Rain at Bay and Richmond, Toronto

8x10 oil on panel

Another study. This scene features the corner of Bay and Richmond in Toronto's financial district.

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.

Late Evening on Bay Street

30x48 oil on canvas

When painting city scenes at night, it seems there are no rules for warm and cool colours. With daylight, a warm light creates cool shadows. In cool light, shadows are warm and light areas are cool. Its hard to follow these rules in a city at night. There are many types of city lights: incandescent, flourescent, mercury vapor, sodium, Led, etc. Each one has its own colour. I find more and more lights that create a green hue, which of course adds a green hue to everything around it. ( not a good mix with the warmer yellow lights). Green traffic lights are more turquoise now rather than green. I suppose the rules apply, but it seems much more complicated.

These street lights are warm, creating warm colours on the surrounding buildings. The iron fence in the foregroundis from the National Club.

Thanks to John Tavares for the use of this photo reference.