Deliberate Sketching

Colorado River

Posted on August 16, 2018 by Sarah Sullivan

Colorado River

The Colorado River is magnificent as it flows through Utah. It is stunning and I worked to capture its beauty in this sketch.

Most people know that the Colorado River carved the Grand Canyon and is an indispensable source of water for plants, wildlife, and humans throughout the Southwest. Fewer know how vital the health of the Colorado River Ecosystem is to our region, and fewer still how very fragile it has become in the last century.

Even with existing protections, most of the Colorado water is used up and very salty by the time it makes its way from Colorado, through Utah, Nevada, Arizona, and California, and then finally crosses its last political boundary into Mexico. Recently the federal government removed over two million acres of the land that protects the Colorado River from the Bears Ears National and the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments. The Hopi, Navajo, Ute, Ute Mountain Ute, and Zuni people have protested, along with environmentalist, conservationists, and recreational businesses, but other voices are needed too. I hope you will read up on this issue and lend your support for maintaining protections for this incredible river.

This sketch is on a sheet of 17 X 12-inch black paper and done entirely with gouache. I used photos as the reference from a recent trip to Utah

Posted in Learning, Uncategorized | Tagged Bears Ears National Monument, Colorado River, Gouache, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Sketch, Utah | 2 Comments

Early Morning on a Ranch

Posted on August 14, 2018 by Sarah Sullivan

Sketch by Sarah Sullivan of a ranch on an early August morning

Early Morning on a Ranch

Last week we spent a night on a friend’s ranch in Utah. In the morning, I heard footsteps and looked out the window to see our host going out to start his day. It was really early. The sun was on the cliffs but the ranch yard was still dark. Although I went back to sleep, the idea that our host was up and working stayed with me. His dependability matters and it made me think of the many people who work long hours, doing the right thing.

I did not get a photo but did my best to recreate the way I think the sun fell on the rancher, dog, ranch yard, and cliffs.

This gouache and watercolor pencil sketch is 17 X 12 inches and on black paper.

Posted in Landscape, Telling a Story, Uncategorized | Tagged Gouache, Ranch, Sketch, Sunrise, Utah, Watercolor Pencil | Leave a comment

Morning Shines on the Mesa

Posted on August 12, 2018 by Sarah Sullivan

Sketch by Sarah Sullivan of the morning light on the mesa

Morning Shines on the Mesa

The sandstone rocks of Southwest Utah are stunning. I did not have time to paint there so I compensated by taking as many photos as I could. Today I began to look at them, especially the ones with strong lighting. There was one where the rising sun lit up the east-facing cliffs while the west-facing cliffs were still in shadow. I tried to capture some of this feeling in this sketch.

Image | Posted on August 12, 2018 by Sarah Sullivan | Tagged Gouache, Sketch, Sunrise, Utah, Watercolor Pencil | 4 Comments

Lounging with a Strawberry

Posted on August 9, 2018 by Sarah Sullivan

Lounging with a Strawberry

I missed a week of painting while traveling and it was wonderful to meet up with friends today at the San Diego Watercolor Society and sketch for a long morning. We did 5, 10, and 20-minute poses, this one was a twenty-minute pose. I like the energy that comes from working fast and letting intuition tale the lead.

Our model was expressive and gorgeous, with long slender limbs and lots of character. I enjoyed interpreting her facial expressions during each pose; it was a nice change from all the landscapes I have been doing.

This is 12 x 12-inch gouache sketch on black paper with watercolor pencil and pastel pencil.

Posted in Facial Expression | Tagged Gouache, Live Sketching, Pastel Pencil, Watercolor Pencil | 4 Comments

Line of Junipers

Posted on August 2, 2018 by Sarah Sullivan

Line of Junipers

Today I walked out to a part of my brother’s land that is usually a small pond ringed by a meadow and juniper trees. This year it is so dry that there is only a suggestion of green in the center where water would be normally. Dry or wet, this is one of my favorite places and I usually make a few sketches of it each year. Junipers have such an interesting shape and painting a whole line of them is a treat.

This painting is on a white quarter sheet of watercolor paper with a thin coat of gold watercolor ground. I expected to be able to lift color back to the gold ground to show the arid meadow. But something went wrong and the gouache adhered too strongly to lift, so instead I kept adding more and more marks with gouache and watercolor pencil.

