Streetcar Blues, Bay and King Street, Toronto

24 x 24 oil on cradled hardboard

In preparation for the One of A Kind Show, I have been working a lot...to the point of getting somewhat exhausted. But in spite of the exhaustion, I like the momentum. I have a new philosophy when it comes to painting. You are either painting or not. You are not checking your files for new ideas, talking on the phone, looking at blogs or websites....you are painting....and there is no in between. (Besides going to make a coffee). For me, part of the procrastination was fear of going on to the next section, or fear of making a mistake, and just basic lack of confidence. Stress has been making me go beyond the fear, and making me keep going. And I now know that to move forward, and to produce requires that one paint....and just paint and keep going even when you are tired or afraid.

I'm running out of ideas for titles of paintings and Streetcar Blues just jumped into my head. A fitting name even though there is NO blue in the painting. Just a mix of viridian and black.

Bay Street Drizzle

8x10 oil on board

I have been focused on creating harmony in my paintings and so have been experimenting with limited palettes. The buildings on bay street in Toronto in this early evening commute seemed to be variations of violets and blues. I chose a mix of ultramarine blue and terra rosa (a color I rarely use but really enjoyed in this picture) for the main color scheme and added yellow ochre and cadmium red for highlights. (as well as ivory black and titanium white that I almost  always use.)

This painting is a study for a larger painting. Hopefully I can do the larger one maintaining the looseness. On larger paintings I tend to tighten up which is really annoying.

After the Snow, Yonge and Dundas

24 x 24 oil on cradled board

After a snow storm, we often get a crisp clear light. Although it may look warm, it is a very cold day and pedestrians rush to their destinations, hunkered down inside winter clothing. The early evening light peaks through buildings, creating random reflections.

This scene was taken last year at the corner of Yonge Street and Dundas after one of our major snow storms. Snow banks dominate the sides of roads and sidewalks.

St. Lawrence Market Rain

12 x 12 oil on board

St. Lawrence Market is a wonderful place to shop in downtown Toronto. I was there on a busy rainy Saturday. Beautiful planters dominated the scene, and Beck taxis showed up in every photo I took. I was tempted to leave out the taxi in this scene, but it just didn't seem right. This scene shows Front Street with the market in the foreground, and the Flat Iron Building in the back ground.

Sun after Snow, Toronto

24 x 24 oil on board

There is no snow here, and there won't be for awhile. Sometimes we get the first snowfall in November, but normally it doesn't stay on the ground until December. This is another incomplete painting that I wanted to work on. It was a simple composition, but I thought it had potential with the dramatic early evening light after a previous snow fall.