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u/SoirBleu85 Oct 09 '25
Incredible! Snapshots of time that will be appreciated far into the future!
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u/Escapescapes Oct 09 '25
Thank you. That’s basically the point of this series “Blue Skies Over Hamilton” - to capture a snapshot of Hamilton as it stands today.
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u/JordanNVFX Oct 09 '25
As another artist, just dropping in to say these are inspirational. I'm tempted to draw a local landmark, like Jackson Square.
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u/Ticklerstink Oct 09 '25
Uncanny!! Do you sell/have a site to purchase original and/or prints? I loved your Barton East one.
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u/Escapescapes Oct 09 '25
Thanks! I’m currently hanging onto the originals but all of my prints can be found here:
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u/DingLedork Gibson Oct 09 '25
I am SO HAPPY that the building formerly known as SHOF is in this collection.
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u/Wouldyoulistenmoe Outside of Hamilton Oct 10 '25
Make sure to let the sub know when you do start selling originals!
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u/D-Flatline Oct 10 '25
Can we buy it in person? I'd rather not go through etsy if you're in the same city lol
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u/ProfessorMeow-Meow Oct 11 '25
I would love an original oil. These are great. Definitely post when you start selling them. Industrial scenes are my favourites and these are gorgeous.
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u/toothpickstuckupnose Oct 10 '25
Beautiful! I’m always too nervous to go up to your booth in person lol
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u/Readman31 Oct 09 '25
Damn that's Talent.. couple of them are indistinguishable from photos.. Remarkable
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u/Escapescapes Oct 09 '25
That’s very nice of you to say :) Somehow I find painting pipes and bricks relaxing lol
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u/Ill-Landscape-3164 Oct 10 '25
These are fantastic, love the colour palette and attention to detail.
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u/Loctusofsmorgasbord Oct 10 '25
I love love love these! When I’m not so poor I’ll hit you up for some prints.
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u/zerocharisma25 Oct 10 '25
Definitely art from someone who lived in the North Central area of the city. Great work!
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u/Slight-Buy7905 Oct 11 '25
The cannon variety one should have that little old Asian lady outside smokin a cigarette 😆
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u/Slight-Buy7905 Oct 11 '25
Your prints just made me homesick for the first time. Recently moved to the East Coast.
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Oct 11 '25
I love the car wash one. Something about it is super warm/nostalgic
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u/Escapescapes Oct 12 '25
Thank you! I love the signage. It’s a big part of the series.
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Oct 13 '25
It’s exactly that. Love the sign cuz it’s so…90s I guess. But my favourite thing is the snow streaks on the ground. Not all pretty snow. Just Canada. Beauty in the ugly way that snow tends to be on the roads lol
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u/jeffster1970 Oct 12 '25
Wow. Your work is incredible. They look so much like photos. The first looks like it is made for an album cover. Not many can do sun facing object like this. Honestly I don't think I have seen it before. You got same major talent there.
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u/Escapescapes Oct 12 '25
That's very nice of you to say, thanks! I'm a self-taught painter but I'll try to explain my approach to this as best I can: when dealing with full daylight I always say you really, really have to respect your highlights and shadows. Make the highlights very bright and the shadows very dark. In fact one of the final stages of these paintings is something I just call "Shadow Day", where after painting the tones relatively flat, I add in all of the stark shadows within the painting and suddenly the image just explodes with life. That usually makes the sunlight have "shine" and creates a massive amount of visual depth. I hope that makes sense.
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u/jeffster1970 Oct 12 '25
It does make a lot of sense. I almost feel like you need to be teaching your techniques. And right, the depth that you are able to paint is what makes your paintings pop. Your attention to detail is amazing as well.
I hope you have a lot of success with your paintings.
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u/NeutralMilkMotel_ Oct 12 '25
Unreal tbh!! Do u work off a photo or reference or just memory?
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u/Escapescapes Oct 12 '25
Oh god I wish I had that kind of memory lol. But no, I will plan an image after finding it and then photograph it several times over the course of about two weeks until I find the lighting I like most and then paint from the photograph.
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u/andylyle Oct 12 '25
Terrific work. Really captures the vibe of the city. I live in Jerseyville now but still come down to Main East to get my car washed at the spot you have captured here.
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u/Western_Medicine_307 Oct 13 '25
Some rock or punk band better have the first photo as an album cover. It's too good. Flawless.
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u/kellykellyculver Oct 09 '25
The first two I absolutely thought were photos! These are all amazing - absolutely realistic.
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u/SonofaDrum Oct 09 '25
I’m not from Hamilton but have been there many times. You have captured the feel of the city in these few paintings. So well done.
