Monday, September 26, 2016

King Of Kensington

8 x 10 oil on panel
A week ago Saturday during an all day rain, I took several pictures of various Toronto Neighbourhoods. I walked from The Distillery District through downtown, then Kensington Market and finished up in Little Italy. There is no better way to take reference photos than walking a long way, even if tired and wet from the rain.
Kensington Market is a very eclectic mix of markets and stores, as Blogto says: "Toronto's most unique neighbourhood, Kensington Market retains its charm and wonderful diversity through its eclectic mix of vintage clothing stores, Latin American grocers, fresh produce, cafes and watering holes. Defiantly independent and progressive"....its definitely worth a visit.
While walking through the streets, this unique automobile came down the street and parked under a King of Kensington sign. I could't resist doing a small painting of the scene. The graffiti added an interesting touch.

Wednesday, September 14, 2016

Toronto Island Afternoon

9 x 12 oil on panel
A couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to take a Dinghy ride through the Toronto Islands. What a beautiful place it is, and such an eclectic mix of raceboats, housboats, high end boats and everything in between. I loved the colours in this scene with the oranges and vibrant blues. (Yes, sometimes I have to paint the sun, it doesn't rain everyday!)

Tuesday, September 6, 2016

Night Snow at Queen's Quay

12 x 12 oil on canvas
I used the study from the previous posting to recreate this scene on a larger canvas. Doing the colour study helped a lot in choosing my colour palette. It is much better to experiment on the small size on canvas paper. I'm happy with the results. I decided to add snowflakes to enhance the mood of a "first snowfall" .
This painting will be available at The One Of A Kind Show in Toronto in November.