Balboa Park with the Urban Sketchers

Posted on October 2, 2022 by Sarah Sullivan

Yesterday afternoon I began to sketch a couple sitting on a log looking over at the gigantic Moreton Bay Fig Tree that dominates Balboa Park’s eastern side as you walk in from the parking lot. An arch from two yellow rain trees framed the couple and looked romantic. I had hardly started when the couple jumped up and moved on. I was sad to see them go as I had hardly finished their silhouettes.
I liked my start, so I continued and worked on the fig tree’s enormous 30- foot long roots. A little family came to rest and play in the fig tree’s shade. Soon they got up but not before I sketched them in with my gouache.
At this point, I liked the couple and the family. But the background had become a mystery shape with a vaguely threatening aura. Time goes so fast when you are painting, and it was time to stop and share paintings with other Urban Sketchers.
This morning, I thought of turning the tree roots into fields, and I like the scene much better.

Posted in Telling a Story | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments

Sunset with the Urban Sketchers

Posted on September 30, 2022 by Sarah Sullivan

The San Diego Urban Sketchers Symposium kicked off tonight with a Drink and Draw in Little Italy. The plaza overlooks the harbor and seats a good-sized crowd. We all visited and made art together as the sun went down. It was fun to move around the tables, meet the artists who came from distant places, and see their amazing art.

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View from Zoro Garden

Posted on September 24, 2022 by Sarah Sullivan

Zoro Garden is a sunken garden squeezed between two large buildings at Balboa Park. On three sides, it is built up with stonework nooks that shelter plants attractive to butterflies and hummingbirds. This view is towards the fourth side and a hiking path beneath a bridge. The morning light made its way through the foliage and caught my attention.

Posted in Plein Air | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Santa Margarita Waders

Posted on September 22, 2022 by Sarah Sullivan

You are not supposed to swim in the Santa Margarita River, even when it is sweltering. But there are a few spots where the trail crosses the river, and people are allowed to wade to the other side. These two adventurers made the most of the crossing, clearly enjoying each drop of water along the way. It was lovely to see how they relished this part of the trail.

Posted in Plein Air, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Marbles and Books

Posted on September 20, 2022 by Sarah Sullivan

It’s Tuesday, so our group of artists met on the internet to paint a still life scene together. The contrast between the rectangular books and marbles made this a fun sketch to make.

Posted in Still Life | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Succulent of Unusual Size

Posted on September 18, 2022 by Sarah Sullivan

I am getting ready to give a demo for the San Diego Urban Sketchers at the end of this month. I’ll be sketching at Balboa Park’s Succulent Garden. It is full of eye-catching plants and land formations and is one of my favorite places to paint in San Diego. Three succulent garden scenes, in particular, fascinate me, and I have returned to paint them multiple times over the past few years.

I think I have settled in on a 20-foot succulent because I like its style and unusual size. It sits on the edge of a canyon and lends itself well to the Urban Sketchers’ mission of telling our stories, one sketch at a time. Additionally, we might like the abundant shade from the majestic eucalyptus trees that border the area.

This is my practice sketch for the demo. After looking at it, I know I will choose a more rectangular sketchbook to work in so that the stalks can stretch up into the sky. I like having a figure in the sketch so that people realize just how big the plant is, but I think I’ll move her a bit behind the plant so that the plant is the clear focus. Finally, I will emphasize its spiky leaves for visual interest. But sketches take on a life of their own. Who knows what I will really sketch when I go back in two weeks?

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Oranges across a Table

Posted on September 15, 2022 by Sarah Sullivan

It was my turn to set up the Tuesday night still life scene for our Zoom group. There is a lot of thought that goes into one of these. Is it something that the limited range of a computer camera and the Zoom application can handle? Will the other artists like the scene? Will it have the right amount of challenge? And so on.

I started with a bowl of oranges on a blue tablecloth but ended up tipping the bowl against the wall, rumpling the tablecloth, and spreading a few oranges across the table. I think it was a good setup because I had fun painting it and the other paintings were terrific.

Posted in Still Life | Tagged , , | 4 Comments