Pink amongst the greens
Posted: July 24, 2021 Filed under: Uncategorized 51 CommentsThe one pink lily in the pond at Baie d’Urfé was blooming for me today, just as it did last year. The rest of the scene was mainly greens and blues. When I set out this morning, I had a feeling I would be painting this, so I packed for the occasion. I grabbed a handful of green and blue watercolour tubes and stuck them in my painting bag. They came in useful. My recipe for the greens of the pond: Green Gold + Hookers Green + Lemon Yellow + Cobalt Blue plus some Prussian Blue and Burnt Sienna for the very darks. Painted on a sheet of Two Rivers handmade paper, 16″ x 20″. This paper can really take a beating, and the colour saturation when you paint on it is excellent.
Shari Blaukopf's Sketchbook 
Your work is stunning!
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Thanks so much Gretta!
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Wow, I love this painting!
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Thanks so much.
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Wow! That’s gorgeous Shari! What a complex painting.
Did you execute that in one go & how long did that take you? Also, is that a big sheet of plexiglas that you’re taped to?
Mary
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HI Mary,
Sorry for taking so long to write back.
Yes, I did this in one session at the pond and I guess it took about 90 minutes.
And yes, that is a big sheet of plexiglass that the paper is taped to.
I have sheets cut to size at the hardware store. They are all a little bigger than my quarter, half and full sheets of paper.
Makes it really easy.
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Beautiful painting–oddly, this could almost be a Florida scene though without the usual haze of humidity, your Montreal colors are deeper and clearer, I think. I especially love that dark green combination of Prussian Blue and Burnt Sienna. I’m always grateful when you mention your mixes, which is often.
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Thanks Barbara. I’m glad it was helpful!
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Love the colours, Shari. How do you get hold of that paper? Do you order from the UK?
Thanks,
Leslie
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Hi Leslie,
Sorry for taking so long to get back to you. I was on vacation!
Yes, I ordered that paper from the UK. I don’t remember if it was from the mill itself or from Jackson’s. I believe they also carry the paper.
Shari
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Gorgeous!
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Thanks so much Gay!
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That is stunning.
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Many thanks Paul!
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This is a real beauty. I love the contrast of all those greens. I’ve got to finish you gouache sky course so I can focus on greens soon (lol). I’ve got 2 more lessons to go.
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I hope you’re enjoying the class Robyn. Not many greens in the sky course but yes, you can do that after!
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Just gorgeous Shari. You are an inspiration.
Sent from my iPad
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Pamela, thank you!!
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Beautiful! I just love your colors! Never heard of Two Rivers paper. Now i need to go on a search.
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Hi D,
Yes, this is really good paper. I have tried other handmade papers that are not as good but this one is fantastic. It can really stand up to a lot of abuse!
I may have ordered it from Jackson’s in the UK.
Shari
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It’s a really beautiful piece! One thing that frustrates me with ponds and creeks is that to me they look various shades of brown with just a tinge of greens, and when I try to paint accordingly it comes out a mess!
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Hi Anna,
Yes, there are a lot of browns and greens in ponds but one thing that helps is to use great pigments that are fully saturated. If you select a dull brown it will not improve when you paint with it. But I used a Burnt Sienna which has orange and yellow undertones, so it remained vibrant!
Hope that helps.
Shari
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This is great, I real lesson on how to enhance a scene. Are the dabs of turquoise an opaque paint like gouache?
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Hi Ruth. Thanks so much. The turquoise paint is Horizon Blue watercolour. It is quite opaque and I use it straight from the tube. I put my brush right into the tube and use it fresh!
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Lovely, lovely, lovely! I especially like the reflections in the top left. The colors are gorgeous, the reflections add so much depth and beauty. Wish I could have been an observer while you worked. Thanks for sharing.
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I’d love to be right there beside you, Bernadette!
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Bernadette, thank you. I keep thinking that I need to do a class where I paint a full size painting so people can see how I do this!
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So rich and true! Really nice 🙂
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Thanks for my Chris.
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Lovely Shari! So nice the bloom was open. Is that a piece of plexi glass beneath your painting?
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HI Cindy, That it plexiglass beneath the painting. Sometimes I use coroplast, but I also have sheets of plexi cut to size to work with quarter, half and full sheets. I like having that solid surface behind the paper. If you go to the hardware store, they will cut the sheets to size for you. And I always ask to have an extra half inch all around for the tape.
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This is the painting equivalent of an HDR phot! I just love the very saturated colors. I think there is such a fine line in getting this kind of vibrancy and having it look REAL vs….well…what happens to me sometimes when it skates over the line a bit and I end up with a cartoon lol.
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Tracy, thanks. I usually scan my paintings but this one is photographed, which may be the reason it looks so vibrant. It’s hard to scan these large one!
As for getting vibrancy: use lots of fresh colour on the brush!!
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Beautiful colors in the lily pond painting. Thanks
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Thanks Susie!
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Absolutely beautiful! It looks like a large painting.
Can’t wait for next week’s.
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Thanks Janice. It is quite large but I am trying to work a bit larger these days.
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So lovely and vibrant, love the variety of mark-making.
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Thanks Alison. Such a gorgeous spot!!
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The colors are so rich and vibrant! I’ve taken several of your classes and notice you often use fresh paint rather than a dried pallet. If you are traveling (for example Madeline Island 😀) do you bring tubes of paint? I’m putting my palettes together and thought about bringing one or two tubes, but ahh which ones?
I just love the large paintings you have been doing!
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HI Becky,
Will I get to meet you on Madeleine Island?? That will be so nice.
When I travel to teach I always bring tubes of paint because it would look bad if the instructor ran out of paint : )
Also, if I am flying to the workshop destination, I usually have checked bags so carrying tubes is not a problem.
When I am travelling for holiday, I fill the palette with tube paint about three days before my departure. My travel palette will last a full week. A few years ago I went to Oaxaca, Mexico, and that palette was fine for five days of sketching.
Another idea is to bring a second small palette if you have it.
If you do decide to bring tubes, bring an extra set of primaries.
That way you will be able to mix everything! The colours I always run out of are Hansa Yellow, Burnt Sienna and Ultramarine. And sometimes Cerulean. I use lots of those!
I hope that helps.
Shari
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Good morn morning Shari! Yes I’ll be on Madeline Island in just a few weeks for the Urban Sketching workshop. I was registered for last year and as we all were, sooo disappointed when it had to cancel! But here we are a year later and my bags are packed.
Thanks so much for the advice on paints. My friend Carol and I will be flying her small plane in (one of the many joys of being a pilot and artist) so we have lots of room for art supplies ha!
See you on the 16th! Becky
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Becky, that is amazing!!! Where will you land the plane? I will be looking forward to hearing about the flights. Well, as it turns out you can bring as many tubes as you wish : )
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So beautiful, Shari. Those greens are just so vibrant and heady. Really neat that your little pink lily was there waiting for you.
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Thanks so much! I think that little pink lily knew I was coming and bloomed for me.
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Oh,, your colors in this are just gorgeous!
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Thanks Joan!
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Nice painting of the lillies!
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Thanks Shawn.
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There is a small airport on the island – Great subject to sketch! Beautiful scenery as you fly in! See you in 2 weeks!!!!!
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See you soon Becky. Maybe if I look up in the sky on Sunday I will see you flying overhead!
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