At the end of the open field in Bolton, there was a good view of the purple cones. They had magenta petals that were falling off, and spiky protrusions all around. The rest of the field was filled with yellow and white wildflowers, including brown eyed Susan's. The cone shapes and colours were so delicate that I had to find a view were they were set against a simple background, such as the sky and cloud. The dragon fly had passed much earlier in the walk, but I memorized its shape and colours to include it in a later painting. Old wooden fences could be seen throughout the field, it was an old farm no doubt.
Purple cone with Dragonfly, watercolour 5 x 7" cold press, July 2024
Humber River and banks, watercolour 5 x 7" cold press, July 2024
Bolton was founded around a mill, which would have been a gathering place for farmers and locals. What remains of the dam was remediated so that fish could swim across it, the hope was to have salmon spawning again. You see the remnants of it in the painting, the water gently cascading between the old stone works.
Old Mill Dam, watercolour 5 x 7" cold press, July 2024
Not too far downstream from the last scene there were some very small rapids, the drop here is less than a meter. Painting cascading water is one of the hardest things to do especially with watercolour. You have the reflections, the river bottom, the foam, and the sky all melding into a complex tapestry broken up by wet rocks. The best I ever got it was in Mount Sutton where I painted a small brook. Maybe I can find a similar scene in Montreal but its rare since all the rivers and creeks tend to be in pipes.
Small rapids, watercolour 5 x 7" cold press, July 2024
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