Two gifts
Posted: September 10, 2018 Filed under: Uncategorized 25 CommentsWhen my friend Alison handed me a wooden crate of tomatoes from her garden, my first thought was not what olive oil I would dress them with — it was what colours I would use to sketch them. I drove directly home to paint them and realized it was also the perfect opportunity to give another gift a try, a Hahnemuhle Watercolour sketchbook (A4 size) from my Urban Sketchers Symposium goodie bag.
I can’t rate the tomatoes yet because, predictably, I sketched them instead of eating them, but the paper in the sketchbook is promising. The colours remain vibrant, it can take lots of wash and it’s beautifully textured. The landscape A4 format is ideal for most of my daily sketching, and the double page spread is perfect for panoramas. No doubt the tomatoes will be just as delightful as the paper.
Shari Blaukopf's Sketchbook 
Yum. Even the paint looks good enough to eat!
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Thanks!
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Oh those look delicious!
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They were. All gone now.
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Your art is so beautiful, Shari. If I had painted these, you would say, “Oh, Lois. What cute little beachballs.” These look like heirloom tomatoes–my favorite.
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These are now all eaten. Delicious heirloom tomatoes!
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Beautiful painting. I’ll be interested in what you think of the sketchbook. I have one. From what I’ve found on line, the paper is 100% cellulose.
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I liked the sketchbook for sketches like this. I find that you need to add a lot of colour and a very juicy wash to make the book work. I tried a more subdued sketch and didn’t like the paper at all for that. Have you tried it yet Kate?
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Wow! Beautiful painting! The colors just pop!
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Thanks Linda!
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How interesting that you should think of painting the gorgeous colored fruits before eating them! I find that I marvel at rolling clouds in an ever changing sky and imagine attempting to paint them….You inspire me to commit to painting more routinely and regularly. Thank you for sharing.
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I always think of sketching first. Once I even sketched fish before my husband cooked it. But I had to sketch fast. I couldn’t leave it on the counter for too long.
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Beautiful vibrant colors to your tomato painting!!! As artists it is funny how we start thinking about the colors we would use as soon as we see something.
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Always Joan! I bet you do the same.
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Gorgeous, Shari, as usual, and the tomatoes are delicious as well. I can attest to that!
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Bev, I figured you ate a bunch of them too. We are lucky to have such a generous friend.
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Nice art. Appreciated.
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Thanks so much.
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I just love this painting with it’s bright, juicy colors. I look forward to seeing your sketches every day, now for many, many (9?) years. Thank you so much for your talent, dedication and generosity of sharing.
I look forward to many many more and thank you!
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HI Kristiina, Good guess. It will be seven years very soon. I started by blog in early October 2011. Thanks you so much for following along. Reading your comments makes me happy.
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Hi Shari…I love this painting of your tomatoes. You have done them justice with those gorgeous colours and I’m sure they will be just as gorgeous to eat. I always feel as if I’m eating my little friends if I paint my fruit or vegetables. Mind you I usually paint them a couple of times (never happy with the 1st go) so I get to know them really well.
May I ask a small favour? I would love to do your Craftsy classes online but I’m worried my iPad won’t be compatible with the Craftsy format. My iPad is a few years old…no bells and whistles. Just wondering if you or any of your followers can give me any advice.
And…thank you so much for inspiring us all with your lovely paintings and always generous sharing of your tips and techniques.
Best wishes,
Carole.
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My iPad is the only device I use to watch Craftsy classes. Works great for me. There’s a Craftsy App you download to your iPad from the AppStore. You’ll need a Crafsty account to login. It’s super easy and Shari’s classes are wonderful!
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Thank you so much for your reply Robyn. I really appreciate your advice. I’ve been wondering about this for a long time and am now reassured all will ok. And yes…I bet Shari’s classes on Craftsy are great!
And thank you for your reply too Shari. I haven’t signed up yet but hope to this coming week.
I’m really looking forward to learning from you.
Thank you both once again.
Carole.
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HI Carole, So glad you got your answer from Robyn. Did it work? If not we can always ask the technical people at Craftsy. They’re always good at getting back to us quickly.
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Many thanks for chiming in Robyn!
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