Any city but here
Posted: March 24, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized 68 CommentsEven though my luggage is now — after five days — officially considered “lost” by the airlines, I still haven’t given up hope that it will turn up somewhere. I have a few photos of some of my sketches that I did while I was in Palmetto Bluff, but of course still no originals. This one was a workshop demo that I did on Day Two. I had originally hoped to do a full watercolour of the marsh and the river, but as soon as I put my first wash down, there was a lightning strike nearby, a loud clap of thunder and then a torrential downpour. We scrambled for shelter to a tin roof shelter nearby and drew what we could see from that vantage point. It’s ironic to look at this now and realize that the original could be in the airport of any one of these cities.
Shari Blaukopf's Sketchbook 
Sympathy for the loss of your pigment babies.
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Thanks Christine. I hope they make their way home soon.
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What a shame. But in this sketch (photo of same), did you ink after the wash?
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I usually put ink on first. If I do it the other way around I just end up outlining the shapes which can get tedious. I prefer when the ink and wash are offset from each other.
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Thx.
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just to help you recover luggage … some years ago … my luggage was lost around 4-5 days … it never quit the departure place … second time my luggage have been flyed by an another airline ( I was on KLM, my luggage on Air Canada ???) but it arrived at trudeau airport to Dorval the same day, some hours of difference … my luggage was at the other airline (Air Canada) company at the airport … just perhaps may you verify other airlines at Trudeau airport which one fly to Montreal around same day or time who was your flight … my luggage was well identified … error was the manutation to dispatch luggage … keep hope! excuse my english langage, I’m a french speaker …
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Merci beaucoup Lise. Believe me, I have been contacting everyone. I even had someone go back to the airport in Savannah, just in case. But your idea is a good one and I will check that for sure!
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IRONY is RIGHT!! I am so sorry for your frustration. . . and still hoping you can get it all back. Too often the professional tools of an artist are devalued, and I hope that’s not the case if a claim is involved.
In any event, this piece shows your vibrant enthusiasm as well as your skill and talent. I love it!
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Thanks so much. I doubt that I will ever get the value of what was lost when the claim is settled. The art supplies that were in the bag will probably take up the whole amount of the claim, but I still have to wait for weeks!
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So sorry to hear about this. Hoping your paintings turn up soon. I travel a lot, always with sketchbooks, and towards the end of a trip I don’t let them out of my sight. I’d rather lose my passport!
The above sketch is lovely. Glad you got a photo at least.
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And now I know that too Renee. Thanks for writing!
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Hello Shari, I so hope you will have your original drawings back soon… Your work is wonderful and I even improve my technical artsy english because of you almost everyday! Take care, A french girl from Paris, Agnes
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Merci Agnes. Moi aussi!!!!
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What Delta did is hard to accept, especially because the initial mistake was seen and not corrected by the Delta employee. To add to what Lise G. wrote, a family member had a similar experience many years ago. Bags were missing for days. During the process of ongoing conversations with the airlines, my family member was told that frequently bags are placed on other flights and go all over before ending up at the luggage owner’s destination. I think his traveled all over the U.S. for days, literally from coast to coast. Seems inexcusable. Tracking everything about everyone is such an industry now. How could they lose your suitcase!
Lise might be on to something which could be the key to finding your luggage and your irreplaceable paintings. Wish all of us could get together and do something to prompt Delta to find your luggage. Did it fly through the Bermuda triangle? It has to be somewhere unless someone stole it. Let’s keep the positive energy going about finding your luggage.
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Thanks Louise. I think Lise’s idea was excellent and I am going to contact Air Canada just in case. I will keep you all posted, unless of course it did end up in the Bermuda Triangle.
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Cynical as I am I would suggest looking on Etsy or craigs list for “original” paintings by someone selling your work. Your luggage could have been targeted. Just a thought.
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I am beginning to become cynical too Annie. Still no news!
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Creativity in the face of adversity! A lovely painting.
Fingers crossed that your luggage still turns up.
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love this idea!
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Thanks so much Michael.
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Thanks Zuzala!
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Losing luggage is so frustrating and heartbreaking! When I traveled as a chaperone with my daughter’s college volleyball team from US to Italy several years ago, one of her teammates bag was lost. Searches were made to track it in both countries, but to no avail. She finally put in a claim for reimbursement upon returning home after the two-week trip. Over a month later, her bag was finally found! It had been in Atlanta (our last airport leaving the US) the whole time! We were told there are some airports that are notorious for losing luggage, and Atlanta was at the top of the list. I hope your bag is found,, and better late than never.
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There’s a very good chance the bag is in Atlanta, but nothing has turned up yet! thanks so much for writing.
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So sorry to hear Shari – and hopefully it will come back with interesting stories – like your art might have connected deeply with someone out there..and they return the luggage, but their life is forever changed! ….hmmmm never know what the final outcome could be. Meanwhile, a good business idea may be to produce GPS traceable locator tags for luggage…..I’m sure, though, if I’ve thought of it, someone is already working on that product!!! (I see that my wordPress ID is now coming up with my responses I’m the former “Gayle” who had emailed you about the new blue pigment recently announced).
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HI Gayle or Gaelle. I have learned many lessons with this experience. One of them of course, it to carry my sketches with me. Who knows where the bag is. Just got off the phone with Delta, again! No luck.
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A team member of my DH lost her bag on her way to Guatamala. It was found 3 weeks later in Puerto Rico. Don’t give up hope.
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I am trying to remain positive but I am losing hope. Thanks for writing Jo.
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That’s my worst nightmare when I fly anywhere. As a result, I carry what ends up being a heavy bag on board. I’m hoping for a happy ending to this nightmare for you.
