Montreal Monument project
Posted: April 25, 2016 Filed under: Uncategorized 22 Comments
It’s a pleasure to draw in Montreal, a city with so much history and a vast array of choices when it comes to old buildings. It’s even nicer to draw with a purpose, with a long term goal in mind. This year Urban Sketchers Montreal will be working on a project called Montréal Monument, in partnership with Heritage Montreal and in honour of the 375th anniversary of the city. We will be drawing from a long list of heritage sites, and with our partners on this project, hoping to exhibit sketches sometime in 2017. If you are interested in participating, there are lots of details on the USk Montreal website, including a Google map with locations of our sketching days for the rest of the year. Every month when we meet there are new members who come out to sketch, so don’t be shy to join in. It’s a very welcoming group!
For our first Montréal Monument outing yesterday we sketched at Place du Canada. Despite really chilly weather, we had a record-breaking turnout of sketchers. I drew a side view of Mary Queen of the World Cathedral, and even though the trees haven’t really leafed out yet, I spattered some green on the branches. Wishful thinking, I guess.
Shari Blaukopf's Sketchbook 
Stunning artwork! I’d love to go there one day.
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If you come, you’ll have to connect with all the sketchers here. It’s a great group and we love to have visitors join us!
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Much more creative than I am. With your green splatter. I was walking the dogs in NH saw a perfect scene but without leaves it looked dreary, thought I would return in a month or so.
Thanks for the birthday wishes!
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Hi Lyn, I loved your husband’s tribute to you and the owner of the place that burned down. You looked wonderful, with your big smile. Great story.
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I love the way you draw trees and the way you paint stone, so two or my favorites are here. Lovely!
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Thanks Vicky. I’m looking forward to sketching in the next week or two when the trees start to get green. I love that very pale green that lasts for such a short time.
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Shari:
You have an effortless style of painting and you make the ordinary seem extraordinary. Thanks for sharing your artwork.
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Fred, you are very kind. Thanks for writing.
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I agree with Vicky- this is a wonderful painting! Question, Shari. How do you not treat a painting like a coloring book? Paint every area clear to the edges. How do you know where to leave the white areas/spots? I understand where the light falls, but all the other spots? Sorry this seems like a silly question. But, I have wondered this for quite a long time.
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Hi Linda,
That is a good question. One answer is to be in hurry. When I did this one, there were a bunch of people waiting for me to have lunch and a meeting about this project. So I just kind of slapped on the paint. That’s certainly one way of keeping it fresh.
Another thing I do without really thinking about it much it to never paint exactly to the edge of the ink line. If you zoom in on a sketch, you’ll see that ink and paint don’t always line up. As for leaving little white spots, I can’t really say how I do that. It must just be the way I handle the brush. Does that help?
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Yes, that is very helpful! Thank you for answering back. I will try your technique as I paint.
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I also love the way you render trees and stone buildings. It is green here in Lancaster, PA. But-having lived in ND near the Canadian border for years, I know how long it takes till everything is green. (then it is mosquito time) I would love to join you in Montreal . I was there once so many years ago for Expo and it rained the whole time.Your work has made me want to visit again.
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Hi Judy, If ever you visit Montreal, try to time it with one of our outings. We love having visiting sketchers. It’s still really cold here in Montreal. No green yet and some snow in the forecast for areas near here but not right in the city. Can you believe that? It is a very long and cold spring this year.
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Like others have said …. you do trees and stonework so well. Maybe you’ll spoil us and tomorrow will be the wheelbarrow and telegraph poles!
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No wheelbarrow today Tony. My other favourite subject: the dog. The wheelbarrow will be in a sketch soon, I hope. Here’s some news: We are doing some landscaping in the yard and the wheelbarrow may have to find a new home. I will have to find a place where I can see it all winter. I hope I’ll be able to find the right spot for it.
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ohhh so lovely, I wish I could experience some of that cold weather, am in Honolulu and miss that.
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Could you just send me one day of Honolulu weather please? A Pacific breeze and the smell of flowers would be very welcome during this cold spell we are having.
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More beautiful stonework and another tree almost in the middle 😀 omg I love your paintings.
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Thanks so much Ros! I loved the window box sketch that you posted on Facebook. Beautiful!
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Hi Shari. Love your work. What was this scene painted on?
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Hi Paul, I painted this in a Handbook Watercolour Journal sketchbook, 8″ x 8″. That is my preferred book but it is always out of stock in Montreal. Do you know that book? The paper is great for watercolour.
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I am not familiar with that notebook. I’ve been trying to settle on a WC friendly notebook myself. I guess multimedia paper works for WC provided the sheets are not too large.
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