Jane-Dundas Public Library, 620 Jane St

Ward 13 Parkdale-High Park
Councillor Sarah Doucette

gouache, 8 x 10

This was the first library I did so I will use this space to talk about the project as a whole. I am primarily a plein air painter and was inspired to paint 44 libraries, one for each ward in the City of Toronto. This project took over 14 months and each painting took from one to four hours. I started with classic plein air oil sketches (Jane-Dundas, Weston, Steeles). After a while, I tried other media (North York Central, Northern District, Agincourt.) I depicted neighbourhoods in lieu of the library building (Guidwood, Walter Stewart). I tried interiors (New Toronto, Wychwood). Some paintings were duds and I started again, taking advantage of the failure to see the building with fresh light. (Cliffcrest, Malvern.) Toronto Reference Library had its own unique process. I tired of plein air painting and turned to various printmaking techniques (Thornecliff Park, Dawes Road) Then I returned to plein air. (Albert Campbell, Gladstone).