Plein Air Painting: 2013

Happy Holidays
Friday, December 20, 2013

Posted bySandra Nunes at 10:07 PM 0 comments

Labels: happy hollidays, impressionism, merry christmas, plein air painting, Sandra Nunes

Getting ready for Christmas - Rua Visconde de Ouro Preto
Monday, December 16, 2013

Colorful Christmas
Unlike the Northern hemisphere, our Christmas is not white. At this time of the year Flamboyants are in full blossom contrasting with the luxuriant green of the mango trees, and other species of our flora all over city streets. Summer announces its arrival with strong and brief thunderstorms that washes the vegetation turning it greener.
This bucolic street is naturally getting ready for the party, under a blossoming jasmine tree, I opened my easel inspired by the light bathing the last old houses in the district of Botafogo.

Rua Visconde de Ouro Preto - Sandra Nunes -o/c 55 x 63 cm

Thanks to a neighbor who took some pictures of me from his window since my arrival . Later on I learned he was a friend of mine! We never know who is watching us...

Merry Christmas!

Posted bySandra Nunes at 11:38 PM 0 comments

Labels: a la prima painting, flamoyants, impressionism, plein air painting, rio de janeiro landscape painting, rio de janeiro paintings, Sandra Nunes

Igreja da Candelária
Thursday, December 5, 2013

Urban scenes portray a special poetry. I love to watch the movement of people downtown on a weekday, it is difficult to find a spot to open the easel and do not turn into a kind of an "information bureau", though.
Oh well, that´s part of the game...

Candelaria Church -sandra nunes- o/c 46x38 cm

Posted bySandra Nunes at 8:19 AM 0 comments

Labels: a la prima painting, candelaria, impressionism, Old Rio, plein air painting, rio de janeiro paintings, Sandra Nunes

Rua Senador Vergueiro
Saturday, November 30, 2013

Sometimes we travel far away in search of inspiration when if we look around us we find more than we are looking for. I've been in love with this corner for a long time, it is on my way to the studio. This day the morning light was screaming and I had to paint it!

Rua Senador Vergueiro-Sandra Nunes oil on canvas 46x38cm

Posted bySandra Nunes at 9:55 PM 2 comments

Labels: fornalha, impressionism, old rio de janeiro, plein air painting, rio de janeiro landscape, Sanda Nunes, urban landscape

Let it Rain! - Botafogo Cove
Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Lalely I´m getting more and more mesmerized by the abstract shapes into which landscape is transformed on rainy days! Each rainy day is an opportunity to study grays...

Let it Rain!- Sandra Nunes - oil on wood panel 19x35 cm

Posted bySandra Nunes at 10:46 PM 0 comments

Labels: enseada de botafogo, impressionism, plein air painting, rainy day, Rio de janeiro landscapes, Sandra Nunes

Santa Teresa Tram
Tuesday, November 12, 2013

After two years without its charming tram, Santa Teresa is getting ready to receive the new ones that should be here next year.
Meanwhile...an evocation of the old ones...

Old Tram at Guimaraes Station, Sandra Nunes - 46 x 61 cm

Posted bySandra Nunes at 2:15 PM 0 comments

Labels: bondinho de santa teresa, impressionism, paisagens do rio de janeiro, pintura ao ar livre, Sandra Nunes, santa teresa tram, tram

Ilha Grande - First Impressions
Wednesday, October 30, 2013

The First Brazilian Landscape Painters meeting was held in Ilha Grande. It was a wonderful paint out weekend! The island is the Garden of Eden, nature is well preserved there.

The first morning I dedicated to trekking, walking around, getting my eyes used to that explosion of color, feeling the mixed smell of flowers, sea, trees...

In the afternoon we had a change of weather, even so I decided to open my pochade box right on the bridge that leads to Black Beach (Praia Preta). I was so excited with all that beauty that I didn´t notice the rain coming. As a result, I had to close everything quickly and go back to the hotel under a tropical storm. Of course I got soaked to the bones! But it was worth.

Ilha Grande- first impressions- Sandra Nunes- oil on panel 16x22cm

On the next day while the island was still sleeping the beach in front of the hotel called me,

lha Grande - Abraão Beach- sandra nunes - oil on panel

Later, I went to Praia Preta (Black Beach) with the group . What to paint? The amazing beach with its monazitic black sand or the luxurious forest?

So many options for plein air painting! I went for a backlit scene:

Ilha Grande -Under the Black Beach Bridge - Sandra Nunes- oil on panel

At night it was scheduled a nocturne painting for the group but the light went off in the Island, so we did a very quick painting from a model in front of the hotel taking advantage of their energy generator. We had really a very short time so I went for a"oil wash". I regret we didn´t have more time as the model was excellent!

