Drawing in the Glyptotek Winter Garden.

Posted on May 20, 2022 by Sarah Sullivan

Sitting in the Carlsberg Glyptotek cafe, I could look down into its winter garden. The large hall with its skylights and lush tropical plants is filled with a warmth that invites people to linger and appreciate. It must have been a wondrous attraction 125 years ago when it first opened in Copenhagen.

I noticed two artists below me drawing the garden’s ferns, and it made me want to draw them in turn. I had to leave my sketch bag in the lockers but still had a few crayons and a small sketchbook. I filled in the page, showing the two artists surrounded by the ferns and leaves of the Glyptotek.

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From a Rooftop Terrace

Posted on May 19, 2022 by Sarah Sullivan

After spending most of the day looking at the art exhibitions at the Carlsberg Glyptotek in Copenhagen, I rested and sketched on its rooftop terrace. Other people had the same idea, including two men who sat across the way.

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The Old and the New

Posted on May 18, 2022 by Sarah Sullivan

Something I enjoy about Denmark is how artifacts from different periods coexist and complement each other. This sketch shows a modern windmill and a nineteenth-century farmhouse on the island of Funen. Different versions of this theme can be seen all across the country, a high rise next to a historic church, a cobblestone road beneath electrical transmission towers, or a metro station in the woods.

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Rest Break

Posted on May 17, 2022 by Sarah Sullivan

We stopped by the side of the road on the island of Funen in Denmark, so I could take photos and sketch a bit. I turned to come back to the car and noticed my husband solving his NYT crossword on his phone. I liked the whole scene, did a rapid line sketch, and finished it up today with gouache.

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Sunset on Samsø Island

Posted on May 12, 2022 by Sarah Sullivan

We visited Denmark’s Samsø Island for a few days of biking and hiking. On our last evening, we climbed Ballebbjerg Hill, the highest point on Samsø at 209 feet (64 meters). It was a great place to watch the sunset and do a little sketching.

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A Thirty-Seven Year Old Idea

Posted on May 9, 2022 by Sarah Sullivan

Two old scholars, working together on an idea that has eluded them for thirty-seven years, notice it is a delightful day and decide not to waste a moment of it. They take their notes and computers outside, sit along the garden wall, and keep working, allowing the idea to be warmed over by the spring sun.

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Danish Fields of Yellow

Posted on May 8, 2022 by Sarah Sullivan

I started a second sketch at Nivå yesterday, from the same spot as the one of the jogger, but looking 90 degrees to my right. I like it because the immense field of yellow extends across the full page, practically filling it with its yellow color.

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