A Few Remaining Brazil Paintings, final thoughts

The upper level of the laundry area in the back of the house had spectacular views of towering eucalyptus trees on the horizon. The shadows in Brazil were filled with light and colour, and clay tiles provided an flexible motif and a splash of earthy red in the paintings. 

Laundry Drying Area, 5x7" watercolour cold press, May 2023 (No. 3456)

 

Sitting outside of the kitchen one gets a cool breeze, and plenty of noise from the street below. The top floor juts out slightly from the bottom floor, and a roof overhang provides protection from the elements when entering the front door. The house is trimmed in a fantastic wood, the same wood was used in the doors and window frames. At the bottom of the painting, there is a steep staircase that leads down to the front gate. There is actually a fence and a palm tree missing from the painting, and a cat that liked to bask out on the front patio.

Foyer Area, 6x10" watercolour rough press, May 2023 (No. 3609)

 

Cilei's Dad walked with me around the neighborhood and I was amazed at how many people he knew. Every block he would stop and talk to someone, no doubt explaining who I was in Portuguese. As he chatted with the auto mechanic I made a quick painting of the fantastic view down the street. The green facade in the bottom left was sparkly, it was made from a grainy mineral painted in minty green. This is considered a decent neighborhood, yet all houses have gates and high walls for security. 

Colourful Houses Tall Trees, 5x7" watercolour cold press, May 2023 (No. 3457)

 

Towards the end of the trip I was getting a better handle on the subtleties of São Paulo's colours and compositions. It is a sprawling, dense urban area interspersed with intense jungle-like vegetation. On the horizon of this painting you see a hillside completely covered in small brick, plaster and tin roof dwellings with few remaining trees. The air was extremely hazy from the smog which neutralized the blue and created a caramel-glow on the horizon. In each of the city vistas I did, the urban elements were composed along side of the lush vegetation, often using a large tree to unite all the elements. This one perhaps best captures the atmosphere of the landscape.

Hazy City Vista tree on Left, 5x7" watercolour cold press, May 2023 (No. 3458)

In addition to the nearly 30 small paintings I completed in Brazil over two weeks, there were several scenes which I could not paint for various reasons, but took detailed notes. I will try to recreate those scenes using the notes and what I learned. There are also a few paintings I may attempt to redo for example the corn and avocado painting in Cilei's garden. At any rate, I was happy with the results of the Brazil trip, and the family visits, and look forward to returning one day. What a great way to kick off what promises to be a hot and muggy Montreal summer.