Behind the paper and cardboard recycling facility there were these giant bus-sized palettes of compressed paper and cardboard. It was not very inspiring, and the cold weather made me want to leave, but as I stood assessing the scene, a racoon lumbered across the ground and I wondered where it was going at this time of day. Then the raccoon turned up on its back paws and disappeared into a hole in the back of the cardboard palette. It had made a nest inside of the mound of pulp! I suppose it is excellent insulation and easy to dig inside, maybe there is a whole condo full of raccoons in there.
Painting a giant pile of compressed paper and cardboard was a unique challenge. There was plenty of beige which I made with pure umber (PBr7), it has nearly the exact colour of cardboard without any mixing. Burnt umber (PBr7) gave a sharper, reddish texture, then black (PBk6) and blue (PB60) for shadowing. Lastly, I daubed in random bright colours to represent the labels and markings the material had. Leaving white gaps signified the paper mixed in. Getting the perspective correct on these cube-like shapes was tough because the edges all seemed to disintegrate. The raccoon was only in view for about 5-10 seconds so I had to memorize its shape and patterns, and go by memory.
Paper and cardboard recycling with raccoon, watercolour 8 x 10" cold press, March 2025 (No. 4306a)
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