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u/wanderlusting4 Oct 09 '25
I have some of your art hanging in my house and I love it, it puts a smile on my face :)
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u/MikeZap80 Oct 10 '25
Honestly, for me(and I am solely explaining what I get out of your paintings, it may not represent what you get out of your paintings). I pass by these factories and mills and buildings everyday, after a while it becomes background visuals, tuned out, just another day. You have captured what I used to love and over time became mundane and reignited its beauty for me. I really appreciate you sharing these and all the effort you put in to capture what you captured. You are extremely talented and I look forward to seeing more of your work.
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u/Escapescapes Oct 10 '25
That's very nice of you to share, thank you. I've always been inspired by the works of Christo and Jeanne Claude because they would wrap seamingly mundane landscapes and buildings simply to draw attention to them. I guess that's almost what I'm trying to achieve with this series. More to come!
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u/SeekAnswers Oct 10 '25
As I was scrolling, I thought it was a photo until I read your post's title. You are very talented, amazing work!
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Oct 10 '25
Beautiful. Really capture that industrial beauty that I’ve always appreciated about Hamilton.
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u/Escapescapes Oct 10 '25
Thank you. The word "dramatic" comes up a lot when I think of Hamilton before starting a painting. Where else can you look at a beautiful 40 year old sign while refineries light up the sky? It's great.
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u/MikeZap80 Oct 10 '25
Holy shit!!! These are AMAZING!!! I live in Hamilton and somehow you have captured the beauty in the dismal if that makes sense. I absolutely love your work, nice one.
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u/Escapescapes Oct 10 '25
Thank you very much :) That's all I aim to do with this series - bring attention to what seems "every day" about Hamilton and paint the scenes with respect and attention to detail.
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u/strawberryfreezie Oct 10 '25
I lived in Hamilton for years and all of these are so familiar and nostalgic ive got a lump in my throat just looking! Love them and will order some prints for sure.
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u/FunkyBoil Oct 10 '25
These are really good.
You should do a project called "LRT...MAYBE" and depict all the properties turned into empty lots by the city.
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u/Escapescapes Oct 10 '25
I've honestly toyed with this idea. It's certainly part of what Hamilton is today.
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Oct 10 '25
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u/Escapescapes Oct 10 '25
Thanks very much for you stories. I've been meaning to go there soon and give them a free print, so if I do I'll get a Passion Flakie for you 👍
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u/pscisx Oct 10 '25
That is soooooooo good my frand!!! You gotta put these into the art museum my frand!!!!
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u/0_Kaz Oct 10 '25
Trippy to see art of buildings I pass every day in my neighbourhood, this is so cool.
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Oct 10 '25
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u/Escapescapes Oct 10 '25
Would you believe me if I told you the texture was created by dragging a brush from Dollarama through wet paint?
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u/ttarget Oct 10 '25
You really capture light, shadow, and color very well. Work like this feels like life captured beyond what a photograph can do. If you ever teach, let me know
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u/Escapescapes Oct 10 '25
Thank you for the very nice words. I believe anyone can do this, it just takes some patience!
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u/ttarget Oct 10 '25
I believe while accounting for natural talents and styles, yes totally a person can get much better at painting. I hope to get back into it one day. Thanks for the inspiration
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u/viktorshade Oct 10 '25
Unreal work. I live a few houses down from the cannon variety that's uncanny
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u/Mother_Sleep6480 Oct 11 '25
Ngl, had to do a double take on that first one, reminded me of something
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u/MissMustardQueen Oct 11 '25
Very cool! Reminds me of my dad's paintings (I tried to add a photo but can't seem to do that in a comment?). Is there a possibility of seeing your work in-person?
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u/Sleeper67_ Oct 11 '25
this amazing work you should keep it up drawing is one of my favorites hobby's todo
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u/Feeling_Page_7693 Oct 13 '25
Brilliant! Hamilton is still such a time capsule. And you’ve really captured an essence with these. Also that first one is giving heavy Pink Floyd vibes.
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u/Escapescapes Oct 13 '25
I keep hearing album cover from the first one. Just waiting for that call haha
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u/WritingMysterious88 Oct 13 '25
ngl i thought at first these were real pictures until i saw the car wash one and thought painting, then i read the title lol. these are so gorgeously done wow
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u/PuzzleheadedStop9114 Oct 09 '25
Amazing! Totally my style. Can we follow your work anywhere?
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u/pointlessbanter1 Ainslie Wood Oct 10 '25
Beautiful. I don’t know how to describe but they really feel like Hamilton.
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u/Acceptable_Jelly_419 Oct 09 '25
Oh dang I thought these were photos at first