Colour was hard to find in downtown Toronto due to the season, the vast expanses of concrete and asphalt, and the freezing rain/snow. Across the street from the hotel there was the skating rink that made for some interesting paintings, and a row of food vendors that were extremely colourful. The one depicted in the painting appeared to be promoting hot dogs, sausages, and had a black red and green flag that I could not identify. Turkish symbols adorned other parts of the cart so it may have been a Turkish theme. I walked around this location a few times trying not to look weird as I scoped the angle, but then I realized there were a lot of weird people mulling about aimlessly and I felt more at ease. The city placed large decorative flower pots along the sidewalk, and when I saw how its shape fit with the food stand and the crowd waiting for the food, I stopped, opened my paint bag, poured the water, and got the paper holder, palette, and brush in my mitted-hands. As I painted the snow gently fell, creating a neat snow effect. The chef in the stand was illuminated by a magenta lamp, which played nicely off the yellow red and orange signage. The figure work is some of the most expressive I have achieved on location; it was important to the composition that they appeared huddled and cold as the waited for the warm food.
Hot Dog Stand, watercolour 5 x 7" cold press, December 2023 (No. 3668b)
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