China Town, Facade Montage

I sat in the shade eating lunch, a peanut butter sandwich with dates and prunes, admiring the variety of facades along st Laurent boulevard in China Town, Montreal. It seemed impossible to paint the scene with a sharp perspective to contend with. Instead of painting it realistically, I assembled a montage of the most interesting elements from along the block. The sweeping tree reaching from sidewalk to sky tied together the composition and symbolized the community of China Town. Windows, signs and bricks were depicted in a surreal manner, emanating from the soaring tree trunk. Ironically, a passer by really liked the painting and said how realistic it looked. Its neat because you can look at this painting and its almost as if you are looking at a whole block, examining all the interesting details along side of me. To complete the illusion, you have to imagine the potent aroma of Chinese food wafting up the street, inviting you to pop into one of the many restaurants. Alas, it was just peanut butter sandwich for me. 

China Town, Facade Montage, watercolour 8 x 10" cold press, September 2023 (No. 3620b)