Sainte Cecile in the snow
Posted: December 1, 2012 Filed under: Uncategorized 12 CommentsI spent most of last winter sketching from my car and there were some pretty miserable days when I really froze. I’m not sure why but it took me a long time to realize that it would be preferable to find a café with a window seat. I was probably self-conscious about drawing in public but I am less so now. This was painted from my window seat in a café in the Villeray district. It’s a little bit crooked, I realize, but I was warm and the latte was excellent.
Beautiful Shari — your colors are life like !!!
Thanks so much Leslie!
What a delight it was to open this post! This is absolutely wonderful. I love all those subtle differences in the grays of the stones. I’d ask you how you achieved the look of falling snow, but we don’t seem to get much here in Portland, Oregon, and rain doesn’t really have the same look:)
Vicky, I used white gouache, diluted, to get the falling snow.. Maybe more diluted you could simulate all the rain you get in Portland!
I love the crookedness. And the colour scheme. And the deftly handled brushwork. So much depth. Just great!
(also enjoy your great sense of humour ex: painting rain).
Thanks Alison!!
Shari;
This really captures the feeling of the weather! Can you share some of the particulars? What did you use for the colors on the statue and the brick? I love the warm and cool combination. Also, what kind and size of sketchbook are you using? I’m having a tough time finding one that is good for both sketching and holds up to the addition of watercolor. So many times the paint seems to sit on top of the paper. Thank you for the daily inspiration!
Hi Cathy. It’s great to hear from you. For this I used an Arches Travel Carnet sketchbook. Not sure if it is available in the US. I like it because it is spiral bound so I can tear out the sketches, unlike the Moleskine. In fact I sold the red fire hydrant almost immediately after I painted it so I am glad I have this option now. It is watercolour paper but not like regular Arches paper. It holds the paint well but seems more absorbent, for some reason. For the colours, there was a lot of green in the stone so I used Cerulean blue as my base colour. Then added some raw sienna to get that green tint. In the statue I used lots more raw sienna and for the cool in the windows and on the figures I used some Alizarin crimson. I am working a lot with a limited palette these days, usually a mix of some combo of primary colours.
The stone feels cold, the trees seem dead, and the sky looks heavy; great capture of a winter day’s palette!
That was exactly what it was Jason. That’s why I was so glad to be inside!
Come down to Florida, Shari! If only for a week. We’ll show you some very un-Canadian things to draw! And…you will be warm!
If only Lee. I would do it in a minute.