Posted in Landscape | Tagged Colorado, Gouache, Juniper Trees, Landscape, Meadow, Painting, San Juan Mountains, Watercolor Pencil | Leave a comment

Sunset along the Canyon Edge

Posted on August 1, 2018 by Sarah Sullivan

Sketch by Sarah Sullivan of a Canyon Sunset

Sunset along the Canyon Edge

We are camping on my brother’s land in the Colorado San Juan Mountains. I look forward to our annual family reunion here for many reasons, including the chance to paint this dramatic landscape. This week the skies in western Colorado are hazy with smoke from all the forest fires throughout the southwest, and hazy skies can make for spectacular sunsets. I really like how the evening sun illuminates parts of the landscape and dramatized the effect with this abstract plein air painting.

This painting is on a white quarter sheet of watercolor paper with a base coat of black watercolor ground. It gives a rough texture and allows the black to show through the gouache.

Posted in Landscape | Tagged Colorado, Exaggeration, Gouache, Landscape, Painting, Plein Air, San Juan Mountains, Sunset, Watercolor Ground | 6 Comments

Along the Galloping Goose Trail

Posted on July 27, 2018 by Sarah Sullivan

Along the Galloping Goose Trail

Among the many gorgeous trails in the Telluride area is the Galloping Goose. It was built along the old railroad tracks and descends down through aspen, fur, and flowers, from Telluride to Illium. It was a perfect choice for my last biking/painting trip in this area. Although I tried to include too much onto my small 12 X 12 sketchbook, I still like this sketch because it captures the winding path, its vertical drop, and the distant mountains.

This is a 12 X 12-inch gouache sketch.

Here is a photo of my Telluride set-up for plein air painting. It is about 10 pounds of equipment, including water, and works for both hiking and biking. The large rock that served as a table was a much appreciated bonus.

Plein Air Painting by Bike along the Galloping Goose Trail.

Posted in Landscape | Tagged Colorado, Galloping Goose Trail, Gouache, Plein Air, Sketch, Telluride | 6 Comments

San Juan Mountain Path

Posted on July 25, 2018 by Sarah Sullivan

San Juan Mountain Path

The sun was intense as I stood in the shade and sketched. Even through my dark glasses the shade from the pine trees that fell across the path contrasted strongly with sunny areas of the mountain path. When I got back indoors, I was surprised at the intense colors I had just used to depict this scene. Maybe I should paint while wearing heavy sunglasses more often.

This is a 9 x 9-inch gouache and watercolor pencil sketch on black paper.

Posted in Landscape | Tagged Colorado, Gouache, Painting, Plein Air, San Juan Mountains, Sketch, Telluride, Watercolor Pencil | Leave a comment

Telluride Town Talk

Posted on July 24, 2018 by Sarah Sullivan

Sketch by Sarah Sullivan of two people having a conversation

Telluride Town Talk

Telluride Town Talk 2

During the summer, the Telluride Science Research Center offers a weekly talk of general interest by a visiting scientist. I enjoy these talks because they are provocative- for instance, today’s topic was, Geo-Engineering a Climate Change Solution. But even better, the talks also provide an excellent opportunity to sketch the presenters.

For years I carried a newsprint sketchbook with me but had gotten out of the habit when I shifted to painting in gouache. Lately I bought a new pad and have been enjoying live sketching with a ballpoint pen and then later using Procreate to add a bit of color.

These two sketches show the presenter during the follow-up conversations with the moderator. I liked their expressions as they thought, listened and spoke.

Posted in Facial Expression, Telling a Story | Tagged Colorado, Sketch, Telluride, Telluride Town Talk, TSRC | Leave a comment

Two Fishermen

Posted on July 23, 2018 by Sarah Sullivan

Two Fishermen

I went down to Elk Pond today to practice painting reflections. It was a beautiful morning and the colors of the trees, sky, and mountains were sharp and clear. However, I soon found that painting water reflections is similar to painting shadows. The shifting light and wind cause everything to move about and change. A pair of fishermen, possibly a father and son, were across the water and they kept moving around too.

This is a gouache and watercolor pencil sketch on a 12 X 12-inch sheet of black paper.

Posted in Landscape | Tagged Colorado, Elk Pond, Gouache, Painting, Plein Air, Sketch, Telluride Mountain Village, Watercolor, Watercolor Pencils | 2 Comments

Two Aspen Trees

Posted on July 22, 2018 by Sarah Sullivan

Two Aspen Trees

This is a second version of the last sketch I posted showing the view from the window here in Telluride. In fact, it was my first try of this view but I put it aside thinking that I could do better. Later I put it back up on my easel and from time to time would add more color until it became heavily overpainted, mostly with gouache, but also with pen and watercolor pencil.

Posted in Landscape | Tagged Aspen Trees, Colorado, Gouache, Telluride | 2 Comments

View from a Telluride Window

Posted on July 20, 2018 by Sarah Sullivan

View from a Telluride Window

Looking out the window here in Telluride, there is an almost overwhelming amount of greenery. It is framed against a grey sky and purple and blue mountains. The greens flow together and the tree trunks give it some structure. This is, more or less, what it looks like to me.

This is a gouache, pen, and watercolor pencil sketch in a 12 X 12-inch sketchbook with black paper.

Posted in Landscape | Tagged Colorado, Gouache, Painting, Plein Air, Sketch, Telluride | 4 Comments

Puddles after the Rain

Posted on July 19, 2018 by Sarah Sullivan

Puddles after the Rain

We are back in Colorado. Yesterday, as we left the Four Corners area, we were treated to an intense monsoonal lighting storm. We stopped for the night at McPhee Reservoir and I was able to sketch the puddles on the ground along our campsite. I loved the dramatic sky and the reflections of it in the puddles.

My mind wanted to make the shapes very clear, to define the trees, clouds, and puddles. However, due to the hour and lighting, the shapes and colors were abstract, in fact, far more abstract than I wanted to believe.

This is a gouache and watercolor pencil sketch.

Posted in Landscape | Tagged Colorado, Four Corners Area, Gouache, McPhee Reservoir, Plein Air, Puddles, Rain, Sketch | Leave a comment

Artist at Work

Posted on July 14, 2018 by Sarah Sullivan

Sketch by Sarah Sullivan of an artist demonstrating how she works

Artist at Work

This morning I went to see a local artist, who I admire very much, paint. I also got in a few sketches of my fellow observers. My eye was caught by the posture of three women who sat on a curb together, I liked the different angles of their legs. Later at home, I added color.

Posted in Telling a Story | Tagged California, San Diego, Sketch, Sketches of People | 3 Comments

Five Sunflowers

Posted on July 9, 2018 by Sarah Sullivan

Five Sunflowers

I wanted to make this a little abstract by emphasizing the geometric shapes of the water in the vase and the windows in the back right. I wonder if I should try placing the vase so that it is a little further to the left and have both of the flowers on the right lean over the two people.

Cabin Near Estes Park

Yesterday I wrote about trying to find the cabin near Estes Park that once belonged to my college roommate’s family. Today, with directions from my friend, I was able to find it.

Part of the problem, in addition to the havoc that time plays with memory, is the property now belongs to the National Park Service and the road to it is no longer maintained. After a few false starts and accepting that I would not see a sign with the road’s name, I left my car by the side of the highway. Soon I was hiking along an old dirt trail and excitedly recognizing vistas and rocks.

When I got to the cabin, there were three other visitors having a picnic lunch. We got to talking and it turns out they knew the story of the Kansas City schoolteacher, Anna Wolfrom, who made her way to Estes Park and homesteaded the property in 1907. Since the story of Anna had had an influence on us, it seemed almost magical to hear it again. They suggested that I stop by the Estes Park Museum and check out the small exhibit on women homesteaders from the area, which I did.

After they left I sat in the shade, sketched the cabin, trees, and mountains, and reflected on all the good luck that led from the gutsy homesteader who built a cabin herself, to my friend’s generous family, to our wonderful friendship and stay at the cabin, and now the chance to see and paint it again.

My friend said, “Purple Mountain Majesty,” after I sent her a photo of this sketch, and that sums it up for me too

This is a 12 X 12- inch gouache sketch on black paper.

Abstract of German Sheep in a Field

Posted on June 16, 2018 by Sarah Sullivan

Sketch by Sarah Sullivan of German Sheep in a Field

Abstract of German Sheep in a Field

Before we move on in the morning, I had to walk out to the fields along the edge of Garmisch-Partenkirchen and sketch the sheep one last time.

Posted in Landscape | Tagged abstract, Bavaria, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, Gouache, Painting, Sheep, Sketch | 1 Comment

Deliberate Sketching

Colorado River

Early Morning on a Ranch

Morning Shines on the Mesa

Lounging with a Strawberry

Line of Junipers

Sunset along the Canyon Edge

Along the Galloping Goose Trail

San Juan Mountain Path

Telluride Town Talk

Two Fishermen

Two Aspen Trees

View from a Telluride Window

Puddles after the Rain

Artist at Work

Running up the Path

San Carlos Canyon View

Five Sunflowers

Not Far From Alpine

Welcome Small Human!

Trunks in a Meadow

Keep Families Together

Cabin Near Estes Park

Rocky Mountain National Park Overlook

View from the Flatirons

Dessert

Tree Lined Street in Guimarães

Portuguese Garden on a June Morning

Guimarães and Children

Abstract of German Sheep in a Field

Eibsee and Bike

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