Caught in a rain storm

Optimistically, I headed out after work despite an ominous looking sky. Sticking close to home, I rode down the Terrebonne path to Girouard and got mostly through a few paintings before it really started to pour. Next to the local Domino's pizza, there is a small garden full of towering sunflower plants. At this point the wind was whipping up a fury making it hard to hold on to the paper and palette, and rain started to come down which hastened the speed of painting. Rushing the painting may have helped with the effect, you can practically see the wind, and literally see the rain since some drops hit the painting while it was still moist on location. 

Sunflowers stormy sky, watercolour 6 x 7.5" cold press, September 2025

Here is another painting of the so called 'demo mall' it was supposed to be demolished November 2024 but its still hanging around for awhile more. The painting was done just before the sunflower painting, and the sky was a mosaic of purple and yellow. The sun almost popped out for a second giving me hope, but it was soon clear that we were in for a deluge. 

Maurice Coiffure, watercolour 6 x 7.5" cold press, September 2025

 

Across the street there is a shuttered optician store that has a covered drive through area in the rear which offered nearly complete shelter from the massive downpour. Taking the opportunity to paint a few more, I did a scene looking out onto Côte st Luc road, which was covered in water and rain drops as the cars went by. I was just dressed lightly as if for a summer day, so the cold wind was like being in a cold shower. 

Cold shower on Côte st. Luc, watercolour 6 x 7.5" cold press, September 2025

With the rain storm continuing, I made another painting of the shuttered optometrist called Optica. Its closed for good, but the interior still had a lot of stock and other items lying around including a desktop computer, and products on racks and in display cases. I was looking through the rear entrance doors towards the front entrance doors opening onto Côte st. Luc. So its an unusual painting that I never would have done in a million years if it weren't for the rain storm forcing me to stand under the parking shelter. Okay, if I painted for a million years I might have got to this scene, its just a figure of speech. 

Optica Interior, watercolour 6 x 7.5" cold press, September 2025