It’s Friday evening, dark and rainy, and you’re caught in a traffic jam in the city, grinding your teeth and muttering a few expletives after a long, tiring week at the office. While you’re fuming, standing outside, armed with his camera, is Mark Lague, a Canadian artist, who finds beauty and excitement in painting scenes such as the one in which you find yourself trapped.

“I’ve always been attracted to the city thing, but mostly on a visual level,” Lague says. “I love to paint cars, traffic jams, and the architectural elements around it.” And he does so beautifully, injecting into his work an excitement that combines with wonderful brush strokes and vibrant colors strategically placed to transform what many might view as an annoying situation into a work of art.

Mark Lague

San Francisco Yellow Trolley
Oil
30″x60″
“This painting got an overwhelmingly positive reaction when I posted it on Facebook. I think it’s because of the contrast between the bright yellow trolley and the muted gray architecture.”

Mark Lague

San Francisco Turquoise Rain
Oil
48″x36″
“With its trolley cars, hanging wires, and interesting architecture, San Francisco remains one of the most visually exciting cities in the world.”