Twisty Pine Trees in Little Burgundy

These twisty pine trees were in Vinet Park, Little Burgundy just around the hip hop stage. They reminded me a lot of Tom Thompson's Jack Pine, and so I wanted to make a special effort here to capture the vibe, but with an urban twist. For all I know these may actually be Jack Pines, at least they capture the same spirit. To paint the twisty trees I focused on the various colours and values of the bark first, then applied the green needle foliage using olive tones. The bark varied from a dark orange to a dull red, with purplish and black tones throughout. In places the bark was almost yellow. The foreground shows some of the community planters with what appeared to be small red fruit or flowers. In the background, a dense urban environment backlit and pale grey. If I can't get out to Algonquin park or Lake Superior like the group of seven did, then at least on this day Little Burgundy was a suitable substitute.

Twisty Pine Trees in Little Burgundy, watercolour 8 x 10" cold press, August  2024