Brave Montreal

 It took a little bit of motivation from Cilei but I finally got on the bike and headed out into a very snowy Montreal. I kept thinking, what a brave city, to live in such cold weather for half the year! There were even a few crazy folks out on their bikes or jogging, and at least one person painting watercolours (me). I have painted this bridge before, it is the relatively new one they built to extend st Jacques over the Decarie. The sun was permeating the snowy sky like a yellow orb. It was actually much higher in the sky than you see in the painting but I wanted to fit it all on the small format. The bridge and other details were actually added on the way back from my trip after the under-painting had a chance to dry. I thought about finishing it at home, but wanted to get the snow-effect on the bridge support. To get the snow-effect you literally have to let the snow fall on the wet painting.

Sun over Bridge Snowy Day, watercolour 5 x 7" cold press, February 2023 (No. 3403)

The canal path was still un-rideable, so I walked across the footbridge with bike in hand and set up near the railing looking east. By now the snow was really coming down, so much so, that my palette and the painting were getting covered and I kept having to shake it off. To make a decent painting in such conditions, it was important to leave a lot of blank paper between the elements so they would not run together too much. At least I really got the snow-blasted effect.

Frozen Canal Snow Storm, watercolour 8 x 10" rough press, February 2023 (No. 3594)

With a full blown snow storm enveloping Montreal, I had to find shelter under a structure at Atwater market. I stood there for a long time protected from the snow wondering what to paint. None of the scenes were very appealing. Then a fellow walked past, weighed down with four enormous garbage bags full of cans that clattered with every step. I felt paralleled with this fellow. He was finding cans around Montreal and hauling them back to the grocery store for the sake of a meager refund, while I was finding scenes to paint around Montreal for the sake of my blog.  The snow was piled high and filthy with sand and grit, while the rest of the scene was grey, brown and a few pops of colour here and there.

Can Man Atwater Market, watercolour 5 x 7" cold press, February 2023 (No. 3404)