Back to Cuernavaca’s Borda Garden

Posted on June 7, 2017 by Sarah Sullivan

Back to Cuernavaca's Borda Garden by Sarah Sullivan

Back to Cuernavaca’s Borda Garden


Last week I sketched one of the reflecting pools in the Borda Garden in Cuernavaca and I had to go back again today for another sketch. The garden is the kind of place that calls you; it is tranquil, harmonious and full of possibility for sketching. Today I chose a less expansive scene of a small fountain, wall and plants to sketch. I focused on the different textures in the scene and used my brush to convey these by making many kinds of individual marks.

This is a pastel and gouache sketch on black paper. 

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Poolside Chat

Posted on June 6, 2017 by Sarah Sullivan

Poolside Chat by Sarah Sullivan

Poolside Chat

My sisters are so much fun to sketch as they chat around the pool. I think I have now drawn my sisters and this small pool where we are staying in Cuernavaca from all four sides and am getting the hang of showing reflections in water in the process. 

Taking a photo of my sketches works best in natural daylight. However, this photo, like most of my other recent photos, was taken at night. The lighting is uneven in this house and it distorts some of the colors. For instance, the paper in the lower right hand corner should be black, not brown. I placed my sketchbook on top of a chair when I took the picture tonight and liked the way the edge of the chair made an irregular dark frame for the picture.

This is a pastel and gouache sketch on black paper. 

Posted in Body Language, Groups Interacting, Story Creation, Telling a Story | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

At the Xochicalco Pyramids

Posted on June 5, 2017 by Sarah Sullivan
At the Xochicalco Pyramids by Sarah Sullivan

At the Xochicalco Pyramids

We went to the Archaeological Monument of Xochicalco, which features the ruins of a huge commercial and religious center of the Olmeca-Xicallanca people. There is a museum and extensive excavated ruins of what once was a very large town constructed mostly of stone. Portions of the ruins are reconstructed and visitors are allowed to climb on these parts. The monument was filled with families and tour groups. My goal with this sketch was to communicate what an amazing place this is and the appreciation people seemed to feel for it.

This was a challenging composition and I drew it several times before I was somewhat satisfied. There were many people visiting the monument and at first I put in so many of them that the pyramid was overshadowed. Additionally, the now faded relief carvings on the side of the pyramids are important in signifying the importance of the site but when I painted them as they seemed, the pyramids were understated. Eventually I reduced the number of people and then both abstracted and emphasized the carvings and stones, and that seemed to communicate my feelings about Xochicalco better.

This is a pastel and gouache sketch on black paper. 

Posted in Deliberate Practice, Landscape, Telling a Story | Tagged , , , , , | 8 Comments

Climbing up to Tepoztlan Pyramid

Posted on June 3, 2017 by Sarah Sullivan
Climbing up to Tepoztlan Pyramid

Climbing up to Tepoztlan Pyramid

Tepoztlan is a small town near Cuernavaca with many attractions, including a gorgeous path up its rocky mountainside to the remains of an old Toltec pyramid. Today it was filled with families enjoying their Saturday by climbing up the mountain together. This sketch is from about half way up the mountain as I looked down at the steady stream of people scrambling up a particularly rocky section. I felt a sense of effort, peace, and pleasure from the climbers and wanted to capture that in this sketch.

This is a gouache and pastel sketch on black paper.

Posted in Groups Interacting, Landscape, Telling a Story | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

In the Pool

Posted on June 2, 2017 by Sarah Sullivan
In the Pool

In the Pool

I drew this the other day and then painted it tonight from a photo. I liked the reflections on the water and the way the rectangles of the pool, windows and building framed the figure. I wanted to capture the serenity of the moment. 

This is a gouache and pastel sketch on both sides of an 8 X 5 inch Moleskine sketch book with black pages.

Posted in Telling a Story | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Cuernavaca Cathedral and the Guide

Posted on June 1, 2017 by Sarah Sullivan
Cuernavaca Cathedral and the Guide by Sarah Sullivan

Cuernavaca Cathedral and the Guide

Another impressive sight in Cuernavaca is the cathedral, part of which was first built in the early 16th century. It has been added to and remodeled many times over in the five centuries since it then. We went by it one day and quickly realized that we wanted to know more about it than what we could read on our phones. We arranged for a tour guide and returned the following day. Our guide loved his subject and I was torn between listening to him and and sketching the scene. 
I turned my small sketch book and sketched from the guide at the bottom to the arch at the top, wanting to get at least a slice of the scene. 

This is a pastel and gouache sketch on both sides of an 8 X 5 Moleskine notebook with black pages.

Posted in Groups Interacting, Telling a Story | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Reflecting Pool at the Borda Garden, Cuernavaca Mexico

Posted on May 31, 2017 by Sarah Sullivan

Reflecting Pool at the Borda Garden, Cuernavaca Mexico by Sarah Sullivan

Reflecting Pool at the Borda Garden, Cuernavaca Mexico

There are many sights to sketch in Cuernavaca but the reflecting pools at the Borda Gardens may well be among the most arresting. It was so beautiful that I had to open my small notebook and use both sides to try to capture as much of it as possible.

This is a pastel and gouache sketch on both side of an 8 X 5 inch Moleskine notebook. 

Posted in Landscape | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments