The Sunny Promenades In The City Of Rain. West Coast Original Art Series

As I came back from Europe, Vancouver just came out of the toughest winter in a long time. I like being on time for the most anticipated event of the year.

Coal Harbour, oil on 8x4feet canvas, sold. Wow I painted this 6 years ago. Time flies!

Vancouver has a few nicknames. Hongcouver is one of them (to commemorate the massive influx of rich Hong Kongese to the Canadian West Coast metropolis after China took over Hong Kong in 1997, after which the Canadian real estate market took a moon shot which never really ended), but the racial connotation in there sucks, so let's skip this one. The one I wanna talk about is Raincouver.

Shanghai Alley, Chinatown. Oil on canvas, for sale.

You don't have to be an astrologist to guess how the name came along. You got it, it rains a lot here! Usually the winters are all about rain. This winter was exceptional because it snowed and did not melt for 2 months or more. Imagine the panic of Vancouverites used to the mild climate brought to them by warm pacific currents from California, struggling in the snow as if they were on the wrong side of the country (East coast is a bummer, there's no way around it).

Chestnut sunset over Vancouver, oil on canvas, for sale. This is a view west from the roof of my studio.

Well, I missed most of it because I was sweating my arse in the heat of southern India, but judging by the copious amount of lamentations on my Facebook feed (which I checked about 3 times in 2 months), I believe it was harsh.

Older painting of English Bay, sold. It's crazy how times changes everything- subject, object, and the dynamics between the two. In other words- I would have painted it differently now :)

The precious moment I love witnessing is the instant transformation in the whole city, when the warm touch of sunshine finally blesses us after 6 - 7 months of rain. I'm out there, grinning from ear to ear, riding my bike on the seawall, doing yoga in one of the countless parks, sipping on an illegal beverage on the beach, surrounded by multitudes of similarly grinning people.
Nothing can destroy the mood. You put your yoga mat in goose shit, you grinning. You get a parking ticket, you grinning. You jay walking, the guy who has to stop in full traffic to let your lazy ass go is grinning at you.

Ferry to North Vancouver from Waterfront, oil on canvas, for sale.

It's like someone waved a magic wand and upgraded everyone's software from sour to smiling creatures. Patios fill up, people slow down, cars stop honking, and everybody escapes work early to be out. And it's like that the whole summer. If it's a good summer, which it is more often than not, then May till half of September is one never ending beach party, with few rainy days which we use to regenerate sun burns and get the indoor shit done.

Gore and Georgia street, Chinatown, for sale.

View north from the roof of my studio, sold.

When I feel hungry for some city art inspiration on a sunny day, I'd go around city looking for shabby old buildings, dreaming that I'm back in Europe. Not an easy task in a city where hundred something years ago there were still First Nations running around free (Indians who were not really meant to be called so but we called them that anyways).

Probably my most favorite of the Chinatown series painting- Carral and Pender. Available for sale.

Vancouver is young, but enchantingly beautiful. So here are a few of my favorite spots that I “eternalized” on canvas. Wreck beach is missing, but that does not mean it's not the best spot to hang out in summer for free spirited people, naked or not.

May this summer be great for all of us!

Hang loose fellow Steemians!

Peace
Jan
Follow @jankasparec

My paintings exhibited in West Vancouver Hollyburn country club.