Landscape. Oil, 2010.

I started this oil painting in the winter of 2009/10. It shows the spot where the Old Mill bridge extends over the Humber River in Toronto. My friend, the late great John Viljoen, and I scoped out this spot in particular. An icy formation had accumulated due to the extreme cold of winter, and it was quite the sight.

There’s something very beautiful about being present in nature and just painting. However, it was too cold to work with a paintbrush for long, so after the initial sketch and base layers were applied I took a photo of the scene and finished the piece indoors.

Whenever I'm back home and I pass by this spot, I always think of this special time with my old friend. We had worked on preparatory monochromatic paintings in the lead up to this one in full color. Those can be seen below.