City as seen through the trees: Griffintown st Ann's Park

In among the towering condos is the wonderful Griffintown st Ann's Park, filled with trees, leaves and a few squirrels. People were sitting in the benches here, getting some natural sun while it lasted. The diagonal shadow in the background is from one of the enormous new condo buildings in the Griffintown area. Once an industrial blue collar town it has now completely gentrified. To do the painting, I built up warm caramel colours and infused with red, orange, and yellow leaves, and coffee-coloured shadows.

Autumn Griffintown st Ann's Park, watercolour 6 x 7.5" cold press, October 2024

From this vantage point the squirrel nest, a ball of leaves, appeared to be hovering over the background condods. I am glad the city protected this area, there are very few natural areas other than mount Royal in Montreal, and a few other pockets of nature. I did a lot less painting last week due to a deadline, which I made incidentally, and so it took a few paintings today in order to get back in the groove again.

Squirrel nest over condos, watercolour 6 x 7.5" cold press, October 2024

Here is a complex scene of the city as seen through the trees. The trees were done first, then I attempted to paint the complex background in between the gaps.

City as seen through the trees, watercolour 6 x 7.5" cold press, October 2024