Winter blues
Posted: November 19, 2014 Filed under: Uncategorized 23 CommentsIt’s full on winter today, although thankfully I don’t live in Western New York where a huge storm has blanketed the area. I thought I’d try a little experiment: a winter scene, painted from my car, just using the blues in my palette. Cerulean, Cobalt, Ultramarine, Phthalo and a bit of Alizarin. Even though it’s still November, doesn’t this look like the middle of January? Sure feels like it.
Shari Blaukopf's Sketchbook 
exquisite sense of colour Shari, I’m in awe!
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Thanks TR!
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I love the color!
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Thanks Johane. Do you recognize your street?
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Super! Guess we call it an early winter? I don’t remember a November this cold, this early….
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Apparently it’s cold all across the US this week!
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Ah yes, you can bring out your superb blue colours again! So beautiful this one; makes me long for snow. We here in the Netherlands have had the highest october and november temperatures anyone can remember.
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Thanks René. Isn’t warm weather unusual for the Netherlands? When I was there a few years ago in June it was freezing. And some friends were there this past August and it was also freezing.
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What a wonderful way to get to the values of what you see before you. Thanks for the lesson. I’ll try green here in Florida.
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Thanks Lee. It does make me want to try more monochromatic sketches. I’ll be curious to see how your green ones turn out.
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Very beautiful Shari — this really works –)
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Thanks Jane.
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Very interesting with the blue palette. As you will understand, this doesn’t look like the middle of January to me… but we also are certainly having extreme November weather… so what is different about mid-Jan for you… is it the amount of snow? (Not sure if i should bother asking a question, as I note you have given up responding to comments on this blog.) : )
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In Montreal, winter usually starts slowly. Rain turns to flurries and after a few weeks of that we get real snow that stays on the ground. But sometimes it only stays on the ground after Christmas. Last year, and again this year, the really cold weather has started early. I know it will warm up again and all this will be gone but right now the winds are really cold and the ground is very icy. That is more like January than November. In Montreal, of course.
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OH! You are still there… just needed a reminder to respond, maybe?
I also thought it was interesting how you included the people in this sketch… walking behind the square opening in the hedge.
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Yes, I am still here. Just a little snowed under (no pun intended) with end of semester stuff…
I read your comment before looking at the sketch again and I was certain there were no people in the sketch. It’s like that psychology test with the foreground and background. I sketched the vase and you see the faces.
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Lovely. And, as always, a great composition, full tonal range — great pop of dark in garage door. You have really captured the feeling outside this week. Brrrrrrrrrrr.
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It’s going to warm up this week Alison. And then all the beautiful snow will melt. So sad because I’ll be painting greys again…
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Oh my goodness, this sketch makes me cold just looking at it. But the tonal range is a real lesson here. Thanks for posting your lovely work. Please tell me you were sketching this from your car! BRRRRR
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I was sketching this from the car Joan!
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Just discovered your blog today and love your art – it’s loose but structured at the same time – I like the feeling of it. It’s more like what I’d like to be painting in a few years. I started a year ago in watercolor and loving it. Love the detail on the signs [Ross thought they were people walking in front of a square opening in the hedge??], the fire hydrant and the stone facade on the garage wall. The tiniest of details really do add value to the painting. Loving the monochromatic tones – and to me, the 4pm cast shadow angles. Lovely.
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Thanks so much Telva.Glad you found me.
It was actually 10 am shadows but it does look a bit like the end of day too. The days are so short now.
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This is sooo beautiful!! A very exotic landscape to me. We are heading toward summer here in Australia!
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