Back to the woods
Posted: February 14, 2021 Filed under: Uncategorized 42 CommentsYesterday was the first day Alice the dog was able to run off leash after her recent minor surgery. We celebrated the discarding of the cone of shame by taking a walk in Angell Woods where she could finally run free after 10 days of leash walking. We also found a path that followed the Rivière à l’Orme a ways, and I found some places where the water was still moving despite the -20°C temperatures. When we got home Alice took a nap, and I painted. Wet-in-wet watercolour on Arches Rough 140lb, 15″ x 11″.
Shari Blaukopf's Sketchbook 
This is a truly beautiful painting Shari. It has everything – wonderful composition, masterful depiction of light, softness and hardness and a sense of movement. Thank you for sharing.
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Thanks so much Jane!!
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Glad to hear Alice has her freedom back and is healthy. Beautiful wet on wet work Shari.
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Thanks so much Tylara. I’m glad Alice has her freedom back too. Today we went skiing in the woods so she had a second day of running! Hope you are well.
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Your work is just beautiful!
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Thanks so much Gretta!
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Good Evening dear Shari,
Nice to read that Alice is hale and healthy.
Blessings
Uma
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Thanks so much for your good wishes to Alice.
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Love the darks in the water. What colors do you use. I see a purple and maybe indigo??? Really nice.
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Hi Donna,
Thanks so much. There’s lots of Ultramarine, yes, purple too, and some Quin Burnt Orange instead of my usual Burnt Sienna.
Shari
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This is just beautiful, Shari!
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Great to hear from you JoAnn. Do you have snow? I see that there’s snow in Portland and Seattle.
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We did for a couple of days, but it melted in one day of rain. 😦
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I had to enlarge this because it was so realistic
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Thanks for having a look Ruth!
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This one is areal gem Shari. I jUst finished the schoolhouse video, and I’m doing it again! Such fun! Many 🙏
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Thank YOU for taking the course!
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I just bought your snow class. I love your shadows. I am a plein air painter in watercolor but slow so I do a sketchbook. If I did something like this I would be delighted. It is so simplified but enough. How long did this take you to paint? I assume from a phone photo. Love the colors. We have snow in Michigan so I must get started on the video before it melts!
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Hi Donna,
I think this one took about an hour and a half. Yes, the photos are always from my phone. I multitask when I walk Alice. I am usually listening to a podcast or an audio book on my phone, and then I stop to take photos.
I hope you got to paint some snow this week!
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I did start the snow class and got as far as the drawing and watched the painting. I hope to paint soon. You are a good teacher. A complicated scene is done in layers. I know to go large shapes to small shapes but usually mess up. I also took photos out the window but we have flatness and no great boulders. I do have other snow photos and will look for something more interesting to paint.
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Just beautiful, Shari. I don’t know what else to say. The shadows on the snow, the trees, water- perfection. Truly a master 👍👍👍
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Linda, thanks so much!
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Lovely! We have snow covering our area right now. So beautiful. We don’t get it often where I live in Marysville, WA. Only a few times a year if that. We had gorgeous drift patterns this time as the snow fell from east to west. An unusual direction here. Love seeing the shadows, trenches, ripples, and trees with snow climbing up the eastern side of their trunks. So nice Alice no longer has to wear the “cone of shame.”
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Cindy, I hope you sketched some snow. My WA friends were all complaining because they had snow but no sun, so no shadows to paint! As for Alice, we are all happy that the cone is gone!
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Lucky Alice, and lucky us to see another fabulous winter scene from you. Thanks for the Valentine’s gift❤️
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Thanks Denise. Yes, Alice is lucky to be out again this week. She never gets tired enough unless she runs!
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So much to comment on but my absolute favorite part is the sunny feeling through shadows. Is that just the white if the paper showing through? It’s super. It’s beautiful, gorgeous, magnificent! Oh my this is wonderful, wonderful!
So glad that you post your work. What a joy to find this today in my inbox.
Snow moving in tonight through Monday into Monday night.
So glad to know that Alice is out and about too!
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Bernadette, that is the white of the paper. I was using Arches Rough Bright White, instead of Natural White. It’s really good for snow scenes because the white is a little bit bluer.
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Another gorgeous winter painting, Shari. You captured all the beauty of the snow, the shadows, and the flowing water; I feel like I’m standing right there!
Thank you for your Valentines Day gift!
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Ah, Nancy, thank you. How are you? Hope all is well.
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I love the beautiful, intense color of the water against the white of the snow. Glad you were able to get out and that Alice was allowed a bit of freedom.
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Yes, Alice was very happy!!
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A beautiful piece!
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Thank you!
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This is YOU at your WINTER BEST! JUST LOVELY! Great composition with the high horizon, wonderful warm/cool contrasts, and LOVE the simplification of the forest! -B
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Barry, thank you! You must have had lots of snow too! I hope you are well.
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Beautiful shadows; sweeping.
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Thanks Sandi!
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I love the richness of the water against the white snow. This is one of your best!
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Thanks so much Joan!
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My backyard could double as yours, but my paintings don’t yet. We have lots of snow now with tons of shadows from the trees. Your Painting in the Snow class helped a lot. Thanks, Shari.
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dear shari, beautiful drawing. i love your snow and shadows, and the forest. may i ask you something? are you doing these drawings also with digital tools or with “real brushes” ? best regards, poetin
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