Yesterday’s boats
Posted: October 14, 2018 Filed under: Uncategorized 44 CommentsThe other day when I was out painting the colours of the autumn trees along Lac St. Louis, I went down to the edge of the water to take some photos of the dramatic late day lighting on the boats. When I turned around I saw four men at easels, painting the same scene in oil. Of course I had to go over to see what they were doing, especially since I know most of the local artists.
As I approached, I realized both that I didn’t know them, and that they were serious painters, dressed for the blustery weather with heavy hooded parkas, fingerless gloves and boots. I tried asking a few questions but they seemed more intent on capturing the scene in the quickly fading light than on talking. I probably would have been too. There was also a language barrier since they were from Taiwan and didn’t speak much English.
It seemed amazing to me that there were painters from the other side of the world, painting in my local spot near the lake. I’d love to know who they were. If you know anything about them, please share it with me. I could see from their canvases that they were not beginners, and I would love to see what the finished paintings look like. I didn’t brave the cold and wind like they did. My rendition of those boats on a blustery day was done in studio. Painted on Two Rivers Papers, Rough, 140 lb. 16″ x 20″, watercolour and white gouache.
Shari Blaukopf's Sketchbook 
Beautiful
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Oh dear Shari, how can you possibly be “outpainted”? You have captured the scene perfectly.
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Joan, I wasn’t worried about that although your comment made me laugh! Just curious about how their paintings turned out.
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Gobsmacking! My god Shari!!!!
•••Karimobile
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Karim, I love you.
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You can feel the cold and the wind blowing. Just beautiful !
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I’m glad. That is what I was hoping to capture. Thanks Lorraine!
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This is wonderful. The mood, the light, the sky-I can just feel it. Love boats and love this painting.
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Thanks Judy!
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Hi Shari,
Just wanted to let you know that I really enjoy looking at your paintings. Thanks for sharing.
I’m from Taiwan and have been sketching with a huge group of urban sketchers- many of them are serious painters/artists. (http://ariel1017.blogspot.com/2018/10/tuesday-sketching.html?m=1). I will ask around to see if they know anyone who went painting in your town.
Ching
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HI Ching, Thanks so much for writing and thanks for checking. If you find out anything about the work, please let me know!
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Don’t know that I would ever attempt a scene with multiple boats on a lake. Boats are just not “my thing.” Your painting though is exquisitely done. The blues…of sky and water..oh my…my favorite color! It is lovely, lovely, lovely.
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Thanks Bernadette. This was a complex scene which is why I saved it for the studio.
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Absolutely exquisite … took my breath away 💖
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Thanks Kristine. Much appreciated.
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All the above comments took the words right out of my typing fingertips!!!!!! All I can say is WOW!
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Thanks Gayle.
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I am amazed you can get so much detail into this painting. It lovely and breathtaking.
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Adding in the detail is the part I love the best. All the spots and dots of colour and lights and darks.
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Stunning Shari!
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Thanks Lara. xoxo
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STUNNING! How long did it take I’m curious?
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Thanks Jodi! This took about 2-2.5 hours from start to finish.
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Love this. No info on the mysterious men. However my observation at recent taichung asialink.. There were a lot of painters (rather than sketchers). They were dead serious when painting and didn’t seem interested in talking. Unlike sketchers I think we do and will babble while sketching. Most of them came equiped with easels and paint boxes!
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Totally agree! I was surprised to see all the gears on my first sketch outing. But Plein air painting has existed in the form of competition for decades. Maybe that’s one of the reasons. Hope you enjoyed the AsiaWalk in Taiwan!
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We do like to chat while we work but you’re right, these guys were very serious. Plus they propably knew we didn’t have a common language. I could see they were great painters.
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Super job on this. I’ve painted boat scenes so I know how difficult it is to do multiple boats in one scene. You make it look so easy! It must have been funny to find “strangers” painting your scene.
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Thanks Joan. It was funny to see new painters in my usual spot.
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Fantastic! I wouldn’t know where to begin in trying to paint this! Just beautiful!! This is awesome, Shari!
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Thanks Linda!
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Wow! Shari. How do you do it> This one is amazing! Love the sky and the play of light on the boats!
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Thanks Pam. This one was a lot of fun to paint, especially with the dramatic sky and the bright boats.
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This fabulous. Your paintings of sailboats are so good. We have a sailboat. I get somewhat lost when I sit at the marina with my sketchbook. So many details. But you have captured everything…love your work.
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Many thanks Carmel. Marinas are so complex so you have to treat them rather abstractly. Just look at the shapes and try to simplify them.
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Great job (as always) Shari and a lesson in ‘suggestion’ and leaving us to fill in the details. So glad I’m looking at your painting and not on one of them!
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Thanks Tony. It was such a cold day! But I had so much fun painting it in studio, especially all the details. I love that part.
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Nicely done! I love the mood.
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Thanks so much Bill!
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As usual this is a masterpiece—so many boats to draw!! When you did the rigging on that size paper did you use a brush or some sort of pen? I like the quick line of white indicating secured sails—assume that was not white paper scratched out. Have not painted in awhile–life keeps interfering.
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All the rigging is done with a rigger brush but the quick lines of white gouache are painted with a pointed round. It has to have a good point on it to do this. No scratching or masking fluid used.
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Fabulous nonetheless. Love it
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Thanks Mayela.
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Well, I don’t think there’s a new superlative left for me to use in my comment. Simply superb. The light is absolutely captivating. You really nailed it my dear!
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It is just wonderful how you are able to record all that detail in a relatively short period of time. Fantastic.
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