Champlain Bridge from the south shore

 

If you are reading my blogs from Saturday July 19th, you might be starting to wonder how many paintings I did today? It was a lot by my standards, in fact I did more than my previous number done in one trip on September 14th 2024. Numbers like this make no difference, the important thing is to be enjoying the craft, and not feeling like its just shoveling out paintings for the sake of paintings. The final tally for the day will be told in a blog or two from now.  

The painting above shows the new Samuel-De Champlain Bridge, which is just called the Champlain bridge by locals. It was built next to the old Champlain bridge which has been all but removed now. Just a few of the supports were kept near the shore, they are turning them into monuments. This view of the bridge was from the south shore, from the aptly named Chaplain Bridge park. By now I was pretty beat by the heat exhaustion and the 22 km trip down to the st Jacques river. Somehow my brush was still moving and paintings were coming out before my eyes.  You can see the Montreal skyline and Mount Royal in the distance under the bridge. 

Champlain Bridge from south shore, watercolour 8 x 10" hot press, July 2025 (No. 4323)

The bike path curves its way under the bridge, then loops around to join a separate structure on the bridge span. In this stylized view, I wanted to catch the s-shape of the bike path, and show the steep incline up the bridge. Where the path seems to end under the bridge, that is were it carries on to the west and towards Park Radisson and the st Jacques river. I was on my way back to Montreal, looking at the bridge. You can see part of the Montreal skyline under the bridge. 

 

Champlain bridge bike path, watercolour 8 x 10" cold press, July 2025 (No. 4324)

Standing in one of the rest areas on the bridge, which is just a nook with a few benches where people can stop and catch their breath, I got this view looking down on the south canal, it is the active channel that allows passage of container ships. The islands provide sanctuary for birds, and house the massive power lines that supply Montreal. You can see the Cartier bridge off in the distance through the haze.  

Bird Sanctuary south canal, watercolour 8 x 10" cold press, July 2025 (No. 4325)