March Sun, Late Afternoon on Adelaide Street

24 x 24 oil on panel

The sun after a snow storm can be brilliant, the moisture having cleared the particles from the air. This street is Adelaide at Spadina with the sun sinking in the late afternoon sun.

Heading Home, Front and Blue Jays Way

12 x 12 oil on canvas Sold

This painting is a commission piece and is similar to one I did of Queen Street at Osgoode Hall. In this scene, a young man walks down Front Street past Rabba foods on his way home. The owner of the painting is moving from Toronto to New York City and so I wanted to add a Toronto feel and included the Beck Taxi on the right. I am enjoying the blues that I can make with viridian and ultramarine blue and sometimes a dash of cerulean. As a complement, a mix of alizarin and viridian creates interesting darks.

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.

After The Snow, Adelaide Street, Toronto

24 x 24 oil on panel

I like the "glistening affect" that happens after a snowfall when the streets are cleared and the clear air and blue sky reflect on all surfaces.

This scene is late afternoon on Adelaide Street West when the sun is beginning to recede.

Temperance Street in Winter

12 x 12 oil on board

I like to paint the atmosphere and feel of the city streets, but I also love the little details one finds in the city. For example, this street called Temperance has always intrigued me. I found a blog by James Bow who writes:

"The block bound by Yonge, Adelaide, Bay and Queen was owned by him, and when the city approached him in 1837 to help them build a new road west of Yonge between Richmond and Adelaide, he donated the land, with the stipulation that alcohol never be sold on the new street. Thus Temperance Street was born."

This scene features Temperance and Bay on a winter day.

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.

Night Rain at King and York

12 x 12 oil on canvas

There are some street corners that always put on a show. This corner of King Street West at York changes colour as the sign on the Standard Life Building turns. I have several photos featuring different colour patterns. It was a challenging scene to paint.

People head home from work on a rainy night in the Financial District.

Chinatown Rain, Dundas And Spadina

36 x 48 Oil on canvas

I did this painting over a year ago and didn't like it. The composition was off, and it was difficult to bring it all together. Plus, the people were walking from side to side adding to the compostion difficulties. It was a large canvas covered in paint and it sat in the studio staring at me. I decided to put it on the easel. What I loved about this scene was the busy activity at this corner of Spadina. Streetcars continually pass both ways, shoppers are everywhere, and the sounds and sights of Chinatown pervade the scene. So, I decided to rework it, changing the people and numerous other elements. The composition still isn't the best, but I think I've captured some of the atmosphere and activity of Chinatown on Spadina.

Taxi,Taxi,Streetcar

8x8 oil on canvas

We often get a rain/snow mix at this time of year providing some nice reflections. The night colours of the city seem to be getting more predominately green as the type of light bulbs are changing. There used to be a lot of yellow, but now there is always a greenish shade showing up, making for some almost "garish" colour schemes. Streetcars used to have three yellow headlights...now they are yellow and greenish. I knew this would be challenging with the blue green colours everywhere.

The Beck Taxi dominates the foreground on this rainy night on King Street in Toronto. The Golf Town store canopy is visible in the background.

Queen and St. Patrick, Afternoon Sun

8x8 oil on canvas

I'm spending some time doing small paintings, deciding which ones will work well on a larger scale. Its good to work out color palette etc on a smaller scale before moving up. Plus painting smaller is fun. Results happen faster...good and bad.

This is the same corner as the previous post, but here a streetcar dominates the scene. I love these old buildings on Queen Street. So much character.

City Lights and Steam, Toronto

12 x 12 oil on canvas

Steam escapes from sidewalk grates on a cold evening near University in Toronto. The sign on the Beck taxi stands out against the line of streetcars.

Umbrellas on Dundas Street, Toronto

12 x 12 oil on board

Back to a rainy day scene with this picture of colourful umbrellas on Dundas and University in Toronto. I'm adding a few more colours for this rainy scene, but still keeping it very muted and atmospheric.

For this scene I used a very popular palette of Ultramarine blue, alizarin, yellow ochre, cadmium yellow dark and light, cadmium red, titanium white.

Pedestrians wait to cross the street or head to the subway station at Dundas and University in Toronto during a down pour.

En Plein Monitor

8x8 oil on canvas paper

I am hoping to get into the city to do some plein air painting. I think it is important to have some idea how we will approach a scene when we are out there. There are many ways to start a painting. We can do a monochrome value study, draw it in, or block it in and paint from there. In my "Plein Monitor" painting, I chose to block in with thinned paint and a large brush and work from there. I kept to a limited palette of ivory black, viridian, yellow ochre, cad red, and white. (I often use this for rainy scenes). I also worked from a black and white photo to get my values right. (I won't be able to do that out doors).

How do you approach a painting? I would love to hear some thoughts and opinions.

I will be doing the other 8 x 8 in a less limited colour palette and will post that one shortly.

Queen and McCaul Snow

24 x 24 oil on board

As artists, we can be so sensitive. (At least I know that I am) I can have a very bad painting day, and decide right then and there that I am giving up painting. I decide that any "job" is better than this. Sounds ridiculous but it happens. I had spent the whole day on this picture, but I had it all wrong. Instead of focusing on the "big picture", the blocks of values, the abstract qualities, I started painting details right away.  That is a sure way to get it "wrong". I was so frustrated with the result, I had a knife out ready to scrape away the surface. At that moment, my son came into the studio. I asked him if the painting was awful and he said, "no, I kind of like it". So because of his comment, I took another look, got out the big brush and painted out all of the silly details. It wasn't until I got the values ok that I went in and put in some details and highlights.
 (Are we that needy for confirmation, that any little positive remark will set us on the right track?)

The painting still isn't a "masterpiece". It is somewhat too monochrome and the composition is a little weak I think. But its ok and I'm glad the knife didn't destroy it during my moments of frustration.

Do you often not follow your "own rules"?

Speaking of positive remarks, I would like to mention a couple of bloggers who are always generous and constructive with remarks. Head on over to their blogs and check them out.

Barbara paints wonderfully bright uplifting paintings.

http://www.barbaramuirpaints.com/ 

Jan paints exciting evocative depictions in oil and encaustic of the Niagara vinyards and surrounding area. she also teaches.

http://janyates.blogspot.ca/

Jan Yates "Salvage 1"

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.

Winter Sun, Queen and Bay, Toronto

24 x 30 Oil on board

Early evening sun creates shadows and reflections on a winter day in Toronto at the corner of Bay and Queen Street West.

If anyone is in the Toronto area November 22 to Dec 2, come by the One of A Kind Show, Booth K11 and say hi. I would be very pleased to see you there.

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.

Toronto Streetcars at Spadina Crescent

24x24 oil on board

I got tired of waiting for rain, and went ahead and did a rainy scene anyway. Our hot dry summer hasn't been great for my rainy day inspiration.

This rainy day view features Toronto Streetcars near Spadina Crescent. The Gothic Revival  building in the background is part of the University of Toronto and is home to the fine arts department I believe.

Tugs and Industry, Hamilton, Ontario

15x18 oil on board

These tug boats were rafted together behind a break wall in an industrial area of Hamilton. With the barge sitting in front of the break wall, it became difficult to identify what these objects are, and so the picture became somewhat abstract.

I was able to photograph these tugs as the sun was setting, having a good vantage point as we sailed by on our small sailboat.

With the steel mills and industry in this area, the sky always has a bit of a "dirty" haze, even on clear days.