A Rare October Rain in San Diego

Posted on October 20, 2017 by Sarah Sullivan
Sketch of A Rare October Rain by Sarah Sullivan

A Rare October Rain in San Diego

Rain in October is not what I expected to wake up to this morning in San Diego, never mind that it was less than a quarter inch, it still was rain. I walked up to a mesa with a terrific view off to the north-west at San Diego State University, a place from which I often draw. I hoped it might be a great morning to paint clouds and it was. And I even got to try my hand at rainy clouds. The black paper was perfect for this.

As the clouds cleared I got a second more abstract sketch. I used wet into wet and liked the way the clouds and colors merged.

Sketch of October Clouds Over San Diego by Sarah Sullivan

October Clouds Over San Diego

Both of these sketches are gouache on black paper.

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Painting at Los Peñasquitos Lagoon

Posted on October 19, 2017 by Sarah Sullivan
Sketch by Sarah Sullivan of Painters at Los Peñasquitos Lagoon

Painting at Los Peñasquitos Lagoon

If you get impatient while waiting for a coat of paint to dry, you can end up destroying your work. One solution is to have a second sketchbook on hand with which to distract yourself. I sketched some of the other painters from yesterday and painted it at home today using yesterday’s sketch as a guide for the colors.

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

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Tide Going Out At Los Peñasquitos Lagoon

Posted on October 18, 2017 by Sarah Sullivan
Sketch by Sarah Sullivan of the tide going out at Los Peñasquitos Lagoon

Tide Going Out At Los Peñasquitos Lagoon

The plein air group painted this morning at Los Peñasquitos Lagoon, which is part of the Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve located just north of San Diego. The lagoon winds its way through the salt marsh and emptied itself pretty rapidly during the three hours I was there this morning. I used directional brush strokes to show the movement of the water and to suggest the different kinds of vegetation in the lagoon.

This is a gouache sketch in a 17 X 12 inch Derwent sketchbook with black paper.

November 1, 2017: I made some changes to this sketch today. The sandbar is extended and now there are a few birds on it. 

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Lily Pond Corner

Posted on October 17, 2017 by Sarah Sullivan
Sketch by Sarah Sullivan of a Lily Pond Corner at Balboa Park

Lily Pond Corner at Balboa Park

Our plein air class went back to the Lily Pond at Balboa Park. I worked on reflections again. This time I left a large amount of black paper unpainted to suggest deep water and to contrast with the lily pads and reflected building and plants.

This is a 9 X 9 inch gouach sketch.

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Labyrinth

Posted on October 16, 2017 by Sarah Sullivan
Sketch of people walking a Labyrinth by Sarah Sullivan

Labyrinth

The Arizona ranch has a labyrinth that was both sunny and mysterious. This is one of the sketches that I hope to develop further this week.

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Arizona Weekend

Posted on October 15, 2017 by Sarah Sullivan
Sketch by Sarah Sullivan of Three People Playing A Serious Game of Chess

A Serious Game of Chess

We spent a long and wonderful weekend in a remote part of Yavapai County, Arizona. Our nephew and his bride were married at ranch where many of us could camp and reconnect with each other over the course of three days. Playing games together is a big part of our traditions together and I was glad to capture three cousins at a serious game of chess.

Sketch by Sarah Sullivan of two men talking together

A Conversation

Conversations are another major feature of our reunions and I was glad to get this quick sketch of two of the uncles as they sat on a bench together.

 

And here are two sketches made from the passenger seat of our camper. The first is near Salome Arizona on our way there and the second from Peeples Valley on our return.

All of these sketches were very quickly made and are still underdeveloped.  I like them because they capture an impression of the weekend. I have a two more sketches from the weekend that I plan to develop more fully later this week.

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Reflections

Posted on October 13, 2017 by Sarah Sullivan
Sketch by Sarah Sullivan of a Mother with her barefoot child

Reflections

Last July I got a good start painting this sketch of my sister and her barefoot child. I liked the body language between the two of them but had trouble with the hillside above the pond. When I had to stop before finishing, I put it aside thinking I would get to it later. Tonight I added some lights on the hill and the right side of the water and that seems to have fixed it for me.

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

Posted in Body Language, Groups Interacting, Landscape, Telling a Story | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments