We are often challenged by the fleeting moments and changing weather when working on the spot, even close to home. Learn to work fast if you need to, and get down as much as you can. Light changes quickly, but you can always exercise your color memory and dash in the colors you remember later.
Get to know your home territory in all seasons by exploring your own backyard. Jan Blencowe does just that on a regular basis and makes wonderful “field guide pages” to her own backyard, year round. You will forge connections with your home on a deeper, more intimate level than you ever imagined.
If you’re working under harsh conditions, as Shari Blaukopf was in Quebec’s wintry weather, do be sure to take care of yourself. You may choose to work from your car or a nearby window. Dress warmly if you’re out in the cold weather. Layers are good, and fingerless gloves or mittens can help. Some artists even add a bit of alcohol to their paint water to keep it from freezing! Of course, you can always do the ink or pencil sketch on the spot and add color later if conditions are too harsh.
Here are two of Jan Blencowe’s beautifully observed backyard nature sketches.
Shari Blaukopf wrote, “The Chocolatier Marlain is one of my favorite Pointe Claire buildings to sketch in the winter. Since I paint in my car, parking spots are always important to me, and there is one directly facing this building. I love the welcoming entrance, the wonky staircase and the tree branches that frame the building, and they all look a little more charming in winter with a dusting of snow on them. In Montreal, it is almost impossible to sketch outside from November until April, so I have a great setup in my car. The water container is in the car’s cup holder, my sketchbook is balanced on my steering wheel and my palette is on the passenger seat. And of course an occasional blast from the car heater is perfect for those washes that take too long to dry.”
Jennifer Lawson worked fast to capture this sunset in Portland, Maine. A combination of ink and wet-in-wet watercolor washes successfully caught the ephemeral beauty.