First I was dying to finish high school and start college.
And then I was dying to finish college and start working.
And then I was dying to marry and have children.
And then I was dying for my children to grow old enough for school
so I could return to work.
And then I was dying to retire.
And now, I am dying… and suddenly I realize I forgot to live.
— Anonymous.
This small square, with a fountain and view of the Champ-de-Mars park, was created in 1858 and represents the unique character of Montreal. Both statues are facing each other, one representing the French and the other representing the English. The statue is of Jean Vauquelin (1728–1772), commander of the French fleet in New France. Vauquelin stares across rue Notre-Dame at his counterpart, the English admiral Horatio Nelson (1758–1805). The two statues are symbols of Montréal’s French and English duality.
Painting this, there were some beautiful shadows just in front of me of the trees above my head and I am wondering if I should take them out, or not. You will be able to judge with the paintings shown below and let me know which one that you prefer? Also, when we went sketching with Les amis de la montagne on Sunday, my sketching kit was very popular… many people stopped to ask me about it. If you are interested in this type of kit for painting/sketching here is the link En Plein Air Pro. I love it! It is light, easy to carry and has everything that I need for plein air painting -) Thanks to Shari and Marc for letting me know where they bought theirs.
Ce petit carré Vauquelin, avec une fontaine et vue sur le parc du Champ-de-Mars, a été créé en 1858 et représente le caractère unique de Montréal. Les deux statues sont face à face, l’un représentant les français et l’autre représentant les Anglais. La statue est de Jean Vauquelin (1728-1772), commandant de la flotte française en Nouvelle-France. Vauquelin regarde à travers la rue Notre-Dame, à son homologue, l’amiral anglais Horatio Nelson (1758-1805). Les deux statues représentent bien la dualité linguistique française et anglaise de Montréal. J’ai mis deux peintures recadrées différamment car mes ombres dans une sont grandes et dans l’autre sont petites… pouvez-vous me dire laquelle vous préférez?
Paper: Saunders Waterford HP 7″x11″
Colours: Aureolin Yellow, New Gambodge, Raw Sienna, Burnt Sienna, Perylene Maroon, Cobalt Blue & Bloodstone
Fountain Pen:
Ink: Noodlers’ Lexington Grey
Location: Vauquelin Square, Old Montreal, Québec, Canada
Painting to see : Peindre pour voir 