Route 15 1965

Jean Paul Lemieux made this painting, Route 15, with what looks like simple brushstrokes and a moody color palette, all part of the messy, beautiful process of artmaking. Up close, you can see how Lemieux played with thin layers of paint to create that vast, snowy expanse. It’s not just white; there are hints of blue and grey, capturing the cold light of a winter day. The way he’s handled the paint, so smooth and almost translucent, gives the scene an eerie, quiet feel. Look at the horizon line, that stark contrast between the dark sky and the bright snow. It’s like a metaphor for the unknown, a road stretching into the future. Lemieux’s work reminds me a bit of Edward Hopper, that sense of loneliness and isolation, but with a Canadian twist. Both artists understood how to use space and light to create a mood, a feeling that stays with you long after you’ve left the room. Art isn’t about answers; it’s about opening up new ways of seeing and feeling.