Saturday, August 31, 2024

Pigeons under train bridge

Getting as far as Guy street I turned south, rode past Little Burgundy, and stopped under the train bridge and Boulevard Ville Marie highway interchange. Actually I was standing under one of the off ramps, since under the bridge it was chock full of pigeon excrement and feathers. One hopeful bird flapped down from under the train bridge where they roost, and looked expectantly at me for some handouts. Up in the rafters there were dozens or maybe hundreds of them roosting. You can see some apparition-like pigeons up in the iron work. This is one of those painting that I will remember for sure, standing there in relative dryness, with rain all around under a noisy bridge painting pigeons.

Pigeons under train bridge, watercolour 5 x 7" cold press, August 2024 (No. 4008a)

Looking to the left revealed this bizarre scene, there was a down ramp curving underneath an up ramp, and some kind of off ramp above my head. A concrete wall and sturdy fence (which I omitted) made sure it was safe to be here, I was standing right next to the sidewalk actually. It did smell of urine here, though hopefully not from me. We just watched a program about architecture and they showed a decadent art studio with high ceilings, fancy paintings on the wall, and hundreds of paint brushes neatly arranged. And I said to Cilei, today I painted pigeons and cars under a urine-smelling train bridge, that was my studio. 

On off up down ramps, watercolour 5 x 7" cold press, August 2024 (No. 4009a)

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