Sunrise and Sixth Avenue
Posted: February 2, 2017 Filed under: Uncategorized 28 Comments
This week I had a bit of time to paint but not much time to write, so I am posting two paintings together. Sixth Avenue and St. Louis was painted in Lachine this morning. It’s a spot I sketch at often because I love the rhythm of the poles and wires on this bit of road. This is an older section of Lachine that I find fascinating because of the combination of small residential and commercial buildings, parking lots, depanneurs and bars. The architecture is nondescript which makes the jumble of light and dark shapes all the more interesting for me.
Sunrise is a quick sketch for a larger watercolour I hope to paint soon. It’s the view I see of my street in the early morning when I take my dog out. I tried to capture the sleepy winter houses— details barely visible — and the winter trees set against the orange sky. I think this could be interesting as a larger painting, but I really wanted to work out the values and the colours first.
Shari Blaukopf's Sketchbook 
So beautiful work!!!
Sent from my iPhone
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Thanks Paula.
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Sunrise is amazing, Shari! I can really feel that quiet morning chill when the sun is just lighting the sky. I love it!
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Thanks Susan. We have had some beautiful skies this winter.
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Love the sky in the early morning
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Thanks Cleti.
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Lovely work Shari.
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Many thanks Frank.
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These make me feel like i am there, Shari-so fresh and true.
You are an inspiration-thank you!
Holly
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Wow, thanks Holly.
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Two lovely paintings Shari and I’m sure you’ll do wonders turning Sunrise into a larger watercolour …. but I so wanted to hear it’s the view you see when you come home from one of your many late nights out rather than when you take Alice for a walk first thing!
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I’m sure you imagine me stumbling home in the wee hours, after a stimulating night of gallery tours and intellectual discussions with the who’s who of the Montreal art world. Right? If only life were that exciting Tony.
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Your paintings make me homesick. I’ll be back in those neck of the woods in March.
I also could feel the chill in the air.
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Sue, it’s been a mild winter so hopefully it will be like that when you get here.
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Both of these are lovely, but I’m fascinated by the sunrise one. You’ve got just enough detail and the muted morning colors of the snow look beautiful next to the yellows of that morning sky.
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Thanks so much Joan. I am looking forward to doing a bigger version of the sunrise one too.
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Shari, how long do these ‘quick’ sketches take you? I feel like they would take me hours, particularly the Sixty Ave. painting with all the details! Both are great! I hope to someday paint as well. ; )
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HI Marie. I would say that for a painting like Sixth Avenue, it takes about 1.5-2 hours. This is a quarter sheet of watercolour paper, so 11″ x 15″. And I completed all the details on site and those take some time. A smaller sketch might just take about half an hour.
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Wow, Shari, that second one is so incredible. >
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Thanks Tim!
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Fascinating contrasts in subject, colours and mood.
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They are very different Anne, you’re right about that. But I posted them together because that was my week…
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Both beautiful, but that second one is outstanding.
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Thanks so much Julana.
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I like when you sketch a place again. What do you feel, generally, when you are in your car-studio or elsewhere, looking-sketching-painting and thinking? Are you in a zone? Is it meditative for you? Is the thinking automatic? Are you on auto-pilot? Does anything distract you( sound, noises, movement, nearby conversations)? What is it like for someone to be a fly in your car? If the fly is watching you without disturbing you (survival instinct and an interest in art and human behaviour) would they be lulled by your rhythm or would they be seeing facial changes such as expressive eyebrow, eye, mouth, jaw movement and do you move your hand when you are figuring something out or speaking? Would the fly be on the edge of its stop-spot watching for your next move? Do you get to task and follow a process? Do you sometimes go back to a spot to complete a sketch, the same day or next day?
I see I have so many questions to ask what is it like for you when you are deep in your art and nobody is watching, but the fly?
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Great pictures. I especially like the sunrise picture. It captures very well the feeling of an early morning winter dawn, just before the sun has made its appearance. Nearly everyone does sunrises and sunsets, but the predawn and postsunset times are truly magical for me.
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Wow! This is so inspiring.
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Thanks!
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