Keep Families Together

Posted on June 30, 2018 by Sarah Sullivan
Sketch by Sarah Sullivan of a small family

Keep Families Together

What could be more American than celebrating the Fourth of July with your family? Picnics, rodeos, reunions, fireworks, we spend the day enjoying each other and the blessings of a good life in a good country.

As we get ready to celebrate the Fourth this particular year, I keep thinking of the people who are desperate to become Americans, of the families separated at the border, and of children who have not yet been reunited with their parents.  Have we forgotten that America has traditionally been a refuge for immigrants and asylum seekers? And do we remember that our strength has been built over generations from the contributions of immigrants and their families?

Why not make room for more people to be Americans? Surely the need that asylum seekers demonstrate by making their way on foot to our borders requires that we find a way to welcome them. Let’s celebrate the Fourth this year by remembering our roots and welcoming more immigrants together with their families.

 

 

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Cabin Near Estes Park

Posted on June 27, 2018 by Sarah Sullivan
Sketch by Sarah Sullivan of a Cabin Near Estes Park

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the havoc that time plays with memory, is the property now belongs to the National Park Service and the road to it is no longer maintained.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.

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Rocky Mountain National Park Overlook

Posted on June 26, 2018 by Sarah Sullivan
Sketch by Sarah Sullivan of a Rocky Mountain National Park Overlook

Rocky Mountain National Park Overlook

Forty some years ago, I spent some time in the Estes Park Colorado area with my college roommate. I remember how beautiful it was and I was eager to see it all again. This morning I drove up into the mountains above Boulder to Rocky Mountain National Park but never found the vistas I remembered. Perhaps they do not exist but more likely good directions will help me find the missing views.

In any case, after hiking awhile, I found a shady spot and happily painted this view from Glacier Basin. Even in the shade it was bright and I kept my heavy sunglasses on, thus achieving this very bold look.

This is a 12 X 9-inch gouache painting.

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View from the Flatirons

Posted on June 25, 2018 by Sarah Sullivan

Sketch by Sarah Sullivan of the View from the Flatirons, above Boulder Colorado

View from the Flatirons

We are in the Boulder Colorado area for a few days. This morning I went up on the Flatirons above Boulder and admired the view. From the Flatirons, the Great Plains seem to begin at the edge of Boulder and extend on to the distant horizon. It is overwhelming and rather than capturing an exact image, I worked to understand how all the shapes and colors fit together. Now that I am back and comparing my sketch to photos, I see that my greens are too bright, more like the greens of the German Alps than of this area. Fortunately, I have a few days to try again.

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

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Dessert

Posted on June 22, 2018 by Sarah Sullivan

Sketch of a man at a sidewalk cafe by Sarah Sullivan

Dessert

How wonderful to finish a meal at a sidewalk cafe in Portugal and then sit and admire the landscape.

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

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Tree Lined Street in Guimarães

Posted on June 20, 2018 by Sarah Sullivan

Sketch by Sarah Sullivan of a Tree Lined Street in Guimarães Portugal

Tree Lined Street in Guimarães

The old part of Guimarães is full of picturesque streets, walls, gardens, churches, and buildings. This particular street is close to where we are staying. I like its tall and shady trees, and the contrast of the trees against the bright sky and patches of sunlight on the pavement. Since it is not safe to paint in a street, I just made a line sketch and then finished this in my hotel room, using a few photos that I took for reference.

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

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Portuguese Garden on a June Morning

Posted on June 19, 2018 by Sarah Sullivan
Sketch by Sarah Sullivan of a Portuguese Fountain on a June Morning

Portuguese Garden on a June Morning

In the morning before it got hot, I sketched in the shade of the Centro Cultural Vila Flor in Guimarães. The garden has massive trees with branches that intermingle and offer cover from the sun. In this sketch I wanted to convey a sense of how the trees protect and shelter the fountain and garden.

This is a 9 X 6- inch gouache sketch on black paper.

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