The REM line today
Posted: November 21, 2019 Filed under: Uncategorized 14 CommentsI am having so much fun drawing the construction of the REM line. Today I sat in my car in the Canadian Tire parking lot to get a really close up view. Things move like lightning at the site. Every time I glance up from my drawing, several things have shifted and I either have to wait for them to move back to where they were, or change my drawing. Making changes is a little harder when I’m painting, but it’s also what makes this so exciting as a subject. It’s always in flux.
It did occur to me that if I waited until lunch time, there would be a break in the action. But that would also mean that all the construction workers would disappear and then the scene wouldn’t be half as lively. And I would really miss adding all the details, including the orange vests and hardhats.
Shari Blaukopf's Sketchbook 
You make everything look so interesting. The yellow just pops.
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Thanks Carmel. I do find this fascinating to watch. If I didn’t have other stuff to do, I could probably watch for hours every day.
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Wow, you take on some really difficult subjects and then do an amazing job of painting/drawing them. I am in awe.
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Barbara, I love the challenge of drawing complex subjects, so this is fun for me. My goal is always to simplify in a way that I can paint it and make it read well. Thanks for writing!
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I’m loving your REM watercolors as I have always loved rail transit. in my area we have the SMART train which I volunteered to get on the ballot in 2008.
http://www.sonomamarintrain.org/about-smart
tim
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Thanks Tim!
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It’s encouraging me to do some sketches as I have places I watch on a regular basis.
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Oh, I so envy you! We have two new light rail stations going in near where I live, but there is nowhere to sketch the action from! The best view is always while driving on the freeway… so frustrating.
– Tina
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Tina, for a long time the only way to see this was from the highway but now it’s a good spot with big box stores all around. And as you know, big box stores have big parking areas, so I am lucky. Of course you can always come to Montreal if you want to give this a try.
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Are there any subjects you shy away from? You easily move with ease from Alice to structural compositions. I suppose you have your favorite subjects but are not intimidated as I find myself to be when moving out of my “comfort zone.”
I appreciate the variety of your work that prompts me to explore scenes beyond what I would normally draw or paint. Perhaps your years of teaching and helping students to stretch their skills has also stretched yours. I will venture out following your example.
Thanks for showing the way.
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Bernadette, I guess there are no subjects I shy away from. If it is a drawing challenge, I will take it on. I try not to be intimidated by things, because the worst that can happen is that I’ll end up with a bad drawing. The best that can happen with the bad drawing is that it becomes a learning experience for the next time. I’m glad this might help you be a little more daring too.
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You’re the only person I can think of who gets excited drawing an ever changing construction site. And, in so doing, shows the beauty of it! Thank you.
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You might be right about me getting excited by the construction site, but today I wrote a post about why that it. Colour, Composition, etc. I can take you there to draw next week if you wish, but you may not find it very exciting.
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Yes please. That would be great.
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