Montpetit studies variations though the seasons, in both night and day, and captures the effect of different luminous sources like car lights, street lamps, shops windows and neon signs. All these notations bring the viewer to the precise mood of the moment and makes one feel present. His is a nostalgic wandering in the Montreal streets where he follows people whose enigmatic silhouettes silently pass through the seasons. Richard Montpetit subsequently returned to paint in France, then Cuba, Croatia, Malta and Martinique and most recently to Provence and Paris. In his entire body of work his oeuvre is specifically focused on the effect of light, appearing like a meditation on everyday existence, solitude, presence and the passing of time.