Plein Air Curaçao - Part II

I am starting another painting trip today and I realized that I didn´t finish my posts abut Plein Air Curaçao here,
I will try something new in order to give some life to my so neglected blog!

I  have been posting most on Instagram and Facebook, I will leave a link here to my profile and let´s see how it works!
Hopefully you'll be able to follow my photo Album. 


Posted bySandra Nunes at 5:59 AM 0 comments  

Plein Air Curaçao 2019



I think it is about time to come back to my blog posts. I really miss this space here and I admire my artists friends who post on Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, websites etc… And they still blog. That has been too much for me.
I will skip all that happened during my six month hiatus and post about my recent Caribbean adventure.

Curaçao is a feast for the eyes and I had a great time teaching a group of talented artists at Santa Barbara Resort !
My focus in this workshop was on how to capture light and atmosphere in plein air. We discussed about pastel brands, supports and techniques with demonstrations and exercises.

Much more to be posted...




Posted bySandra Nunes at 7:18 PM 0 comments  

Sunday Morning

Posted bySandra Nunes at 9:50 PM 0 comments  

Church of Our Lady of Brazil

Interior Beauty
Painting of a great moment I had during my recent visit to São Paulo
Interior Beauty
Soft Pastels
Sandra Nunes

Posted bySandra Nunes at 8:12 PM 0 comments  

Happy Easter!

Cannonball Tree
I’m always intrigued by this tree, it’s fruit comes direct from the trunk, and huge flowers explode in colors!

Cannonball Tree in bloom -
Sandra Nunes
Soft pastels
70x40 cm 
Wishing you a Happy Easter.May this be a moment of Peace and celebration in your family!

Posted bySandra Nunes at 6:03 PM 0 comments  

Snowfall in New York

Enjoying the cold whether in northern hemisphere.
This time I took advantage of a Cafe on this avenue corner. I could not miss the opportunity to paint the poetry of this scene!


Snowfall in New York
Sandra Nunes
Soft Pastels
20x30 cm

You can watch a short video of an oil painting I have done at this same Avenue here


Posted bySandra Nunes at 9:23 AM 0 comments  

Winter Painting in New York

Getting in contact and painting in real winter!

To someone who is used to painting outdoors most of the time in T-shirts and shorts, painting in New York this winter was an outstanding experience at all levels.
First I had to learn that dressing as a regular winter tourist is not enough. Standing still for several hours on the street in temperatures around 0 c and lower is very uncomfortable if not dangerous when you are not dressed accordingly.
I have quickly learned about layers, hand warmer pads, ear muffs, leg warmers, insulated boots and added words like "balaclava" to my vocabulary.

Then, the challenge was  capturing the wonderful atmosphere on my canvas!
In such low temperatures I had the opportunity to paint sunny, rainy and snowy days  in oil and soft pastels as well.
I have already posted some on my Facebook profile and I will post some more here. I hope you enjoy the images and watching the short videos.






Posted bySandra Nunes at 7:21 PM 0 comments  

Candelária Church

I think this was the longest hiatus on my posts here. I can't believe the last one was almost 3 months ago.I have been posting on my Facebook  profile though.I have been travelling, painting... 

Well, a lot has been  happening but I will try to catch up posting some  news.
It will be random without chronological order. 
 
Candelaria Esplanade
Sandra Nunes
oil on linen 40x60 cm
It's been a real treat plein air painting at these renewed parts of the city. The Worldwide Paint Out this year was a great opportunity to capture the atmosphere of this historical site downtown.

Posted bySandra Nunes at 9:42 PM 0 comments  

Beach Corner

The beaches in Rio de Janeiro during Winter have a special charm. The reduced number of bathers, the cold and wet atmosphere even when the sky is bright and blue are invitations to slow down the pace and let yourself be rocked by the gentle rhythm of the waves.

Beach Corner
Soft Pastels
23x35 cm
Sandra Nunes



Posted bySandra Nunes at 3:02 PM 0 comments  

Avenida Rio Branco - VLT - Plein Air Painting

I've always wished to open my easel in the middle of one of the busiest avenues in Rio de Janeiro. Now my dream came true. With the brand new design of Rio Branco Avenue, I can share the space with pedestrians cyclists and the modern VLT.
Plein air painting is an amazing opportunity to witness the urban landscape changing over time.


Avenida Rio Branco
oil on canvas
Sandra Nunes
70x100cm
Sandra Nunes - sandranunes.com
Plein Air Painting
Avenida Rio Branco


Posted bySandra Nunes at 6:46 PM 0 comments  

Plein air painting studies - Tiny tin Pochade


It is official! I'm hooked on my tiny tin pochade. It is time to upgrade my supports and try new ones.I'm preparing a batch of linen panels on matboard.It is unbelievable the huge possibility of working and learning so much in such a tiny area.My contact with the great masters original small studies was decisive.Thanks Masters Constable, Boudin and J. Sorolla!
I have already posted here some of these wonderful encounters.
Preparing a batch of linen on matboard panels
Sandra Nunes

Early winter on the Hill
3"x5"
Sandra Nunes

Posted bySandra Nunes at 7:00 PM 0 comments  

Cold winter afternoon at the beach

Low temps this week. This afternoon offered a great opportunity to sketch and capture the wet atmosphere at the beach of São Conrado, I intend to develop this composition on a larger format as I am very happy with the result.



