Early in the morning before the train departed from Toronto, I made a quick painting in the relative darkness of the morning. The sky had a deep purple tint which played well against the pale yellow and grey glow of the environment. You can imagine pulling your luggage on a chilly morning and glancing up at the old fashioned clock. Despite the gloomy atmosphere I tried to create a scene that was warm and inviting with pops of colour here and there.
Union station in the Early Morning, watercolour 5 x 7" cold press, December 2023 (No. 3669)
The CN tower is the most recognizable attraction in Toronto, it is also one of the tallest free standing structures in the world. Elevators take tourists up to the central section that is like a doughnut shape, it contains a restaurant and the dreaded transparent floors. It took awhile to get an angle on the CN tower, it was completely obscured by skyscrapers until I approached Union station and looked west. The intense red and magenta lights from the elevator and restaurant section were casting an eerie glow onto the surrounding clouds. Strong yellowish flood lights adorned the doughnut section, the cast sharp beams of light and gave the appearance of a UFO landing. On top of that, the snow was pelting down which created a mottled snow-effect on the painting's surface. I feel like this painting achieves more than just a sum of its parts, it gives an immediate, visceral sense of atmosphere and lighting. The actual scene was even more spectacular than the painting indicates, so much so that I was skeptical that I could even come close to capturing the effect.
CN Tower Cloudy Snowy Night, watercolour 5 x 7" cold press, December 2023 (No. 3670)
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