Yellow sky concrete factory, Lachine canal

With more wild fires burning up in the north, Montreal had a thin layer of haze tinting everything yellow. In this scene, done at the concrete factory down by the Lachine canal in ville st Pierre, you can see amber-tinted clouds and an eerie green glow from grass and foliage. Trucks were loading up with concrete. 

Yellow sky concrete factory, watercolour 8 x 10" cold press, July 2026

This factory worker was taking a break, trying to make a call on his cellphone next to rue st Patrick. I painted this at distance, standing on the same spot as the previous painting. I will try to do figure painting more often, although people never stay still for long! 

Factory worker break, watercolour 5 x 7" cold press, July 2026

 

Still the same spot, looking towards the rear of the factory, there were a lot of signs and pylons, with the parking lot on the right side. I put my initials on the right most stop sign, and year on the bottom corner. So you're like, he just put 26, where are his initials... oh they are on the stop sign. 

Factory signs parking lot, watercolour 5 x 7" cold press, July 2026

 

Where else can an artist paint such a scene? My favorite subject, the Lachine canal, sparkling and rippling, with a concrete highway overpass carrying several transport trucks. In the distance, a hazy yellow Montreal downtown skyline can be seen. 

Trucks over canal city view, watercolour 5 x 7" cold press, July 2026

 

Finally, these tall iron drums were rusted out, and someone spray-painted their moniker in lime-green paint with black detailing. With the yellow tint from wildfire smoke, the rust colour and the lime green colour really popped out. I tinted the clouds with yellow ochre (PY43) and used raw sienna (PBr7) a caramel earth colour, to give the impression of haze everywhere. Part of the canal is seen in the foreground. 

Iron drums PJD26, watercolour 5 x 7" cold press, July 2026