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I think I will have to do that too Helen. Lesson learned! And thanks for sending me that wonderful student. We had a great time in Palmetto Bluff.
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Just love your posts and paintings. Hope your luggage finds its way home!
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Thanks so much Debbie.
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Great painting. And a subject just crying out ” Paint me!” I hope you get your originals back. BTW I cited you as one CSPWC member along with Anne Balch and Richard Belanger who work in mixed media for our mixed media questionnaire which will be on the agenda for the next board meeting On Tues. I will send you the questionnaire as it will be presented at the meeting And keep you posted. Cheers, Garry
Sent from my iPad
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Thanks Garry. Always great to hear from you. I will wait for the questionnaire.
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It was fun watching you paint this during that downpour. But you didn’t include the gazillions of tiny biting gnats that were flying around!
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I didn’t include the gazillions of gnats but I am still suffering from the bites. And the good itch cream I bought is in the lost bag! It was great having you in the group Jane!
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Will pray the detoured luggage makes its way back home soon.
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Thanks!
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Shari, I so enjoy your posts and feel your loss. I am trusting, with you, that someway your art and lost personal items are returned to you. Thank you, thank you for sharing your amazing talent with us. Alice Kolb in Texas
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Thanks so much for writing Alice. I am trying to stay positive but I am losing hope.
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May your luggage show up ASAP. Think of Hemmingway whose wife lost a whole unpublished manuscript in a French train station. All is not lost! Thankfully you have some photos …
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Yikes, that is terrible. I think I already knew that about Hemingway… Yes, I do have some photos but I would love to get the originals back. thanks for writing.
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UGH! So sorry about your lost luggage and lost art supplies. I am imagining some of your favorite brushes among the missing. Hoping it all turns up. The sign post painting is a terrific metaphor — glad you shared it.
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Jean, thankfully my brushes were with me. I always carry them with me. Of course now I learned that it has to be more than brushes next time.
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I think Delta needs to know that you are an internationally known artist & all of us know Delta is responsible for losing your one of a kind pieces of art and art supplies. It was their negligence, especially when you told the agent of the error at the time. Urban sketchers may decide to boycott Delta. Social media has propelled more than airline customer service people to action. Perhaps you should refer them to the comments on your blog to show how people feel about your situation.
Still hoping for all to be found.
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Hi Janet. I don’t think Delta Airlines cares much about finding this. Still no luck after 9 days, although I have spoken to some rather sympathetic baggage people who have tried to help.
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Humph! This means that if we embark on a plane, we are carriers of our art — our entire art. So sad, but I do feel hopeful that you will recover your baggage, maybe not in a few days, but certainly in the future…
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Thanks Jane. Yes, never put your sketchbooks in your luggage. You can replace the clothing but not the precious travel sketches…
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Wishing you some luck with the luggage…
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thanks Nina!
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How awful this is for you. I’m glad you were able to photograph some of them but it’s not much consolation. This is a beauty. A happy painting with those marvellous blue and turquiose colours dancing across to keep the eye entertained.
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Thanks Ros. It was a happy painting time for me, despite the downpour. And yes, at least I have some photos. Hopefully the originals will be returned soon.
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So sorry about your wayward luggage and contents, still hoping they show up. The image of your sketch is gorgeous…really takes my breath away with its beauty. Thank you for sharing.
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Thanks so much Art and moon dreams.
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A lovely painting as always! Do hope that your luggage turns up safe and sound!
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Thanks Sheila!
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Cannot think of much worse. So sorry. But ever hopeful of a return to you.
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I appreciate your kind thoughts Barbara.
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My sister /law flew to Vietnam while her luggage traveled to China! The luggage finally returned from its trip to china after she returned home from 18 days in Vietnam! I guess nothing is perfect in this world
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I would be happy if it returned in 18 days. Delta keeps on looking for 90 days, so hopefully somewhere in there they will find it.
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I can’t believe you still don’t have your luggage! I am so sorry. I love your sketch it captures our beautiful Moreland! Come back soon.
Lisa
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Lisa, I loved everything about Moreland except for the bugs!
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I’m so, so sorry you lost your travel sketches! I hope your luggage will turn up. I lost once 7 years of sketchbooks, stolen in a move between two cities. I can’t say it was good sketches, but still, I yearn for a sketch of an elephant I made at a wedding in Goa.
This said, you just gave me a very useful lesson on how to sketch palm trees,I was never good at it …and I have two in my garden that taunt me from my studio window. Thank you!
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Wow, that is very sad. I can picture that elephant in Goa. Glad the palms are useful!
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J’adore ce que vous faites, je voulais vous demander si vous pouviez faire savoir à vos aquarellistes qui suivent votre blog qu’une exposition d’aquarelles aura lieu au marché Maisonneuve le samedi 30 avril et dimanche 1 mai de 13h à 15h. Nous sommes environ 6 aquarellistes à cette exposition. On apprécierait les commentaires de nos collègues. Il y a des collages, techniques mixtes, carnet etc… Merci
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Merci pour l’information. Bonne chance avec l’exposition.
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Sorry your luggage is now considered “lost.” I love spots like this with the signs for various locations. You did a great job on this. Hope your luggage returns from whatever destination it went to.
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Thanks Joan!
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As one who has lost a number of sketchbooks, but luckily they have all eventually been returned to me, I feel your pain. I also know from my experience that maintaining a positive thought that they will be returned to you eventually is helpful. Reading all these comments I feel sure, your luggage will return, and it’s just a matter of time. I so love the limited palette sketch you posted today. Best of luck Shari!
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