Standing on the corner of Rue de Boisbriand and Rue De Bullion, which is along st Catherine east, there are some gritty urban scenes to paint including this empty lot. Sometime around 2019 according to google maps street view which I consulted afterwards, this was a collection of old buildings and shops, then it was demolished in 2020 to make way for... a field of wild flowers and trees. One can imagine this becoming a condo development, like you see in the background. Painting an empty lot is tricky, somehow it has to be a feature element, so I amped up the contrast and made everything around it grey and purple.
Empty lot flowers, watercolour 6 x 7.5" cold press, May 2026
Same spot, looking west, there is a view of the back of a famous pub called Les Foufounes Électriques. Live bands were playing folk-rock music from the back patio while patrons cheered them on. All four stories of the back-walls were painted black with graffiti over top. Looking at google street view historically, this scene has been covered in a variety of artworks, it seems to change every year.
Shadow corner graffiti, watercolour 6 x 7.5" cold press, May 2026
Looking down Rue De Bullion and the entire east wall of the building was in shadow, making all the graffiti and other features pop out. Its been awhile since I got to paint blue shadows... it happens when the sun comes out and the sky is blue, a rare occurrence in Montreal this year!
Graf wall shadow side, watercolour 6 x 7.5" cold press, May 2026
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