Finally I got to ride out to st Helen's island after getting blocked last time by the car race. This painting shows Swan lake, a small pond near the Concorde bridge that connects Montreal the island. The base of the bridge is barely visible at the top of the painting and in the reflection. The foreground was surprisingly lush with flowers, pine trees, tall grasses, and reeds growing out on a spit of land. There were plenty of geese around, but no swans, I guess it should be called goose lake, or better yet, goose shit lake since there was lots of it around.
Swan Lake Reeds, watercolour 5 x 7" cold press, July 2023 (No. 3488a)
This was the first painting of the trip, I did it as a warm up. The scene shows a grassy hill where people sit when they play concerts here, and the tall audio and lighting towers they use when there is a show. Most of the area was paved over with gravel and the beloved laid brick work that adorns a lot of the island around the metro station now.
Concert Area, watercolour 5 x 7" cold press, July 2023 (No. 3489a)
It turns out that the island has some dense forested areas with paths criss-crossing throughout. The paths were very steep and challenging on the bike but I made it to the top where Levis Tower is located. Recently renovated, it looks fantastic with its old fashioned brick work and restored windows. A few years ago it was a crumbling ruin, but it may soon be open for intrepid tourists to go up. Even standing in the shade it was extremely hot and humid here, it was the last painting of the trip before I rode home. There are two more 8 x 10" paintings I will make another post.
Levis Tower Close Up, watercolour 5 x 7" cold press, July 2023 (No. 3489b)
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