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.

It Was a Dark and Stormy Night...No. 1 Spadina Crescent

36 x 36 oil on canvas

I never knew where the expression "Dark and Stormy Night" originated until I looked it up and found it to have been written in 1830 by Edward Bulwar Lytton, an English novelist. I couldn't get the expression out of my head while I was painting. It was known as a melodramtic style of writing and has since become a cliche.

I did a similar painting to this a while back and wanted to do it on a larger scale. The Gothic Revival building in the background is part of the University of Toronto, built in 1875. It is situated at no 1 Spadina Crescent.

To establish a dark moody feeling, I used a palette of Viridian, Cadmium red, Ivory Black, yellow ochre, cadmium yellow, and Titanium white.

Seriously?....

24 x 24 oil on canvas

I know, why am I painting snow? My daughter came into the studio and "seriously?" is pretty much what she said. I asked her what she thought and she just said "I don't know..I can't even relate." Fair enough...we had a tough winter this past year. 

Whenever I do a show, I like to have a variety of paintings and I was low on the snow scenes, so I thought I would do this one. I have done this scene on a smaller scale, and wanted to do it a little larger. I have to admit that I love snow. And I loved the atmosphere on the day that I took the reference photo.

This scene is on Spadina during a blustery snowy day. This painting will be available at the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition at Nathan Phillips Square July 4,5,6.

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.