Queen Street Shoppers

12 x 12 oil on board

Staying with the theme of "Summer in the City" I couldn't resist doing this group of shoppers crossing Queen Street with the late afternoon reflections. Some paintings I just have to do because the subject is "fun". Although they are generally just as difficult as what we might call "more serious". I may add a little blue to the shadows...still wondering about the temperature in relation to the warm yellow of the road.

This scene is from Queen Street in Toronto.

Thursday Night Jazz at The Rex, Queen Street

30 x 48 Oil on Canvas

This is another Jazz themed painting for the Jazz show at Petroff Gallery July 19th. Queen Street in Toronto still has many older small buildings mixed with larger newer ones. (As most streets in downtown Toronto).Of course the smaller older ones are always more aesthetically pleasing and pedestrian friendly. 

The Rex Hotel is a great venue for jazz. I took the photo reference on a Thursday evening as patrons were arriving to catch the shows.

Queen Street Shoppers and March Sun

8x8 oil on canvas

Even though we have lots of snow and cold weather, when the sun comes out the stronger light reminds us that better weather and spring is on the way.

These young ladies walk down Queen Street on a late afternoon in March. Posters cover the lamp posts providing some interesting colours.

Snowy Day Shopping at The Bay, Toronto

18 x 24 oil on board

Generally I don't like scenes that have too many colors. This scene had a variety of colors that I thought would be difficult to work with and still create some harmony in the painting. I did a value study using a mix of transparent oxide red and ultramarine blue in a loose wash and let it dry overnight. I then did the final painting using transparent oxide red, ultramarine blue, cadmium red, yellow ochre, titanium white. 

Sometimes I like the value study and am tempted to leave it as a finished painting.

This scene is of the Hudson's Bay store in downtown Toronto on a snowy day. The lovely white snow that had covered everything had been cleared and piled onto sidewalks and streets leaving reflections and a salty mushy mix to walk in.

Snow on Huron Street, Toronto

12 x 12 Oil on board

I loved the strong angles and abstract design in this scene. Sometimes there are items in a scene that we don't recognize and we can choose to leave them out or include them. I liked how the parking garage entrance added to the layers leading back to the CN tower and high rises in the background. Most people won't recognize this structure as a parking garage but I thought it worthy of inclusion.

This is Huron Street, looking toward Queen Street.