Quinta da Boa Vista - ( Park of the Nice View)
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
This place has an interesting history for Brazilians' life and specially for Rio de Janeiro inhabitants. First, these lands belonged to the Catholic Church priests, then they were divided among Portuguese slave merchants. One of them built a palace on the top of a hill from where he could watch Rio de Janeiro astonishing view, hence the name "Park of Nice View". When the Royal family came to live in Brazil(1808) this property was "donated" to the Emperor (in fact it was traded for a nobility title), then it became one of The Royal Family´s residences in Rio de Janeiro till the end of XIXth century.
Nowadays this park located in the north zone of the city shelters the Zoo and The Brazilian National Museum.
Besides all this history, what attracted me in this composition was how to depict with brushstrokes on the canvas the huge area of different hues of green surrounding the lake having Corcovado mountain as background. Families and lovers in red "pedalinhos" gliding over the water mirror ...
This scenery is part of the emotional memory of most of Rio de Janeiro inhabitants who go, or used to go there for a Sunday picnic with family, school mates or for a romantic stroll.
Quinta da Boa Vista - oil on canvas 54x65cm- Sandra Nunes
Posted bySandra Nunes at 10:54 AM 1 comments
Labels: brazilian fine artist, brazilian parks, oil on canvas, park of the nice view, parks in Brazil, plein air painting, quinta da boa vista, Rio de janeiro landscapes, rio de janeiro paintings, Sandra Nunes
Blooming Silk Cotton Trees
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
April Flowers
It´s been two or three weeks that whenever I pass by Flamengo Park a rich red spot calls my attention. It´s time for the silk cotton tree to bloom here.
Between the two freeway lanes which runs across the park a lone specimen performs its daily show.
As this area is interdict to the traffic on Sundays, I decided to cross the street and give the tree a closer look.
Sandra Nunes painting silk cotton tree
I remained for a long time observing the character of this exquisite young tree admiring its flowers, its upright trunk, its green leaves that should not be there anymore if the weather were dryer.
Red Silk Cotton Tree - oil on panel27X22cm -Sandra Nunes
After finishing this painting, I started to gather my brushes and paints, when I was almost ready to close my easel I turned back and a leafy pink silk cotton tree invites me to sit under its shade. In fact I called it leafy for lack of a better word, there were just a few green leaves left. Its lush canopy was almost completely made of flowers!
I could not resist , I had to answer to this appeal, I was carried away by the abstract masses of color and this time my emotional response was much more immediate...
Pink Silk Cotton Tree - oil on panel 22x27cm - Sandra Nunes
Posted bySandra Nunes at 5:55 PM 2 comments
Labels: brazilian artist, Brazilian Landscapes, landscape painting, plein air painting, Rio de janeiro landscapes, Sandra Nunes, silk cotton tree
