Juxtaposition
Posted: December 28, 2020 Filed under: Uncategorized 15 CommentsA few weeks ago, I took photos of and subsequently painted a view of the wetlands at the Technoparc Oiseaux. Perhaps I made it seem like a rural wilderness area in my watercolour, but the reality of the location is that it’s a series of wetland areas and a huge bird sanctuary bordered by Montreal’s main airport and an industrial park. When I was there, I also took some reference photos of another view of the same marsh area with the industrial complex behind it. Google maps tells me that the buildings in that complex include an aircraft maintenance company on the right, but there’s also some new construction and I’m not sure what the buildings on the left are.
At first I was reticent to paint this view with the buildings in the distance, but the more that I looked at my photos, the more the juxtaposition of the wilderness landscape and the built landscape intrigued me. The buildings, lit by the afternoon sun, were indeed just as beautiful as the marsh with its wild grasses, tree stumps and floating logs in the shallow water. Plus there was a similarity of colours that easily unified the background and foreground. I painted with a limited palette of blues, siennas and ochres, with just a touch of Cobalt Green for the industrial glass. Painted on a quarter sheet of Arches paper.
Shari Blaukopf's Sketchbook 
That scene is beautiful. I love the blues! Hope you had a very Merry Christmas and I want to wish you a happy and healthy New Year!
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I wish you all the best for the new year too, Connie. Happiness and health all around.
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Thanks for painting this scene. May your talent keep on showing us the “fight” between nature and human development, since that is what Technoparc has become.
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Thanks for writing Jérôme! The Technoparc is an amazing place. Let’s hope it stays that way.
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This looks so amazingly complex. What a beautiful scene.
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Thanks so much Lois!
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Beautiful Shari! I love the reflections too. Hope you have a safe, healthy New Year!
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I wish you all the best too Marilyn!
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Yes, I love the idea that you added the buildings!
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Thanks Gerry.
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Lovely Shari, it sparkles!
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Nice painting, it is always interesting to contrast a natural area with an urban area. I also find all the fallen trees in the marsh interesting as well!
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Thanks Shawn. And happy holidays to you.
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Happy Holidays!
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I like it.
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