Monthly Archives: January 2019

A Los Peñasquitos Morning

Posted on January 26, 2019 by Sarah Sullivan

This small abstract of the landscape near Los Peñasquitos was done on white watercolor paper that I had prepared ahead of time with a stripe across the bottom of yellow ochre casein. When I was at Los Peñasquitos, I used … Continue reading →

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Three Twenty-Minute Sketches

Posted on January 24, 2019 by Sarah Sullivan

This morning I sketched with the San Diego Watercolor Society. It is not obvious, but each of the sketches above is based on the same creative model. She had a magenta scarf, and wrapped it around her head, wore it … Continue reading →

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A Gardening Lesson

Posted on January 23, 2019 by Sarah Sullivan

I went to the cactus garden at Balboa Park expecting to paint cactus. Instead, I was taken by a school group learning about public gardens. I watched them awhile and liked the way the students leaned forward as they listened … Continue reading →

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Cactus with Inktense Pencils

Posted on January 18, 2019 by Sarah Sullivan

I set up this still life to explore using gouache with Inktense pencils. I wanted to work with both smooth and textured surfaces and a limited palette so I would not be distracted by lots of color choices. I put … Continue reading →

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California Rain

Posted on January 17, 2019 by Sarah Sullivan

My sketching group had a model this morning who was quite expressive. Towards the end, she picked up an umbrella and had fun channeling our mixed feelings about our week of rain here in California. I used my new Inktense … Continue reading →

Posted in Body Language, Telling a Story | 2 Comments

Inktense and Gouache

Posted on January 16, 2019 by Sarah Sullivan

I bought some Inktense pencils this morning and had to try them out. Inktense pencils combine qualities of traditional watercolor pencils and permanent markers. The pencil marks dissolve with water but once dry, the color is bright and durable. I … Continue reading →

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San Diego’s Spring Is Near

Posted on January 9, 2019 by Sarah Sullivan

The little rain southern California gets in December can make for a spectacular spring in January and February and this year shows great promise. This morning when I was back at Torrey Pines, I was struck by how the coastal … Continue reading →

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