A Cool Day in March. Queen Street

12 x 12 oil on canvas

After being spoiled in February, winter has decided to come back for March. I guess things have to balance out somehow. I took this photo reference on a blustery cool day in March in late afternoon when the sun was still high enough to peak through buildings and create some nice highlights. This scene is on Queen Street and the fence at Osgoode Hall is visible across the street.

Winter, Queen and University

30 x 30 Oil on Canvas

This is a typical slushy wet winter day in southern Ontario. After a snowfall, the streets are cleared and salted resulting in a wet slushy mix on sidewalks and streets. This scene features the fence at Osgoode Hall on University Avenue in Toronto.

Hey Lucy, King Street, Toronto

6x6 oil on paper

The colours of evening or night are always difficult to portray. What colour is night? Night is all about reflected surfaces. It is the surrounding lights and nothing maintains its daylight colour. I have had a difficult time with some sections of King Street. The mixture of greens and reds and yellows can make for a mud colour, so its important to avoid too much mixing. The red signage resulted in pink snow which worked well with the cool green streetlights. I am doing small studies almost all the time now before starting a larger version.. I have wiped so many paintings where the colour has just been WRONG! Its much easier to make mistakes on a small study.

Evening strollers walk past the Hey Lucy Restaurant on King Street. Part of the "cow" on the building is visible top right.

After The Snow, King Street

12 x 12 oil on canvas I love the light after a snowstorm, everything seems soft and subdued. In this scene, two ladies are out and about on King Street, possible leaving work, shopping, or going out to eat. The Elephant and Castle is visible on the left.

Afternoon Traffic, King and University

30 x 48 Oil on canvas

I've been working on some larger pieces to take to The One Of a Kind Show in Toronto, Nov. 24.  to Dec. 4. I had forgotten how much time, energy and paint the larger canvases take! If you are planning to come to the show, come and say hi at Booth K34.

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.

First Snow, Queens Quay

4x4 oil on paper

This is another study using an undercoat of Transparent red oxide and alizarin. I was all set to start the 12 x 12, but I hadn't worked out my colour palette. I'm finding that doing a small study goes a long way in working out composition and colours. I decided to make my darks with a mix of alizarin, viridian, and ultramarine blue and the highlights were mixed from this with some additions of cad yellow, cerulean, and cad red light.

My reference photo was taken by Ben Roffelsen. I love his moody photos. I think Ben was one of the first to do "moody" before it became so popular. Check out his instagram feed:

https://www.instagram.com/benroffelsen/ 

This painting features the 509 and 510 streetcars on Queens Quay during an early snow storm.

Umbrellas on Spadina

12 x 12 oil on canvas

This is one of my favorite spots along Spadina Avenue. There are always interesting people with their umbrellas getting on and off streetcars. In this scene, the CN tower can be seen in the background. 

Home For Christmas

16 x 20 oil on canvas

I will be doing the One of A Kind Christmas show again this year. Each year the show has a contest where artisans are invited to create something according to a chosen them. This year the theme is "Christmas Wreath". The creation must be in the artists medium and style. I thought of several ideas but after seeing an image on line of a young woman carrying a large wreath, I thought I would go with this idea. Doing the contest allows me to have a little fun. I liked accentuating the greens of the wreath.

Snowy Day on Queen Street

30 x 40 Oil on canvas

I've been working on this one for a week, and I think its time to put it away to dry and come back for a look later. I still find it difficult to portray the large buildings and have them recede into the distance with the proper greys.

Out of The Mist, King and Simcoe, Toronto

16 x 20 oil on canvas

Night time scenes are difficult. The only colours are from reflected light, and sometimes they turn the surrounding surfaces into garrishly ghostly colours, resulting for new neon and led lighting. The new greens of the stop lights are also a much more minty green than before. nonetheless, I keep working at it.

I really enjoy this corner in front of St Andrews Presbyterian Church at King and Simcoe. The steam from the subway grates can almost be blinding on a cold evening. I have taken several shots here, but this reference photo is from Ben Roffelsen.

 

End of The Day, King Street, Toronto

8 x 10 oil on panel

When I want to start some larger paintings, I often do smaller studies to get a sense of how they will look when painted. I get to decide colour schemes, compositions etc.

A lone "suit" heads home after a day at work in Toronto's financial district. This scene is on King near Bay.

Thanks to Ben Roffelsen for the photo reference.

Boldbrush painting competition, Fav 15%

12 x 12 oil on canvas

I'm pleased that my painting, "Heading Home 510 Spadina Streetcar", was selected as part of the FAV15% (jury's favorite 15% of the entries) in the March 2015 BoldBrush Painting competition. Still hoping to get into the top winning category...just have to keep trying!!


 

Toronto Traffic in Reds, King Street

12 x 12 oil on board 

Traffic heads east on King Street past the Royal Alexandra Theater.

Toronto Traffic in Red and Gold

24 x 24 oil on board

I did this in an 8 x 8 and really liked the abstract effect and wanted to try it on a larger scale. I think I still like it, and it definitely has more punch in this size.

Snow in Chinatown, Dundas Street

24 x 24 oil on canvas

This picture is pretty much the weather we had yesterday with blowing snow and not so great driving conditions. Anyone who lives in an area that gets snow, knows that snow doesn't stay white for long. It turns into a brown salty slushy mess. 

This scene is in Toronto's Chinatown, along Dundas Street.

Afternoon Traffic in Red and Gold

8 x 8 oil on cradled panel

Last minute show details are taking up too much time, so I decided to take some time and paint something fun and small. The reflected sun peaks through buildings and illuminates the afternoon traffic in downtown Toronto. The Streetcar and Co-op taxi made a nice arrangement of reds. I thought I should paint another taxi besides the Beck Taxi that dominates many of my paintings.

Riding The Red Rocket

8 x 10 oil on panel

I love trains. There is something romantic about them that survives from a different era. And in spite of the traffic jams and some discomfort, the Toronto Streetcar still maintains that special something we love about trains. Torontos' streetcars will be chaniging between 2014 and 2018. I don't like change, but I think I can adjust to liking them as well.

Passengers board the 504 on a stormy night. 
Thanks to Ben Roffelsen for the photo reference.

College and Spadina, Misty Rain

24 x 24 oil on canvas

I have a stack of canvases in the studio that are "duds"...paintings that I couldn't get to work for various reasons. I did this painting about three years ago but hated it. Looking at it while waiting for gesso to dry, I thought I would take another shot at it. The canvas was heavily textured, so to make it work I used a lot of knife work to even things out. I think I like it better. I have always found green to be a difficult colour to work with and this was no exception.

This is a misty rainy day at College and Spadina.

Evening Commute on King

12 x 12 oil on canvas

I have done this image before but thought I would do it iagain with a different colour palette..This young lady is heading home, crossing King Street, dwarfed by the streetcar waiting at a stop light. I often cross the same street several times as I take photos, hoping for some interesting images. This time it paid off.

The Princess of Wales theatre is visible on the left.