#30×30, 2025, Day 26: In the Shadow of the Mountain

I met up with a friend after work, at the McTavish Reservoir, up above McGill campus.

When we started, this house on the cliffs was well lit, but 20 minutes later it’s gone dark. We’re in the shadow of the mountain here, (Mount Royal) so there’s a localized sunset that happens at least an hour early.

To be honest, I’d wasted the best light on a first attempt, (chasing the light never works!) – so I knew the only answer was starting again. Even if time was short. Especially, in fact, because time was short :)

New Goal! Start from scratch and finish two paintings in twenty minutes!

I was inspired by the terrific paintings being posted in the #30x30DirectWatercolor Pod on Vivify. Particularly the work of artists Uma Kelkar, Tine Klein and Erik Reinert as my inspiration to work boldly!

I knew what I wanted out of these – Great Design and Bold Execution – nothing more.

Not going to worry about detail, or drawing. I want to come away with a solid plan for a future painting. This is what a plein air sketch has become for me. Not just a goal in itself, but a design I can translate onto a canvas back home. (You know. Some day. Maybe. If time allows.)

So; tore up my first draft, and banged out these two sketches, accompanied by thumping rap from a boom box and the football coach drilling his players. I felt like his insistent shouts to Dig! Dig! were for me :) “Don’t Predict!“, he was shouting, “React!“

I call that a good day’s work – two solid sketches in a half hour :) I’m very happy with both of them :) And in a way, even if I never make these imagined wall-paintings – the sketches are still important to me for the memory of the occasion.

~m