Atwater market, rust, and graffiti

Looping back around the wonderful Lachine canal path, here is a scene of the Atwater market across the canal. I was not intending to paint this, but on the way home I had to stop behind a utility building to get out of the wind for a few minutes. Looking to my left, there was a flock of seagulls, about 50 or more flapping around and hovering in the air, which tells you how strong the wind was. Sheltered, I could paint this scene at my leisure which shows the market, the canal, the boat that is a floating restaurant, and some gulls on the water. In the background is mount royal, and the condo towers that I painted with black and white scratches.

Atwater market across canal, watercolour 6 x 7.5" cold press, September 2024 (No. 4045b)

 

A lot of times I paint this iconic water tower it gets lost in the details, so this time I painted it as a close crop, almost like a rusty space ship in the sky. Hey, its like the space capsule that Boeing made! Lucky they didn't put the astronauts in it, needs a little rust paint touch up.

Rusty water tower, watercolour 6 x 7.5" cold press, September 2024 (No. 4041b)

 

A large factory/warehouse sits derelict on st Patrick, all the windows are smashed and its plastered in graffiti. What interested me was the contrast between the colourful spray paint and the fall colours in the foreground. One can only imagine that this whole thing will be razed and replaced with condos, its prime real estate being right next to the canal. I did see wildlife here, a small mole or vole or something was swatting its little claws at me and it was showing me its little teeth. It wasn't very scary, but it was a tiny reminder that if you leave things alone nature will come back.

Graffiti and fall colours, watercolour 5 x 7" cold press, September 2024 (No. 4035b)