First spring painting day in Montreal!

At last, at last! Winter finally shuffles off the stage. It’s been
teasing us – gradually warming, but clouding over every time you think
about drawing. I’ve been champing at the bit for weeks. Living in Canada
is a serious disadvantage for plein air painters. We just don’t get
enough days like this.

I’ve
never been to the Lachine Canal – but you can trust urban sketching
will eventually take you to every corner of your city. My first
impression is, it’s basically the LA river, which is basically a
drainage ditch. Maybe I’m being to hard on the old canal – perhaps it’s
more scenic when the water is up and the trees leaf in.

One advantage of
today’s low tide – you can see the urban fossils in the river bed. Bike
skeletons stuck in the mud, encrusted with barnacles. I didn’t sketch
those today – (L got some great shots tho – so perhaps some studio
pieces will  happen). But this wasn’t that kind of day! Today is for
color! Spring is here!