A different kind of blue
Posted: January 9, 2015 Filed under: Uncategorized 37 CommentsI’m taking a break from posting my turquoise Costa Rica sketches today. Instead it was a day of Cerulean and Cobalt Blue and some car sketching in Westmount with my friend Marc Holmes. It was a comic situation really. It’s hard enough for one person to paint in the car in winter, but with both of us balancing our equipment, it was quite funny. We had 1/4 sheets of watercolour paper on boards on our laps, water bottles in the cup holders, palettes balanced precariously, the car heater going periodically and magically we both managed to get things done. That’s urban sketching in Montreal in the winter.
Just gorgeous!
Sent from Eirini’s iPad
Thanks!
When the two of you go sketching together it is always fun to see it when you both post close enough to see what each painted. Again, always enjoy your posts, even if I don’t visit.
Marc did some beautiful sketches. I am looking forward to seeing them on his blog too.
Absolutely beautiful! It is a watercolor?
Yes, I usually work in watercolour. Thanks!
I love it!
Thanks Connie.
This is awesome! You just keep outdoing yourself!
You are too kind Dee.
so talented!
Thanks TR!
Just incredible!
Thanks so much Ashley. I hope you are well. Happy New Year!
Can totally picture this,,!!!
It was quite funny!
Your winter paintings are so wonderful, they make me long for winter!
That’s funny. They make me long for Costa Rica.
I just love everything you do.
Thanks Monique!
Great painting. I used Cobalt blue for the sky to yesterday and also painted trees. I guess Wisconsin’s weather is not very different from Montreal’s.
Hi Gabriella, I have never been to Wisconson but I guess painting winter trees is pretty much the same. Definitely a more restrained palette than Costa Rica.
gorgeous! I like how you dropped in some warmth in the sky and in the rocks to vary all the coolness. I saw the picture and thought, Oh I guess she’s back home!
Yes, I am home Rachel. And enjoying painting the snow again.
You’re artfully constructed landscapes are truly a rare find! I admire how much character you put into your work! It wets one’s appetite for creativity 🙂
Thanks so much for letting me know! I really appreciate it!
Shari, I love your work and your helpful descriptions and advice. I am an illustrator, also fine artist painting in mixed media with a special interest in transparency and glazes. I appreciate your skills with color, value( I struggle with this!) , composition, and draftsmanship . You have helped and encouraged me. Thank you!
Also, I have wondered how many of these sketches go on to become larger paintings? I would love to own this little sketch. Is it for sale?
Hi Cate,
Lots of the sketches you see are actually paintings. I often paint on quarter sheets of watercolour paper, including this one.
I think that because of the blog format, people often think that these are smaller than they are.
This one is 15″ x 11″. This is for sale, and I will email you.
Shari
I love those winter scenes! I feel I can tackle the snow. Thank you!
Thanks Connie!
This is such a surprising painting. Wonderful green!
Why is this surprising Lee? Because it’s a winter scene in the middle of all the Costa Rica pictures?
WOW! Funny how I could tell this is Westmount, even without reading your post. Even in this neighborhood of fairly large mansions, this sturdy home feels dwarfed by the snow and strained by the burden of winter.
Having painted in a car with you, I can empathize with the scene you describe. No tractors in Westmount, thankfully. 😉
So wonderfully described Alison. No tractors in Westmount, but I was half expecting someone to call the police on us. Intruders parked on the street? I think it must look like Westmount because of the hill and the open sky behind the house.
Beautiful greens! Which hue is it?
Reblogged this on hebrideanpostcards and commented:
nice!
It’s really encouraging to hear of other people encountering similar ‘plein air’ problems! Once on a crisp, sunny never-to-be-forgotten still winter day, after a heavy snowfall high in the West Yorkshire Pennines, UK, I was able to enjoy a blissful few hours’ winter- sketching in the open air. This was a rare chance to treasure, however, as winter here is often damp, and my ‘winter work’ tends to be restricted to the studio. Just occasionally I can share working with a friend from the shelter of a car in less clement weather, when we negotiate over who prefers the back seat! Another solution might be to simply sketch a local cafe or pub or even a corner of the studio if the weather outside fails to beckon, although the discipline to do this on a regular basis is somewhat daunting!