Winter afternoon at São Conrado
Sandra Nunes

Posted bySandra Nunes at 5:32 PM 0 comments  

Arte de Portas Abertas - Santa Teresa Open Studios

This weekend the district of Santa Teresa will receive thousands of visitors for its Arte de Portas Abertas event.
I will be at Solar Mariano exhibiting some of my recent paintings, if you happen to be in the area, stop by!

Here is the location

See you there!

Posted bySandra Nunes at 7:52 AM 0 comments  

My Small Worldwide Studio


 There's no substitute for the feeling of being in the great outdoors walking, hiking, cycling and painting
Plein air painting is challenging but it is a rewarding experience.
I'm sharing with you some of these moments when I paint and draw my way through life.



Posted bySandra Nunes at 2:16 PM 0 comments  

New York Impressions - Studies and Miniatures

 Plein air painting  requires from the artist study and discipline.
 Capturing light, color and local atmosphere inside a short frame of time demands a keen sense of observation and simplification. These are only acquired with practice.  
It is indeed quite different from painting in the studio under a controlled environment.

Time is always a concern, light changes and atmospheric conditions can be a challenge.In fact, the interaction with the surroundings plays an integral part and lends a special character to the painting result.


Hence, small and medium are the formats of choice when painting outdoors. 
I'm always researching on ideas to increase portabillity of my painting gear in oil, pastel and watercolor. I have pochade boxes and easels on several sizes according to the work I intend to produce at the moment.

Recently I've found out that I can reduce even more my pochade box.Up to now my smaller one was the Julian Paris Thumb box. This time  I'm  experimenting with mint tins, I've been using it for my studies on this trip to New York achieving interesting results.
Brooklyn Heights Promenade
Sandra Nunes
New York Impressions

Studies or Miniatures?
Studies are preliminary works, generally in a small scale when the artist deals with his ideas on color notations, composition, drawing and other aspects of a finished painting before compromising with a larger work.


We have amazing exemples of by the Great Masters  posted here on this blog some of them I had the pleasure of studying up close and personal like Joaquin Sorolla, Constable, Turner...
Joaquin Sorolla
Small studies
Museo Sorolla
Turner
Study of clouds


Joaquin Sorolla
Study of  Fiherwomen



On the other hand, Miniature Paintings  are works, very detailed with their origins in illuminations and it can be traced back to ancient Egyptian manuscripts. Generally with this technique, the artist uses magnifying glass and really tiny brushes to achieve very intricate detailed images. In fact Miniature is a genre of painting and it is not necessarily small.

I strive to follow the way paved by the great masters, and I intend to continue experimenting with the "mini pochade tin"(?) on my plein air studies.
Some of these works will be developed on a larger scale, and they will be available for you.
In case you are interested,  please email-me.

This afternoon I stopped at Union Square and captured the iconic New York yellow taxi out of a mint tin :

New York Yellow Cab
Sandra Nunes
Plein Air Painting
New York Impressions




  

Posted bySandra Nunes at 8:09 PM 0 comments  

New York out of a mint tin box - New York Impressions

I am always working on ideas to join my two passions, plein air painting and travelling. In my hometown I ride my bikeeasel leading me to places I would not go with a heavier gear. I have got this pochade-mint tint idea from an artist on instagram and I thought I could try it but going a bit larger with the painting dimensions without compromising portability.
Brooklyn Promenade
New York Impressions
Sandra Nunes
Plein air painting

Posted bySandra Nunes at 5:03 PM 0 comments  

Sunset on Columbia - Impressions in New York


This time New York received me with a sunny and a bit cold Spring. From  Columbia University we have a great view of a spectacular sunset!



Sunset on Columbia
Sandra Nunes
New York Impressions





Posted bySandra Nunes at 7:27 PM 0 comments  

Back to Paraty, this time the weather alternated from sunny to cloudy/rainy leaving the atmosphere with a silvery and wet beauty.

This morning at Marina do Engenho - Amyr Klink  it was a rainy morning and the challenge was finding shelter from where I could work on an interesting composition.
Sandra Nunes
Plein Air Painting at
Marina do Engenho in
Paraty

Posted bySandra Nunes at 7:12 PM 0 comments  

Let it Rain! - Happy Easter!

Plein air painting on  rainy days is a real challenge, but it is a rewarding experience! There is no substitute for the feeling of being there...

The special light and wet atmosphere sets the tone of the painting.

Let it Rain!
Sandra Nunes
oil on canvas
50x90cm


There is a strong sense of urgency, specially when you don´t have shelter anywhere nearby. 
Plein air painting on a rainy day
Sandra Nunes
Happy Easter everyone!

Posted bySandra Nunes at 6:18 PM 0 comments  

Koi Nishikigoi Pond

Watching  a school of fish  gliding through the water is soothing. They are a silent and relaxing song. 
I had the happy surprise to stumble upon these little colourful jewels and I simply had to paint them!
Koi Pond
soft Pastels
Sandra Nunes
20x40cm


Posted bySandra Nunes at 5:53 AM 0 comments  

Beautiful Urca!

Urca
This neighborhood in Rio is one of my favorite spots to paint. Strolling through its charming streets lined by leafy trees one feels like travelling through time...

Beautiful Urca
oil on canvas 50x60 cm

Posted bySandra Nunes at 7:26 PM 0 comments  

Flamboyants and Urca - High Summer

High Summer, Rio de Janeiro is an explosion in color with its Flamboyants in bloom. The architecture bathed by the bright summer light is framed by the golden and red flowers.

Flamboyant in Urca
Sandra Nunes
oil on canvas
46 x 65 cm

Posted bySandra Nunes at 7:09 PM 0 comments  

Plein Air Painting - New York 2016

Harlem Adventures- Apollo Theater

Painting outdoors poses a lot of problems as compared with painting in the studio, where you have a controlled environment. Working on the sidewalks of a great city requires even more attention.
The autumn light was wonderful , I went out early in the morning straight to 125th street ready to capture the hustle-bustle of people and the light on the iconic Apollo Theater facade.
I opened my easel and pochade box strategically in the sun trying to neutralize the 12c. temperature.
125th street - New York
Apollo Theater
After some minutes stablishing the composition and block in, my view of the theme is completely blocked!
Apollo Theater - New York
My view completely blocked by a sidewalk vendor
Apparently I had chosen a spot already taken by its usual owner. The young man parked his cart some steps from me and after a look that I didn´t understand at that moment, he started to assemble his stand and merchandise .
What to do? Considering that I was painting in a neighborhood that I had no idea of what kind of risks I was exposed, I just continued  working, trying to see "through" the obstacles. 
Little by little, his stand was assembled, my view was cleared, and we got along with each other all the morning in our activities.
Sandra Nunes
Plein Air Painting in New York
Apollo Theater




Posted bySandra Nunes at 6:54 PM 0 comments  

Sunflowers on my way

We never know what we can find on the sidewalks, mango trees, almond tree, orchids and so many other trees and bushes defying the stone pavement, lending much more beauty to the Wonderful City. 
This morning I found this sunflower bed on my way. I could not lose the opportunity of capturing such a feast for the eyes!

Sunflower Bed
Soft Pastels
Sandra Nunes

Posted bySandra Nunes at 5:37 PM 0 comments  

Paraty - High Tide

The Colonial Village of Paraty welcomes tourists for the Holy Spirit Festival. The historic center is all dressed up in red and white, its colorful colonial houses bathed by the sun are reflected on the flooded streets.
The so called Brazilian Venice is really a feast for the eyes!
Paraty- High Tide
oil on canvas 73 x 54 cm
Sandra Nunes

Posted bySandra Nunes at 8:50 PM 0 comments  

Urca - Ramon Franco Street

This is one of my favorite places to paint in Rio de Janeiro - the district of Urca. I love the leafy trees along the streets filtering the harsh summer light!

Ramon Franco Street
oil on linen 30x50 cm
Sandra Nunes

Posted bySandra Nunes at 8:41 AM 0 comments  

Posted bySandra Nunes at 8:39 AM 0 comments  

Arte de Portas Abertas - Santa Teresa Open Studios


This weekend the charming district of Santa Teresa will be hosting a great Art Event. I am participating with some recent works  in Casalegre Art Vila. Monte Alegre street 316. If you happen to be in the area, stop by!


Santa Teresa open studios
Sandra Nunes

clipping

Posted bySandra Nunes at 2:06 PM 0 comments  

Ilha Grande

Back to Paradise Island. The turquoise color water under a bright afternoon light was inviting my brushes!

Ilha Grande - Praia da Bica
óleo sobre tela
Sandra Nunes
Sandra Nunes
Pintando na Ilha Grande - Praia da Bica

Posted bySandra Nunes at 8:35 PM 0 comments  

Worldwide Paint Out - Rio de Janeiro 2016

I arrived early at the meeting point as I knew that later, with the artists arriving it would be very difficult to concentrate on my painting. Corcovado Hill was playing hide and seek with the clouds barely revealing its contours. The artists started to come and little by little the sun made its way through the clouds mirrowing the movement of the artists down here.

That was the moment I wanted to register on my canvas...
Urca- Sunday Morning
oil on canvas - 30 x 60 cm
Sandra Nunes
I´ve been coordinating this venue in Rio for 12 years, this time I was positively impressed, as we had 75 artists coming from Rio and other cities, some of them traveling more than 500 km to participate. They came from São Paulo, Piracicaba, Paraty etc... We had a great time painting together!



Posted bySandra Nunes at 6:44 PM 0 comments  

 
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