Poplars at Cap à l'Aigle

I'm desperate for some color, so I'm working on a few rapid views of Quebec in the summer. This is a road in the small village in the Charlevoix where we've stayed twice. What caught my eye was this line of poplars. It's a typical sight in Quebec, and must have been ever since the first French settlers planted trees, since these are certainly not native to the boreal forest! In the countryside, particularly, you'll see tall poplars planted singly or in formal rows near farm houses or in the villages, and sometimes just along the road. The trees are lovely but they struggle a lot in the harsh climate, often growing spindly and thin with age, or even dying off, but I do love seeing them. The're one of the first features of Quebec that I noticed when we began coming up here from Vermont; cross the border, and there they are.




Eventually there will be a print, but right now I'm just studying the shapes and possible compositions, and enjoying working in color. It's therapy; I'm at a bit of a low point dealing with the weather and feeling trapped by winter, with so much of it yet to come!