Down by the river
Posted: September 23, 2021 Filed under: Uncategorized 14 CommentsLast week I taught my first local in-person workshop in Gananoque, Ontario. If you don’t know the town, look it up. It’s situated on the St. Lawrence River, about halfway between Montreal and Toronto, and not too far from Ottawa either. I remember going there as a youngster with my family to take a boat tour of the 1000 Islands, but I haven’t been back since. It was a wonderful surprise to discover how many things there are to sketch there — historic houses, a beautiful town hall, a colourful main street, parks along the Gananoque River, boats on the St. Lawrence — along with some nice hotels and great places to eat.
Our meeting spot each day was the 1000 Island Heritage Museum, which we sketched, of course, and right next to that is the 1000 Islands Boat Museum, which we also sketched. Was it wonderful to be sketching together on these beautiful September days? You bet!! I created a montage of a few photos of the group AND their beautiful work, and I had to include a photo of the little tugboat that was taken out of the docks just for us to draw!
Many thanks to Mary Ann who planned this so well, and to our sponsors: Chrysler House, 1000 Island History Museum and Gananoque Arts Network!
Shari Blaukopf's Sketchbook 
I would have loved to be apart of this trip! It’s wonderful to see such a beautiful collection of different artists “take” on the boat & buildings. Each one so beautiful in its own way.
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Mary, we will do it again for sure so watch my workshop listings for next year. This was a very strong group of sketchers, and it is so interesting to see each interpretation of the different scenes we painted.
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How wonderful! Amazing sketches by everyone, what a joy to behold. Yes, that boat tour of the 1000 Islands was a rite of passage if you grew up around Montreal LOL
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It sure was Dee! We all did that boat trip, didn’t we??
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I was lucky enough to be one of the members of this group. It was a fantastic experience. Shari is an exceptional teacher, the sites were interesting & scenic, & the company was lovely. It was also beautifully planned by Mary Ann, including a great talk by her partner, a graphic arts professor. Oh, and the weather was perfect!
Can’t wait for the next one!!!
Mary
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Mary, it was such a pleasure to finally meet you in person!! It was a wonderful event for me too! Especially the ice cream at the end.
Mary Ann and I hope to plan this again for next year! I will let you know.
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I’ll have my ear to the ground….!
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Hi there,
Can you share what other workshops that you will be teaching over the next 6 or so months? I live in Toronto but would be willing to travel in Ontario/Quebec
Many thanks
Theresa Dietrich
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Hi Theresa,
Thanks so much for asking. I have no workshops coming up anytime soon in either Montreal or Toronto. Due to the pandemic, I haven’t planned anything on my own, but I did do the one in Gananoque because I was invited there!
I keep my workshop listing up to date on my website: https://shariblaukopf.com/workshops/
And you can always add your name to my mailing list because I usually notify that list first before posting on my blog.
Drop me a line with your email address to get added to the list:
https://shariblaukopf.com/contact-me/
Thanks!
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It looks like a fun and happy experience! The paintings are delightful. I think I’d better get to MY local marina in Grand Haven, MI before the cold days set in and see what I can find to paint.
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Wow, how fabulous this place looks, sorry I missed it. Will definitely keep my eye open for another shot at joining you! Lucky are those who get to paint with you.
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Looks like everyone had a great time!
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Another interesting place in the area is Upper Canada Village. https://www.uppercanadavillage.com/about-the-village/tour-the-village/
Regards, Bruce Scannell [https://www.uppercanadavillage.com/default/cache/file/D29A91F6-155D-11DA-004E068D7AB97BF9_full.png] Tour the Village – St. Lawrence Parks Commission Discover the history presented at Upper Canada Village by discovering the heritage buildings and exhibits that dot the Village http://www.uppercanadavillage.com
________________________________
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Looks like you had a lovely place with great views to sketch. What a lucky group!!
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