~
Making one’s way through almost any busy city during snowy winter days requires a certain hunkered-down and focused steely resolve. Montreal realist painter Laurie Campbell beautifully captures this feeling in her cityscapes of Montreal and elsewhere. The chill in the air, the wetness of walkways covered with snow and slush, and the occasional icy slipperiness beneath the feet are all perfectly evoked on her canvases.
Given the present season, I’ve chosen to highlighted her winter scenes here. However, Campbell’s artist site and the galleries that carry her work (including Montreal’s Galerie Eric Klinkhoff and Toronto’s Roberts Gallery) are worth visiting to appreciate her wide range of subject matter and the artistry and skill that she brings to her work. On her website you’ll find several themed series of work, including ones featuring rainy day people, umbrellas, New York City, park hockey, among others.
~
~
~
~
~
~
(Image Credits: Laurie Campbell)
O' Canada 
Ah! I was a kid in Montreal, later worked there as an adult, and she’s caught it exactly. I sit here in mild-mannered Vancouver and again feel that knife wind & penetrating chill…
Penny, well said! 🙂
Her art really evokes winter in Montreal. (Although I am working in NWT right now – also cold!)
Both places send shivers through me (but only because of the weather now).
Frozen beauty. Gorgeous captures.
🙂
Superb, especially the children and the three women.
Wonderful artistry!
Having grown up in northern Vermont, seventy miles south of Montreal, I recognize that hunching into one’s coat against the cold. The first painting is my favorite because of how the red scarf draws your eye in. The last one was unexpected, but very fitting. The orange of the gallery’s interior against the gray exterior is the perfect metaphor for what art can do!
Liz, I agree with all your good comments. The pop of red in the first painting works really well.
I LOVE Laurie Campbell’s work and have seen it exhibited here in Toronto.
As a native Montrealer, I feel these paintings perfectly depict the city in the winter with the bitter cold and relentless mountains of snow – I can almost feel the frigid temperatures!
Many thanks for posting these, Brett!
(ps – I hate winter in Canada!)
Richard, nice to hear that you’ve seen her work in person. I’ve only seen online images and I know they never do justice to seeing a painting up close. Those cold winters make the inviting Spring and Summer all the more lovely!
You can see a little Edward Hopper influence in these paintings. Lovely.
Definitely! I think she may claim Hopper as one of her influences.
I agree – these paintings do have Hopper’s sense of solitude about them. I hadn’t really looked at them in this way before – a very astute observation!
As a Montrealer, I fully appreciate her wonderful depictions, Brett. Thanks for sharing!
🙂
For sure you get the feeling of winter in the city! Talented painter!
🙂
I grew up in Montreal. It is the best city in the world. Winter and summer.
🙂
In most of the paintings, people are walking away. I find that interesting, are they trying to get away from the cold? The paintings are amazing. As I sit here in sunny, mild Spain. I can feel the cold Canadian winters as I look at them. I have always been trying to get away from the cold.
Darlene, the subjects walking away stood out to me as well. Not sure whether there’s any significance in that (perhaps just an artistic preference). Sunny Spain sounds great! 🙂
The solitude of walking away first brought Hopper to mind. The woman dressed in all black contrasted against the white snow with tiny hints of color in the signage fascinated me. Then the gallery nailed the thought.
Jim, that’s a terrific observation — walking away conveys more a sense of solitude.
Excellent paintings, and such a “feel” to them!
🙂
While some seem to be comparing her to Hopper, it seems only true in terms of style. I actually felt quite a sense of community, not isolation in her work. It reminded me deeply of my college winters in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
🙂
Snow is knee-deep at my house today.
Stay warm! 🙂
Very, very nice. Thanks for sharing.
🙂
Great post Brett!
Thanks, June! 🙂
She really captures the cold !
🙂
Lovely series of winter pictures.
🙂
My feelings about the pictures changed a few times. I thought they were photos before I read the text. Meh! Then I realised the were paintings. Talented. Then I saw mostly backs. People leaving. Meh. I am more of a fan of impressionism. Thank you for showing us Canada. I have visited Vancouver once. I do wish to travel to Nova Scotia. It has ties to the French. I am living in the USA since five years.
Awesome! You looked at the images closely and all good observations.
Art is important and speaks to each of us differently. I am more of an abstract thinker. Thank you.
Ocean, I definitely agree with you about art. Keep doing your creative thing!
Hi Brett, Campbell’s work brings me directly back to the years I spent in Winnipeg. I can literally feel the cold and snow with every picture. Definitely a very talented artist. Thank you for sharing her work with us, Brett. Cher xo
🙂
That’s some impressive artwork.
🙂
Very accomplished depiction of slushy freezing damp Montreal (and a lot of other Canadian cities) in the winter. As always, kids playing pickup hockey is a real winner for me. My distant past.
🙂
I didn’t know about this artist so thanks for sharing her work 🙂
Great work, love it specially the third picture – 3 kids.
🙂
🙂
After living in Montreal for a year and running on Mt Royal every day, I feel like I’m now a weather warrior. Damn it’s cold.
🙂