Game Point!

Posted on March 7, 2026 by Sarah Sullivan

I sketched the two figures at the Wednesday figure drawing session, and then later added the background.

I did these during the warm-up and had several two- minute gouache sketches of the same model on the same dark surface. These two figures stood out as special because the way they overlapped suggested a connection between them. And they both seemed to show a bit of anxiety that I could build on in a more polished painting.

The model was barefoot, and when I was looking for a setting that made sense, I remembered some sketches I had done of beach volleyball, which I used as a reference. Because of the tension in their poses, I titled this “Game Point!”

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Birders at Santee Lakes

Posted on March 5, 2026 by Sarah Sullivan

I stood with plein air painters on one side of the lake, while a group of birders meandered along the other side. It was good that I began the painting with the birder in white and the strong reflections in the lake because the reflections, like the birders, came and went.

This is a 13-by-13-inch gouache painting on dark paper.

Posted in Plein Air, Telling a Story | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

A California Driveway

Posted on February 25, 2026 by Sarah Sullivan

A friend who has a lifelong love of Volkswagen vehicles had a few of us over to paint. She parked several out on the driveway, and we had a fun few hours painting on a perfect Southern California spring day.

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Cormorants and Yoga

Posted on February 21, 2026 by Sarah Sullivan

There is so much to see when you go birding along the San Pancho Beach.

Posted in Telling a Story | Tagged , | 3 Comments

San Pancho Sunset

Posted on February 18, 2026 by Sarah Sullivan

The San Pancho sunset last night was particularly impressive with its orange sky and relatively calm sea.

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Looking the Other Way

Posted on February 16, 2026 by Sarah Sullivan

While watching a sunset, my attention is usually fixed on the setting sun. Last night, I turned and looked the other way, and saw the village of San Pancho bathed in a golden light.

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Early One Morning in San Pancho

Posted on February 14, 2026 by Sarah Sullivan

I love how the morning light comes over the mountains to the east and lights up San Pancho, Nayarit, and its beach. This is the view from the balcony where we are staying. It is missing some buildings, but captures the feeling of early morning along the beach and streets.

Posted in Plein Air, Telling a Story | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments