Meadow on the Village Bypass Trail

Posted on August 9, 2017 by Sarah Sullivan
Sketch of a Meadow on the Village Bypass Trail by Sarah Sullivan

Meadow on the Village Bypass Trail

Mountain Bikers love the Village Bypass Trail and I had a great time marveling at their speed and courage as I stood above the trail and sketched this morning. I considered including a few but they flew by so fast that I couldn’t begin to capture their forms. However, I could get the shapes of the meadow and the undulating mountains that rise up above the tree line. 

I let a lot of the black paper show and used less blended paint strokes than in many of my recent sketches. I think these choices help suggest the ruggedness of the San Juan Mountains.

This is a pastel and gouache sketch in a 12 X 12 inch Derwent Black Paper sketchbook. 

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View Through the Balconies

Posted on August 8, 2017 by Sarah Sullivan

Sketch of the view from a balcony of more balconies and storm clouds by Sarah Sullivan

View Through the Balconies


Today was a good day for rain and a good day to paint indoors, or at least to paint from under the shelter of the balcony above. I was going to paint the clouds over the mountains but noticed how I like the contrast that the curves of the balconies make against the rounded shapes of the clouds, mountains and trees. So I made this the focus of this sketch.

This is a pastel and gouache sketch on black paper in a 9 X 12 inch Derwent sketchbook. 

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Rain Comes Across the Meadow

Posted on August 7, 2017 by Sarah Sullivan
Sketch of a Rainy Meadow by Sarah Sullivan

Rain Comes Across the Meadow

It has been really rainy here in Telluride this year so I have had a lot of opportunity to observe how the rains comes in across the mountains and hills. It is just beautiful and I wanted to convey this in a sketch.

This is a small 5 X 8 inch gouache sketch in a black Moleskine sketchbook. 

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Another Meadow

Posted on August 6, 2017 by Sarah Sullivan
Sketch of a Telluride ski slope meadow by Sarah Sullivan

Another Meadow

This is another sketch which, like yesterday’s, is mostly about learning to paint meadows. However, this one is painted from a photo because by the time I got up to where this meadow is on the Telluride ski slopes it was raining pretty hard. Overall, I like the composition and the grass in the foreground, although I wish I had left more of the black paper showing. I think with some work on the mid-ground area that I could get a sketch I would be pleased with. 

I am pretty sure this is the meadow I want to paint for my final large painting before leaving Colorado. The weather report tells us that it will dry out on Tuesday or Wednesday so I am hoping to climb back up and spend the day there.

This is a a gouache and pastel sketch on a 5 X 8 inch Moleskine black paper sketchbook. 

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Aspen Meadow

Posted on August 5, 2017 by Sarah Sullivan
Sketch of a green meadow with flowers and aspen trees by Sarah Sullivan

Aspen Meadow

Right now in early August there are huge meadows filled with flowers and rimmed by aspen trees, mountains and sky in the San Juan Mountains. Before I leave Colorado next Friday, I plan to do a large painting of one of these meadows. I am getting ready by sketching small meadows in a 5 X 8 inch sketchbook with gouache and pastel.  This meadow has huge daisies and I need to work on getting them to seem in proportions with the other flowers. 

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Like Matisse’s Windows

Posted on August 4, 2017 by Sarah Sullivan

Sketch of the view of the San Juans from a condo window by Sarah Sullivan

Like Matisse’s Windows

For the last three weeks I have been thinking about the view from the window. It is so beautiful and the framing of the vista by the window sets the view off splendidly. I looked a few times at some of Matisse’s window paintings, which both motivated and intimidated me. Today I stayed inside and gave it a try. 

This is a gouache and pastel sketch on black paper in a 12 X 12 inch Derwent black sketchbook. 

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Rafting the Mighty San Miguel

Posted on August 2, 2017 by Sarah Sullivan
Sketch of children Rafting the Mighty San Miguel by Sarah Sullivan

Rafting the Mighty San Miguel

For the last two days I had my back to the San Miguel River and the mountains above it while I sketched thickets of cottonwood trees. The San Miguel is very shallow in this section and perfect for beginner rafters. Both days I could hear the sounds of children as they floated down the icy river with their families or camps. Today I turned my easel around, moved closer and did my best to capture the beauty of summer and the pleasure people find in it.

This is an -in-the-moment sketch, not a particularly thought through sketch. It is similar to my sketch, Telluride Street, in that it is an attempt to capture the essence of something wonderful in a spontaneous way

This is a gouache and pastel sketch on black paper in a 12 X 12 inch Derwent black sketchbook. 

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