Evening snow scenes around NDG after work

 Its getting darker earlier and earlier, with the shortest day of the year soon to arrive at the solstice. There was a strong crescent moon shining through the thin clouds on a cold and humid evening. The entire painting was moist the whole time but the freezing temperatures and salt in the water seemed to hold everything in place. A person walking by took a look at said I was brave to be out painting. Foolish would be a better word. But photography would never work. Notice the colour transitions in the sky, those are only visible to the eye. 

Crescent moon over Loyola park, watercolour 5 x 7" cold press, December 2024

 

In the corner of the mall parking lot there was a massive pile of snow. As usual there were light sources from all different directions, including the traffic light which was reflecting colours off the snow pile. On the right part of the pile it is pale green, the left is pale yellow, and the top is pale blue. It was probably too ambitious of a scene, its better to keep it simple in the winter when painting, like the first one with the crescent moon, it only had 3 or 4 elements.

Pile of snow mall parking lot, watercolour 5 x 7" cold press, December 2024

 

You would think that I listen to my own advice, keep it simple. In fact, I thought about just painting the sign off the left which was brilliant against the dark sky, but decided to include the people filling up their cars and the eerie, alien-spaceship like lights of the gas platform. Despite all the fuzzy edges the painting is strangely engaging, like a surreal moment in NDG. Speaking of filling up, just before doing this one I stopped off at Mazzeh which is the quintessential hole-in-the-wall restaurant that looks like nothing from the outside but on the inside it had a wonderful decor and even better Persian food at great prices and friendly staff. I knew it was good because a constant flow of customers were arriving for takeaway food and they were all Iranians. I sure enjoyed it and hope to go back one day.

Evening fill up, watercolour 5 x 7" cold press, December 2024