Storm Over Fort George

Storm Over Fort George

Watercolour on Paper

26cm x 35.5cm (10.25" x 14")

Fort George is a relic of the British Empire in Niagara-on-the-Lake. It was the site of some battles in the Anglo American war of 1812.

During our recent visit, Elaine and I had a mixture of brilliant sunshine and storms. One afternoon, we cycled passed the fort as a storm rumbled towards us. The mood seemed symbolic of the stronghold's violent history; the wind wrestled with the Union Jack and the dark blue of the flag almost merged with the colour of the threatening clouds.

I paused to gawp and take some photos, which may be why we lost our race with the storm and were soaked before we got back to Britaly (see http://www.britaly.com/) – our home away from home in Niagara-on-the-Lake.

The painting contains a compositional gaffe, which is highlighted by the work in progress I posted a couple of weeks ago (Works In Progress). It has a bottom section and a top section separated by a horizontal line with nothing linking the two sections together. I should have done something about it, but I liked the impression of the buildings crouching behind the barricades and the horizontal line accentuated it.