Leduc Grain Elevator next in series

This is the start of the second city scene in the Leduc and Area series of 12 paintings. When this is complete, I'll only have four more city scenes and then the series (which can be added to later) is ready to make into 5x7" art cards.

So far, I've roughed in the elevator buildings and the track area and added some of the shadows. I am painting it on a beautiful sunny day and there will be spectacular fluffy clouds with lots of purple, which are set off beautifully by the teal of the elevator. Even though I thought grain elevators are over-done, this may well end up being one of my favorites in the series.

This grain elevator used to be the centre of agricultural activity in Leduc, with farmers coming from all around to unload grain so it could be shipped via train cars first to the Alberta Wheat Pool, and later, after the Wheat Pool sold the facility, to Agricore. Threatened with extinction several years ago, when it was to be torn down, a Leduc farmer named Bob Caine fought long and hard and gathered volunteers who raised substantial sums to turn the elevator into an interpretive centre/museum. The facility now hosts tours and demonstrations on the workings of a grain elevator.