This painting is available as an Art Print in my RedBubble Shop.

NEWS: “Sortie d'urgence" has been honoured by the Society of Canadian Artists! “The 56th SCA Juried Exhibition received nearly 481 entries, from which 112 pieces were accepted into the Exhibition.” . View the exhibition here.

This is a watercolour painting I did of an ancient door in an alleyway in the Plateau Mont Royal area of Montreal. The doorway is set into the back of a brick building and it has a small yellow sign above the door which reads, “Sortie d’urgence”, which translates as “Emergency Exit”, the title of the painting. While some may see only a weather beaten door, I see a historical treasure. Likely built in the early 1900’s, the building features different types of bricks, some ancient, some newer, as well as part of the original stone foundation, the wall and the foundation have been repaired many times. The paint is peeling off the door itself, revealing an interesting set of textures and greying weathered wood grain. The window set into the door as well as the transom above it both have different grids and screens covering them, presumably to keep unwanted intruders out. I find all of the grid patterns fascinating: brickwork, stone work, window grills, and even fine filaments set into the glass. As if to taunt this protective structured network, someone has painted graffiti tags on either side of the doorway. This is a pure watercolour painting: all whites are the whites of the paper, no white paint was used. I used several advanced watercolour techniques to create this piece including masking, wet-in-wet, glazing, lifting. The planning was complex. The reference photo I used was one I took myself, while out walking my old dog Chuck. He was waning in his life at that time and preferred to walk through our neighbourhood alleyways instead of going to the park. I started working on the painting in early January but had to stop for two months due to Covid. It represents about 75 hours of painting time. This artwork is for someone who loves old doorways, urban art, architectural history, old buildings, and a source of romantic inspiration. Contemporary realism, this is ideal artwork for any living or working space.

Watercolour, 14 x 20", with a thin white border (painted area is approximately 13 x 19”). It is painted with professional light-fast pigments on 100% cotton paper. The painting is signed by me, JC Little, on the front and has the title and date on the back. I will include a certificate of authenticity with this painting. It will be packaged with an archival sleeve, with stiff cardboard backing on both sides, and bubble wrap to protect it, inside a box. To avoid waste, where ever possible I will re-use mailers and other packaging materials. It’s recommended to frame it behind glass, with an acid-free matte, to preserve the painting from deterioration. Display away from direct sunlight.

SHIPPING via Canada Post with tracking and insurance. This item ships to Canada, the USA and most of the EU. If you are outside these territories, please reach out to me directly so I can quote you an accurate shipping rate.

Actual colours may vary from those shown here depending on the device you are using to view the painting.All copyright, artist resale rights and reproduction/duplication rights are reserved by the artist JC Little. This painting will be sold with the condition that the artist may show the painting in an art gallery or other art show setting upon request.

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