Mahatma Ghandi Square
Friday, December 17, 2010
This composition had been playing inside of me for some time and finally I had all set to put it on the canvas.
Armed with a 90x140 cm canvas , large tubes of paint and my master painting equipment I headed downtown to Mahatma Gandhi square on a Saturday morning.
I´ve chosen this day as there are not all that people milling around as on weekdays.
Working outdoors with that dimensions can be a a bit more complex and there´s a greater need to keep focused for longer periods.
Well, the first surprise was to learn that the square was closed that day (besides being Saturday, it was holiday), but thanks to the security guard on duty, I got permission to start my work and so I had the square all to myself.
Well , I positioned my easel where I had planned. Started with the general lines ...
and then the second surprise ... I forgot the palette!
At that time I couldn´t even think about going back to get it. The late spring sun had already announced that the day would be really warm and the light was changing very quickly. What to do? I looked around, everything was clean, newly cut grass, flowers sprouting ... I walked around without hope of finding something to substitute my palette ... then I saw my salvation behind a bush : a large empty cooking oil can!
(ok don´t ask me why this can was there)
my bench studio-sandra nunes
I didn´t think twice, that was the palette I needed and fortunatelly I could give the first strokes of this painting...
Mahatma ghandi first strokes
Mahatma Ghandi Square-oil on linen 90x140cm-Sandra Nunes
Posted bySandra Nunes at 10:39 PM
Labels: cinelandia, mahatma ghandi square.monroe palace, oil painting, plein air painting, rio de janeiro painting, Sandra Nunes, urbanscapes, water fountain
It's a beautiful painting, Sandra! It was good of the security guard to let you in - and great that you found that cooking oil tin!
Thank you, Michael! Yes it was great to have that large studio just for me :-)
A beautiful painting. So large for a Plein Air painting, yet you did a splendid job. I like it very much.
Hi Jean,
Thanks for stopping by and for your kind comment, I´m glad you liked it!
Happy New Year!
Super work !! And great story about the having square to yourself. In London painters are sometimes moved on by security people - we must seem so dangerous. And well done improvising your tin palette - it's so easy to forget something in the equipment bag, which then impedes the work in progress.
Thanks for stopping by, I´m glad you liked it Andrew!
Indeed, painting outdoors we collect a lot of stories, most of them with a happy end. It is sad to know that security people in London behave like that...