This is a dynamic take on Coal Harbour’s serene skyline as seen from Hallelujah Point on Stanley Park. The intention is to make it appear as if a fist grabbed the whole view and shook it or gathered it into a bouquet, leaving the buildings pleated and crumpled.

The cranes were almost an afterthought but Vancouver is full of them. These ones here are pointing out of the canvas, which is a no-no according to rules of composition. However, there are enough elements, like the clouds and waves, pointing inwards that it creates tension and adds to the sense of motion. The eye doesn’t know where to rest. This restlessness is characteristic of Vancouver itself: the changing snowline on the mountains, the varicolored sea, the endlessly reflecting and erecting buildings, plus all kinds of bodies in motion. It’s an active city.

Acrylic on canvas, 30″ x 40″
Spring, 2009
Located at: Private collection