The endless winter
Posted: February 7, 2013 Filed under: Uncategorized 22 Comments
It’s pretty hard to have a conversation in Montreal these days without mentioning the weather. Our winter is one of the coldest ones I can remember with countless days of temperatures near -20C. We are all a bit fed up, especially the dog walkers that I chat with on my evening walk. Even the dogs have started to complain.
This weather may explain why I am drawn to this bouquet of flowers. That and the fact that it has been blooming for almost two weeks now.
Shari Blaukopf's Sketchbook 
Thank you very much Shari!
This is a real bouquet which will warm us up all – at least for few days !
Salutations très chaleureuses et merci encore pour vos peintures toujours fraîches et inspirantes.
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This bouquet has been warming me up too Louise. Glad you like it.
Merci pour tes mots très gentils!!
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Hi Shari thanks for another great painting. Shari I would like to enquire whether you would be interested in delivering a one or two day workshop for the Dunany Artists this summer. We have about 15 artists, beginner to intermediate and a number of us have been following your daily posts and love your work. FYI 3 of our artists took one of your workshops in Montreal last summer and highly recommended you.
Shari we have a great community centre that we could rent to host the event, which is located about 20 minutes outside of Lachute. Lachute is about one hour from Montreal.
If you are interested, please let me know when you might be available and approximate cost.
Many thanks, Dorothy Sent from my iPad
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HI Dorothy,
I would love to host a workshop in Dunany! Those are three really nice artists who took the workshop. Of course I especially like the fact that you have a community centre since indoor venues are sometimes hard to find. I am just planning my summer workshop schedule now so I will email you shortly.
Shari
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I have really liked this (creatively named) series. For what it is worth, my favorite was #1… composition and colour intensity. My second was #3 (this one)… this time I liked the off-centre composition and the “soft” handling of the blossoms. With #2, I found the background distracted from the subject and, for me, the colours felt too warm. But I would love to see me of these flowers if they can go the distance. Also, with this one I get a better feel of the stalks going into the water.
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Thanks Ross. I was wondering if people were getting tired of seeing these but it was $9.99 well spent I guess. I really appreciate the comparative feedback. I agree with you. I think I like #1 the best for its simplicity.
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Am very cheered on this cold day by this lovely painting of flowers! I’m in a February slump here. My azaleas keeping staring at me and asking me to paint them. They’ve been blooming for 5 weeks. I have photographed them. I am a little afraid of watercolours! Have done oil, acrylic, pastel, etc. Maybe I need to go to a workshop!
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I don’t know where you live Evie but we are getting lots of snow in the northeast tonight and tomorrow. It just doesn’t let up! I guess if you have azaleas you don’t live in Montreal. We can’t even get those to grow in the summer!!
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I hear you:-)
Loud and clear and cold..
Without the brilliant blue skies..it would be even worse.
Hydro bills should be fun too..oh lala.
I must get your flowers next time..tulips last one week tops..and I don’t love love love carnations.
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I love tulips but you’re right. They don’t last long at all. That is why I bought these — because I read an article about how long they lasted. And I am total agreement about carnations.
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Shari-
I’m enjoying your snow paintings. Almost makes me want to go to the snow! Almost, but not quite, Califonria is cold enough for me at the moment. I know, what a wimp!
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Thanks Cathy!! Enjoy the warmth. We are all so fed up here. And even though I have had enough snow and cold (and we are getting more snow tonight!) I never tire of painting the snow scenes.
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Gasp! What a joyful vision. Such exuberance! And a welcome reminder that life will spring forth again after this deep freeze. In fact some of our most cherished plants need this cold in order to produce their spring beauty. But I digress. I love the fact that the spirit of these blooms just bolts off the page the botanical details are secondary. Though you’ve given just enough to identify these as lilies. The masterful composition really delivers the flowers into our laps. I LOVE this painting.
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Thanks Alison!! I have given so little detail in these that they may look like lilies but they are in fact Alstroemeria. Is that a type of lily? I don’t think so. I try not to get too detailed with flowers because then they look wooden.
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So beautiful and fresh!
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Thanks Gail. Did you sketch any flowers yet??
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I can only imagine the number of comments you get on this blog. The flowers are beautiful you lifted my spirits. Thank you. Barb
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You don’t have to imagine any more Barb.
4115 comments so far. I guess half of those are my responses because I try to answer every one of them. Glad you like the flowers!!
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Hmmm… “I try to answer every one of them.” That’s not quite true… you have chosen to ignore some of my comments. : )
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That’s true. Lets subtract about 100 from the ones I answered: )
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Hi Shari,
X
Perhaps by now you are tired of all the comments about your three paintings of
Alstroemerias. Never the less, I decided to go on site to get more information on
this most exquisite flower (one of my favourites). It is known as the Peruvian Lily,
or Lily of the Incas of South America, and also called Parrot Lily. It comes in the
most wonderful colors. Of all three of your paintings, I would have great difficulty
choosing one over another technically or otherwise. Your approach is so fresh
and each one speaks to me …… I would be delighted to have any of them !
Love your daily sketches.
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Your bouquet is stunning, Shari!
I love the winter but it has been very cold – interesting watching how the landscape responds, though. We will all have serious spring fever when the warm weather begins!
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