Sunday 21 August 2011

Murphy's Law


Murphy's Law
Watercolour on Paper
34cm x 52cm (13.5" x 20.5")

I must have broken some law that prohibits you from painting pubs you haven’t drunk in.

This is Murhpy’s Law - an Irish pub close to where Lori and Peter live in the Beaches area of Toronto.

Its prominent location, the colours of the signs and the Guinness clock really make it stand out.

It looked very inviting on a summer’s evening. The roof top area looked particularly appealing, but instead of popping in for a pint, we went to the Ribfest in Woodbine Park. I know we should have made the effort, but there is always next time.

It may not be obvious, but I tried a different approach with this painting. I wanted to test the theory that if the initial drawing and design is good, the painting does not have to be that  detailed. I used bigger brushes than I normally use and tried hard not to correct or fiddle.

4 comments:

  1. Nice colours - the warm yellows and lighting remind me of the South of France in summer. Was this deliberate ? Was it that sort of atmosphere?

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  2. Chris,

    Thanks. The relaxed continental atmosphere is about right. Elaine said it was a beautiful day. I think the colours are accurate. The only deliberate lie I've told is about the colours of the umbrellas –they were really red and brown.

    One thing I regret is that I omitted a lamppost / traffic light / road sign combo from the right hand side of the pub. It made everything too complicated, so I took the lazy choice and left it out. In retrospect, I should have found a way to include it because there is no other indication that the pub is in the city.

    Cheers,

    Mark

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  3. Zebra crossing to me says Urban - you don't get them in villages.

    Chris

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  4. Yes. I agree, but I still wish I had included the road signs and traffic lights.

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