Painting the figure from life in plein air

Sunday, the last day!

Early morning I went to the pier as I wanted to observe the view of the Island from the sea. This one had to be also very quick as the employees advised me that as soon as the boats started to come I had to leave, because it was dangerous staying where I was standing. Some friends from Sao Paulo took these photos of me from their boats when they where leaving the Island.

Ilha Grande From the Pier - Sandra Nunes - oil on panel

I was eager to paint a scene in Abraão Village, so to finish my adventure in Ilha Grande ...

Ilha Grande, Abraão Village - Sandra Nunes - oil on panel 16x22 cm

These sketches and others will be developed into larger paintings in the studio and will be available for your collection soon, if you are interested on the theme,please contact me by email

Posted bySandra Nunes at 9:50 PM 0 comments

Labels: ilha grande, marine painting, plein air painting, pochade box, praia preta, rio de janeiro landscape, Sandra Nunes

Forte de Gragoata
Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Art Competition Award.

My work "Forte de Gragoata" was awarded acquisition prize at Forte de Copacabana Art Competition

Forte de Gragoatá -sandra nunes- oil on canvas 70 x 100cm

The creative Process:

The theme for the competition was "Forts and Fortress in Brazil and around the World"

I decided to focus my research in Rio de Janeiro state area as I wanted to work from the natural, not from photographs.

My choice was Forte de São Domingos de Gragoatá that is located on a rocky promontory in the bucolic district of Gragoatá in Niterói

Gragoatá

work in progress

Awards Cerimony

Receiving the certificate from the Director of Copacabana Fort Historic Museum .

Signing the work that is now part of the collection of Copacabana Fort Museum

Posted bySandra Nunes at 2:34 PM 0 comments

Labels: forte de copacabana, gragoata, historic museum, plein air painting, Sandra Nunes

Spring at Roberto Burle Marx`s Studio
Sunday, September 29, 2013

Painting at Roberto Burle Marx´s

Roberto Burle Marx´s house is a drem of any landscape painter.

Choosing the composition ... or growing wrinkles...

more squinting...

The calm atmosphere of the lake drew my attention

A local inhabitant came to enjoy the warm early Spring sun!

Paradise on earth!

I must stand up from time to time to evaluate from a distance.

Work in progress

Almost...

I´m sorry for the glare, I don´t have a better photo of the finished painting by now.

I left it there in exhibition until October 21st.

Spring at Burle Marx´s - Sandra Nunes - oil on canvas 46 x 61 cm

Posted bySandra Nunes at 1:41 PM 0 comments

Labels: impressionism, landscape, plein air painting, Rio de Janeiro, roberto burle marx, Sandra Nunes, water lilies

Worldwide Paint Out
Tuesday, September 17, 2013

A special day!

some artists in action

Once more we were blessed with a bright sunny morning. It is late winter, Carioca style!
At first , the choice of Leme Beach as a location for this year´s Paint Out seemed at least a crazy idea!
Sunny Sunday morning at any beach in Rio is really crowded.
But it was wonderful! Artists and bathers mixed beautifully: easels, canvases, colorful beach parasols, a real feast for the eyes!
Professional artists,students, amateurs, from Rio de Janeiro and neighbor cities joined us this year to celebrate plein air painting. Some of them traveled from even more distant places like Brasilia (more than 1000 km far fom Rio) and Belo Horizonte ( more than 350 km).
Worldwide Paint Out

Rio de Janeiro 2013

The Worldwide Paint Out is attracting a lot of attention since we joined it in 2004 with a small group. It represents to me more than a sensorial experience. Coordinating this event in Rio de Janeiro and giving support to other artists who want to do it in their locations, legitimates the concept of Collective in which I believe. It is as if the world were a huge canvas united by the passion for Plein Air Painting.

I´m going to post more photos( I have a lot of them!) in the Events page soon...

Posted bySandra Nunes at 9:49 PM 0 comments

Labels: International Plein Air Painters, IPAP, landscape painting, plein air painting, rio de janeiro landscape, Sandra Nunes, worldwide paint out

Worldwide Paint Out 2013
Thursday, September 12, 2013

Worldwide Paint Out 2013

This year Praia do Leme was the site of choice for Rio de Janeiro Worldwide Paint Out 2013.
Since 2004 Rio de Janeiro have been joining this worldwide event attracting each time a greater number of artists who come from other estates and neighbour cities.
Artists from Brasília, Belo Horizonte and são Paulo are expected this year to join us.