Glacier

It was drizzling the day I visited Lake Louise this past June. I sketched Victoria Glacier in the rain because it was too wet to paint, but I left disappointed at not having accomplished anything bigger than that. Yesterday I finally had some time in studio, so I turned my sketches into a bigger painting.  It’s going to my son who lives out west and has been waiting patiently for a painting of the Rockies. In fact, he even showed me the frame that this is going to fit into. No pressure.

I used a wet-in-wet technique to paint the glacier. After drawing in the shapes with pencil, I soaked the whole sheet on both sides and then rolled over it with a clean, dry towel to take off the surface moisture. With this method, there’s no taping necessary, just four bulldog clips to hold the paper to the plexiglass as it dries.

I love this technique because the paper stays damp for a long time and it’s easy to blend washes, like I did on the left where the mountain goes from blue to green. I also sprayed the surface of the paper with clear water to get the cloud effect on the right. Painted on Arches 140 LB rough paper, 15″ x 22″.

Glacier


33 Comments on “Glacier”

  1. angmacleod says:

    Oh that is stunning, you can reach out and touch it!! Well done!

  2. Madeline says:

    I can almost smell the atmosphere and, your colours are so clean!

  3. DiniAlice says:

    Enjoyed hearing about your technique. I like using that approach, too.

  4. Diane Dean says:

    Did you use a credit card at all?

    • To pay for the paper??
      Just kidding!
      I guess you meant did I do any scraping? I did a bit of scraping in the trees with my finger. Sometimes I also use the end of a flat brush for that.

  5. Marylin Smith says:

    It’s just gorgeous Shari…. your lucky son to have such a talented mother! Marylin

  6. mayelalameda says:

    Fabulous as always. Beautiful landscape

  7. Mary Norris says:

    Beautiful🙂

    Sent from my iPhone

    >

  8. Katalin Kiss says:

    You have so beautifully captured the peace and serenity of the lake and majesty of the mountains.

  9. Carol Bershad says:

    It’s gorgeous, Shari. Hope your son loves it. I love the wet-on-wet diffusion of colors. You’re an inspiration after beginning a new school year this week! Carol

  10. Kirk says:

    Great picture! Makes me wish I was there!

  11. Sue McKee says:

    This is a glorious painting. You are such an
    Inspiration. Your instructions are so benificial. Thanks. Sue Mckee

  12. Robyn Mixon says:

    Shari–that is beyond gorgeous! Your son will definitely be thrilled and thank you for sharing so much in your blog.

  13. totoca22 says:

    Magnífico exemplar!

    Enviado do meu smartphone Sony Xperia™

  14. jkagti says:

    I look forward to your blog post. Love your dedication and your paintings.
    Julie

  15. Judy Sopher says:

    Following the above comments, I can only repeat them. This is simply gorgeous.

  16. joantav says:

    Beautiful landscape!!!

  17. That is beautiful! A piece of home away from home for your son. I understand the sentiment completely.

  18. pamlopez15 says:

    As always, this is stunning, Shari! I look at every area and wonder how you achieved the effects!

  19. Benadette says:

    Lovely painting! As always I also like to read your descriptive post. It’s great to have a son who is appreciative of your work, anxious to have one of your paintings for his home. He must be so proud of you.


Leave a Reply

Discover more from Shari Blaukopf's Sketchbook

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading