Tourists Pose at Güell Park, Barcelona

Posted on May 20, 2016 by Sarah Sullivan
Unknown Tourists Pose at Güell Park

Unknown Tourists Pose at Güell Park

For our last outing in Barcelona we visited Güell Park. The park features the work of Antoni Gaudí and is located in the hills overlooking the city and Mediterranean Sea. It is a popular place among tourists and locals with lots to do and see.

I found a great view to sketch, in fact it was so great that many people paused for a photograph in front of me,  including these two tourists. At first I was annoyed, but then I got to watching the way people pose. Many people stand closer than normal to each other for a photo, put their arms around their companions but leave some personal space, and then move apart again after the photo. They also stand up very straight and smile. I wanted to capture this way of posing in this sketch.

This is a multimedia sketch done on site using watercolor and pen. Later I made some adjustments to the photograph of the sketch using Procreate and Snapseed.

 

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Lunch in Barcelona

Posted on May 19, 2016 by Sarah Sullivan
Lunch at a Vegetarian Restaurant, Barcelona

Lunch at a Vegetarian Restaurant, Barcelona

We had a late lunch today on the plaza outside a small vegetarian restaurant near the center of Barcelona. The food was great and I liked the yellow sign and tablecloths and the way they complemented the green trim of the plants, doors and windows. In this sketch I worked to capture the colors and the diners.

This is a pen and watercolor sketch on watercolor paper.

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On the Train to Montserrat Spain

Posted on May 18, 2016 by Sarah Sullivan

 

On the Train to Montserrat

On the Train to Montserrat

The Benedictine Monastery at Montserrat Spain is a huge attraction for locals and tourists alike.  It is located at the top of a mountain chain and features a beautiful old church, monastery, abandoned hermitages, views and hiking. The way up the 3,500 foot mountain is steep and most people get there by train, cable car or funicular.  The six of us went to Montserrat today and my sisters posted some amazing photos of our trip to Facebook, which I shared on my FB page as well.

As we traveled the 90 minutes to Montserrat from Barcelona I sketched a fellow passenger. Her pensive body language caught my eye, especially the way she leaned forward, rested her mouth on her hand, held her knapsack and frowned as she looked out the window. I thought she seemed worried and I wanted to capture the look in a sketch.

This began as a pen and watercolor sketch done on the train. Later I made some adjustments to the background textures and color with Procreate.

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Enjoying the Wait

Posted on May 17, 2016 by Sarah Sullivan
Waiting for the Restaurant to Open

Waiting For the Restaurant to Open in Barcelona

Sometimes you meet awesome people while waiting in line. Tonight we met a trio from Holland and I got a chance to sketch them a bit before their turn to enter the restaurant. They were young, well educated, and spoke English fluently. They had an easy way of speaking to each other that made them attractive and interesting to us.  I show their relationship with each other by capturing their animated facial expressions and show their importance to each other by making the other people in line blend into the background.

This sketch began as a pen and ink drawing on watercolor paper in the line outside the restaurant. Later I imported the sketch into Procreate and Snapseed on my iPad and added the color.

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Enjoying a Moment Outside La Sagrada Familia, Barcelona

Posted on May 16, 2016 by Sarah Sullivan
Enjoying the Moment

Enjoying a Moment Outside La Sagrada Familia, Barcelona

People throng to La Familia Sagrada Basilica in Barcelona, which has been under construction since 1882, mostly because Antoni Gaudi’s vision for a church that teaches through its design is just plain awe inspiring.

While we waited in the park outside the entrance for our turn to enter the church, a couple collasped onto a nearby bench. I noticed them because their body language was so joyfully tired. It was hot, they were sunburnt and droopy, but their arms were open and draped across each others, and they clearly were enjoying the contact. I liked the way they chatted, low key, happy, and easy going and wanted to convey their good spirits in this sketch.

This is a pen and watercolor sketch with some minor adjustments made on the iPad.

 

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Saturday Evening Mass in Santiago

Posted on May 14, 2016 by Sarah Sullivan
Mass at Santiago de Compostela Cathedral

Mass at the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral

With a little help from a rented car, we made it to Santiago de Compostela  in time for mass at the cathedral, the subject of this sketch. This mass was a big deal; the bishop and some 20 priests celebrated it in honor of a group of young people who were being confirmed today. The cathedral is huge but it did not hold all the people who wanted to attend the confirmation. The pews were packed and many people sat on steps or stood throughout the service.

Today was the tenth and final day of our Camino de Santiago trip, some 250 kilometers by bike across the mid section of the Northern Route, from Bilbao to Ribadesella. We were a fun quartet. We struggled up the mountains together, flew down the mountain trails, and got a big kick out of biking across the gorgeous beaches. Checking out all the food and experiencing the range of hotels was fun too. And the two day car trip from Ribadesella to Santiago via Finisterre was a delightfully easy way to enjoy the final 350 kilometers together.

The Spanish people are warm, kind, generous and treated the four of us well. Their country is incredibly green, well kept, and bursting with history. It seemed that every place we saw was a place we would have liked to linger in. I hope to come back for six weeks or so and do the pilgrimage on foot.

This is a pen and watercolor sketch.

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The Sun Sets Late in Ribadesella Spain

Posted on May 13, 2016 by Sarah Sullivan


We rode today from Llanes to Ribadesella, 30 kilometers, in a heavy rainstorm. The views were awesome but was very cold and despite all our rain gear, we got soaked to the skin. We stopped in the first hotel we came across in Ribadesella and have been very happy here. It is on the waterfront and the edge of the central area.
Last night at about 10 PM we walked out across the bridge and sketched a bit. The challenge I had was to show dusk along with the lovely light on the buildings and water that came from the sky and street lamps.
I am having issues staying connected to the internet and so will post without saying any more.

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