Painting Snow Scenes

Shari Blaukopf shares her tips and techniques for painting snow using watercolors

I studied graphic design at university and subsequently worked as an advertising art director, freelance designer and, most recently, as a graphic design teacher. But my first love has always been watercolor painting. I began painting in my early teens, exhibited for many years and then took a long break while my sons were growing up. I confess, it’s been a joy to rediscover what I fell in love with so many years ago. When you paint in watercolor, you’re always teetering on the edge of chaos, and that unpredictability is precisely what makes it so thrilling. I learn something every time I put my brush to paper.

I was fortunate to learn from one of the great teachers of watercolor—Edgar A. Whitney—and I continue to use his design approach for composition.

My preferred method is to paint in plein air, but in Montreal, Canada, where I live, it’s cold for about five or six months of the year. When I have an hour or two to work in my sketchbook, I will paint from my car on all but the coldest days. But for larger watercolors I retreat to my studio, where it’s warm enough for the paint to dry, I can make a pot of tea and listen to music. In Montreal, you have no choice but to embrace the varied seasons, and since I started painting snow scenes I’ve learned to love our long winters. In fact, when I know we’re about to welcome our first snowfall in November, I can hardly sleep in anticipation.