along the port and past Habitat 67. Just before Concorde bridge I veered off into park Dieppe and kept walking through deep snow on unbroken trails until I reached the gazebo at the end. The snow was blowing on an upward angle from the steep embankments but I found a bit of refuge under the gazebo to make this painting. It was my first try with my new wooden frame that is sized for 8 x 10", which enables me to paint on this larger format in the winter. It prevents the painting from smearing. When I got back in the metro station, the snow on this painting melted and ruined the middle and top portions. At home, I touched up the railing, river, and background elements. As it turned out, it may be one of the greatest winter paintings I have done to date. Perseverance pays off!
Ice Flow and Blizzard st Lawrence River, watercolour 8 x 10" Strathmore Gemini, January 2023 (No. 3380)
This was actually the first painting I made on the Dieppe Park excursion, looking back at Concorde Bridge. The paining, and my palette were thoroughly coated in snow, but it dried out pretty well after all. I just touched up the railing and some shadows at home. The background was really white like you see in the painting due to blowing snow.
Ice under Concorde Bridge, watercolour 5 x 7" cold press, January 2023 (No. 3392a)
On my way back, I found a rest station at the beginning of the park that afforded significant shelter from the elements. The tables were piled high with powdery white snow, and the pine trees were a jigsaw puzzle of white and green. Off in the distance, the Montreal skyline appeared pale grey due to blowing snow. Today was a massive physical challenge, and I am happy to say that all my winter gear passed with flying colours. The Baffin boots kept my feet toasty warm the whole time, and my wool underclothes and thermal layer Cilei got me for Christmas worked wonders. Importantly, my hands were warm the whole time despite the -20℃ with windchill. I had a pair of light Auclair gloves, Woolpower wrist gators, and Deerskin Gauntlets over top. When I needed a bit of dexterity I could pull off a gauntlet and have the Auclair to keep my hand warm. It took a lot of fiddling to get all the gear right. If I ever go out in a blizzard again the only things I might add are a balaclava and a ski goggles perhaps.
Snow on Tables with Pine Trees, watercolour 5 x 7" cold press, January 2023 (No. 3393)
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