Up on Cote st Luc there is an old stop mall with apartments on the second floor that is slated for demolition. Only the laundry mat remains functional, all the other shops and apartments are abandoned. Something tells me there are some great paintings to be had here, but it is a very challenging location with just sidewalks, lots of noisy traffic and the structure itself is a long narrow building with a slight incline to the roof. Like
Dépanneur Diamond 10, I am motivated to paint something before it is gone forever. Unfortunately the weather is not cooperating, rain yesterday and bitterly cold wind and swirling snow today. Of course, that didn't stop me from painting.
Demo turquoise and pink study, watercolour 5 x 7.5" cold press, January 2025
Here I tried to fit in the entire structure using a steep perspective looking east. The store fronts are yellow ochre, dark cyan turquoise, coral pink, then bone white. On top the brick is a pale white worn by the weather. The windows all seem to have a greenish tint. A pile of garbage bags was out front, and the alleyway had a no garbage sign.
Demo perspective east study, watercolour 5 x 7.5" cold press, January 2025
Its a hard scene with many interlocking shapes and colour variations. With the wind gusts I was lucky just to hold on to the paper! By bike almost blew over a few times. The trick with this location is to somehow capture the abandoned, derelict atmosphere while at the same time drawing reference to what the building once was. If the weather can cooperate, then I will return and do some close ups with more detail.
Demo site east corner study, watercolour 5 x 7.5" cold press, January 2025
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