Looking at the Bay of Fundy

Posted on May 5, 2017 by Sarah Sullivan
Looking at the Bay of Fundy by Sarah Sullivan

Looking at the Bay of Fundy

We are at the Bay of Fundy in New Brunswick. The bay is known for having the highest change between high and low tides in the world. We spent the afternoon hiking along the cliffs of Hopewell Rocks, which are exposed during low tide, and were awed by seeing the morning’s high tide marks high above us. 

This is a sketch of the view of the bay from our camping spot. There is a long and gradual slope downward to a wide expanse of yellow marsh and then the marsh in turn slopes down to the sea. The hills of New Brunswick are far off on the other side of the bay. Although it is May, spring is only beginning to arrive here. The deciduous trees are without leaves and the grass is just beginning to grow in the fields and lawns. I love the many layers of this view.

This is a mixed media sketch. I began with a pastel pencil and gouache sketch on both sides of a 5 X 8 inch black Moleskine sketchbook. Later I used Procreate to add the figure and put white lines into the sky. 

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Under a Half Moon in Maine

Posted on May 3, 2017 by Sarah Sullivan

Under a Half Moon by Sarah Sullivan

Under a Half Moon

We pretty much have had cold stormy skies since leaving California ten days ago. Tonight, though, we have a clear sky and a gorgeous half moon that lights the top of the camper and trees. 

It is still a very cold evening in Maine but I was able to make a basic drawing before retreating to the heated camper to finish it with paint. I could see the trees from the camper and like the way I caught and exaggerated the moonlight on them. The camper, though, was more difficult since I was sitting in it and not able to see it. I probably should not have included the bikes on the back of the camper, but that will be a sketch for another night. 
This is a pastel pencil and gouache sketch on black paper. 

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Along Interstate 90 in Ohio

Posted on May 2, 2017 by Sarah Sullivan
Along I-90 in Ohio by Sarah Sullivan

Along I-90 in Ohio

We made our way from Chicago to western New York before stopping for the night. This is one of several pen and watercolor sketches I did along the way. I composed  it as we went along from the changing landscape as we drove. 

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Two Listeners 

Posted on May 1, 2017 by Sarah Sullivan

Two Listeners by Sarah Sullivan

Two Listeners


This morning before leaving Chicago we stopped for a working breakfast with a lifelong friend. First we ate and caught up on our news and then I sketched while they worked a bit. I was looking forward to this sketch because I love catching people in the act of thinking and I was pretty sure I would not be disappointed. 

They were at a small table with a laptop, paper and pens. I caught both figures as they listened to the other speak, so the sketch is a bit odd in that there are two listeners and no speaker. Had I sketched either of them speaking, their hands would certainly have been waving in an effort to give shape to the ideas under discussion.

This sketch is not about speaking and not about the kind of listening we do when a friend relates a story and we show we are following along by expressing emotion with our faces and interjections. Rather this sketch shows the focused listening of learners intent on understanding all the details of what is being related before it is critically co-examined. They maintain frequent eye contact in order to look for indications of confusion, insight or questions in the other’s face. The body language of their arms and hands convey that listening is going on as well, one set of arms rests on the table with hands clasped and the other set rests on the table. Both poses signal that someone else has the floor and that each is actively considering the subject under discussion. 

This is a pen and watercolor sketch on watercolor paper. 

Posted in Body Language, Facial Expression, Learning, People Learning, Telling a Story | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Father and Son Night Feeding

Posted on April 30, 2017 by Sarah Sullivan

Father and Son Night Feeding by Sarah Sullivan

Father and Son Night Feeding


We are visiting relatives in Chicago and I had the lucky opportunity to sketch the newest member of my husband’s family while his father fed him. After several sketches that did not come close to capturing the bond between the father and son, I drew one I was pleased with. However,  I did not have large enough paper to include all of the father’s head. I like the contrast of the small child in the father’s arms. 

This is a pastel sketch that I imported into Procreate and then added color.

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Sharing a Laugh with Old Friends

Posted on April 29, 2017 by Sarah Sullivan

Sharing a Laugh with Old Friends by Sarah Sullivan

Sharing a Laugh with Old Friends


We stopped in Saint Louis to visit with friends from our college days and it was wonderful to connect again.  It seems like not seeing people for 30 years ought to have created a huge void but this was not the case. Funny how the voice, laugh and insight can be the same despite change in hair color and agility. It was good to see our friends.

I used three snapshots that I took of our group for this sketch. Since I have trouble drawing from photos, I did not try for physical resemblance. Instead I focused on capturing the simple shapes of the smiles, eyes and torsos and arranging the three figures so that their pleasure in sitting together is the central message.

This is a pastel and gouache sketch with some editing using the Procreate app. 

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Along Nebraska State Highway 2

Posted on April 26, 2017 by Sarah Sullivan
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Along Nebraska State Highway 2

The landscape along the Nebraska highways has a storybook quality. Attempting to capture the feeling of its open spaces with its somewhat rolling hills and textured fields is a great way to spend a day driving across this large state. I turned my small 5 X 8 inch sketchbook lengthwise and used pastel and brush marks to emphasize the many textures of the highway, fields and sky.

This is a pastel and gouache sketch on black paper.

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