Saint-Sauveur, Quebec City, Summer Afternoon

pencil, pen and ink wash 7"x7"

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The current theme in my other blog is the cityscape, and posting so many great paintings of various mighty cities has had me eager to paint another city scene. This is a view of the Quebec City neighborhood of Saint-Sauveur, with its church of the same name towering over all. 

Studio Table and Shelves with a Distant Landscape

oil on linen mounted on board 16"x12"
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I like painting interiors that show a peaceful indoor scene as well as a small slice of a wider life glimpsed outside. Here my white studio table and a close up of some Ikea shelving are filled with my ever-present and always patient still life paraphernalia. Out the window is a landscape scene that I tried to make seem as inviting as possible. 

I worked on this painting throughout the month of May. At times it was a challenge to keep going, as for a few years now I've been so used to finishing off paintings in 2 or 3 days. I started out feeling so excited, then after a while began to have little dips of boredom, but then would get re-interested. Overall it was much more satisfying for me to work this way.   

Of course when a painting takes so long, it's important to spend time carefully planning out the composition. Perhaps next time I'll use fewer horizontals, and I'll spend even more time on preparatory drawings. Here is the sketch I completed before starting the painting: