Winter Green at Miramar Reservoir

Posted on December 11, 2019 by Sarah Sullivan

Now that our California winter has given us three storms, greenery is making its annual comeback in San Diego County. I got out to the lake mid morning and the shadows were dramatic against the bright green. I liked the long wedge shapes and built the composition around them.

Posted in Landscape | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Looking Forward

Posted on December 10, 2019 by Sarah Sullivan

I liked the way that the light caught the edge of the model’s forehead and glasses as she sat in a chair. The light was so bright that the rest of her seemed to be shadowed and the details were hard to make out.

Posted in Figures | Tagged , | 1 Comment

A Canyon Trail

Posted on November 26, 2019 by Sarah Sullivan

There is a canyon near Balboa Park in San Diego that I have painted several times. It has a stark footpath that zigzags up to the mesa from the canyon floor. Runners and hikers love it and I do too.

This the the first time I dared to use a full sheet of watercolor paper (30 x 20 inches) while painting plein air and I got a bit lost in the expanse of it.

Posted in Landscape | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments

Looking Sideways

Posted on November 24, 2019 by Sarah Sullivan

I liked the flush on this models’s face and the way her eyes were so large as she looked sideways off to her right side.

Posted in Figures | Tagged , | 5 Comments

Eucalyptus Woodpile

Posted on November 22, 2019 by Sarah Sullivan

I painted this morning under eucalyptus trees in Del Mar. The air was damp but clear and the eucalyptus colors were strong.

Posted in Landscape | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Woman in Blue

Posted on November 21, 2019 by Sarah Sullivan

A model can make all the difference in a painting. The poses she chooses, the way she channels attitudes, and the clothing she wears can make all the difference to the way the artist interprets a scene.

This morning we had a particularly expressive model, and as a result, I had a very productive three hours of painting. I liked so many of my 20- minute gouache sketches that I had trouble picking a favorite to share, which is an unusual experience for me. I eventually chose this one because her lowered head and steady gaze conveyed a brooding attitude that was accentuated by the blue clothing.

Posted in Figures | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Autumn on the Santa Margarita River

Posted on November 18, 2019 by Sarah Sullivan

We stood in the Santa Margarita River and painted. It was a very hot day and the temperature reached 93 degrees Fahrenheit (34 degrees Celsius). But even though the heat said summer, the foliage said autumn and it was a treat to attempt to capture an autumn scene.

Posted in Landscape | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments