This is the (clearly exaggerated) view from Harbour Center in Vancouver. I did a prehistoric take because those big orange cranes always look like brontosauruses to me. I made the sails look a bit like the desiccated ribcage of some devoured animal. No overt symbolism intended, of course, but I noticed a lot of pleased grins from the east side folks who have seen me working on this. I kept the palette on the warmer side and eschewed my tendency to emphasize the blues and greens in Vancouver. The ultimate focus, of course, is the pathway in towards the mountains via the water. More so than the duality of east and west is the appreciation for the mountains and the water surrounding our fair city

The first thing that struck me when I saw the panoramic source photo was the stunning cloudscape and the epic lit-from-within lighting. I do love skies!

But what I really liked was the way the Canada Place sails and the big harbour cranes seemed to be facing off. Both of these elements are iconic fixtures in Vancouver. You can see the cranes from various points along the east side, and the sails from much of downtown and the west side. To me they’re symbolic representations of the east side/west side polarity that exists in Vancouver and how there’s always a bit of tension between the two sides. Isn’t that the case everywhere?
Acrylic on canvas, 36″ x 72″
Fall, 2010
Located at: Solus Corporate Collection