On a day like today with solid -20℃ windchill the best place in town is standing right next to the st Lawrence river where the wind chill is probably double that. The water was not fully frozen, but slushy chunks of ice were floating around and washing up on the small rocky beach. In the background is the south canal seaway wall which has a bike path and is surrounded by trees. On the other side would be Kahnawà:ke. I could not quite do justice to the ice effect, but it was good enough just to hold on to my paintbrush and paper under the fierce wind.
Ice on rocky beach, watercolour 5 x 7.5" cold press, December 2024
On the way back I did a painting of the last barn in Lachine, it sits amidst new condo developments, and one feels that it may not be there forever given its dilapidated state. In the foreground is the Lachine canal partly frozen and covered in snow. When painting outdoors in winter one has to simplify the scenes a little, over the years I developed a different style in the winter than how I paint in the summer.
Last barn in Lachine, watercolour 5 x 7.5" cold press, December 2024
Looking back to the west, the sun was going down behind the elevated highway over the canal. It created interesting blue shadows on the frozen water. The neat thing about the blurred-effect on the highway is that it draws more attention to the shadows, and gives the sense of a sun almost melting the environment. I kind of like this painting, maybe I can fit it into the Lachine Canal painting book I am working on.
Sundown over elevated highway, watercolour 5 x 7.5" cold press, December 2024
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