After painting the old fellow on the scooter I turned down to the canal and rode across to an industrial area that is slowly but surely gentrifying. At the center of this small neighborhood is a factory converted into a craft beer-restaurant, ideal for hipsters, and people riding their bikes on the nearby canal path. I set up across the street on the sidewalk and took on the challenge of this intricate scene. All the while, there was a strong odor of brewing beer wafting down the street, it smelled like they were boiling the malt or straining the grain on an industrial scale. As a former amateur beer brewer myself, I recognized the smells and it made my crave beer. Scale was important in this painting, the industrial background had to have a crushing weight to it, which is contrasted by the crowd of people enjoying their craft brew, and a delicate tree sweeping from left to right. Centering the view is a tall rusted smoke stack and some old wine barrels that served as standing tables. As I painted, more and more hipsters and cyclists showed up, and it occurred to me that some people would be getting their first exercise of the year, along with their first patio pint!
Hipster Haven watercolour 8 x 10" Strathmore Gemini, April 2023 (No. 3592)
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