Gamelin Gardens

 

Behind the Berri-UQAM metro, which you see behind the sign, there is a community space called Gamelin Gardens (Jardins in french). When I did the 68 stations of the Montreal Metro series, this was one of the stations that I could not get a decent painting of, due to front side being so... ugly? And I painted ugly stations, like Farbre Station, I made that look good. Finally though, I immersed myself in Jardins Gamelin, there was hip music playing over speakers, hot sun, the faint wafting of weed, what more could a painter want? Since I brought the pyrol red mix back on the palette (PR254 + PY97) it is coming in quite handy, in the panting it was used exclusively to paint out the block letters. To make the block letters, you have to draw seven boxes for each word before attempting the lettering, otherwise it will look wonky. I worked that trick out while painting the Farine Five Roses sign.

Jardins Gamelin sign, watercolour 6 x 7.5" cold press, September 2024

 

The courtyard was full of people sitting around, walking past, lounging about, shouting things, it was a real milieu. The trees seemed to be dancing. For simplicity and the sake of privacy I didn't try to paint in all the people. I had a lot of fun painting this one even if its not the best painting I have ever done.

Dancing Trees, watercolour 8 x 10" cold press, September 2024

 

The office building must have been a 1970's era construction when they were in love with that caramel brown concrete. I used pure umber (PBr7), its equivalent to a green umber, or the colour of tea with milk. My brain felt like it was melting by now, I wonder if the weed was more than just a waft? At any rate, the umbrellas were red and the sky was blue. Sugar is sweet and so are you.

Dank office building and red umbrellas, watercolour 6 x 7.5" cold press, September 2024