Plein Air Painting: 2017

Candelária Church
Wednesday, November 1, 2017

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

Labels: Candelaria church, Casa FrançaBrasil, historic rio de janeiro, impressionism, oil on canvas, Old Rio, plein air painting, Sandra Nunes

Beach Corner
Monday, August 7, 2017

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

Labels: beach painting, impressionism, marine painting, plein air painting, Rio de janeiro landscapes, Sandra Nunes, seascapes, soft pastels, winter in rio de janeiro

Avenida Rio Branco - VLT - Plein Air Painting
Thursday, July 27, 2017

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

Labels: belle epoque, centro cultural da justiça federal, cinelandia, impressionism, oil on canvas, plein air painting, rio de janeiro landscape, Sandra Nunes, urban landscape, VLT

Plein air painting studies - Tiny tin Pochade
Tuesday, July 25, 2017

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

Labels: altoids painting, Boudin, Constable, impressionism, landscape painting, oil on linen, oil painting, plein air painting, pochade, Sandra Nunes, Sorolla, tin pochade

Cold winter afternoon at the beach
Saturday, July 22, 2017

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

Labels: impressionism, oilsketch, overcast day, plein air painting, Sandra Nunes, são conrado

Arte de Portas Abertas - Santa Teresa Open Studios
Thursday, July 13, 2017

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

Labels: Arte de Portas abertas, oil painting, plein air painting, Rio de janeiro landscapes, Sandra Nunes, santa teresa tram, Sata Tersa

My Small Worldwide Studio
Tuesday, July 4, 2017

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

Labels: allaprima painter, cityscape, impressionism, landscape painting, oil painting, outdoor painter, plein air painting, rio de janeiro landscape painting, Sandra Nunes, urban scape

New York Impressions - Studies and Miniatures
Saturday, May 27, 2017

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

Labels: altoids painting, Constable, impressionism, Julia paris thumb box, mint tin, new york, outdoor painter, paint box, plein air painting, pochade, Sandra Nunes, Sorolla, Turner, union square, urban landcape, yellow cab

New York out of a mint tin box - New York Impressions
Friday, May 26, 2017

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

Labels: Brooklyn promenade, brooklynheights, fieldsketch, impressionism, manhattan skyline, mint tin painting, new york, oil painting, plein air painting, pochade box, Sandra Nunes

Sunset on Columbia - Impressions in New York
Wednesday, May 24, 2017

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

Labels: columbia university, harlem, impressionism, new york, oil painting, plein air painting, pochade box, sandra nunes, sunset, teacher's college

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

Labels: amyr klink, impressionism, marine painting, Paraty, plein air painting, rainy day painting, Sandra Nunes

Let it Rain! - Happy Easter!
Thursday, April 13, 2017

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

Labels: cityscape painting, Corcovado, impressionism, oil on canvas, oil painting, pleinair painting, rainyday, Rio de janeiro landscapes, Sandra Nunes, urban painting, wet street

Koi Nishikigoi Pond
Wednesday, March 29, 2017

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

Labels: gold fish, impressionism, koi fish, koi pond, nishikigoi, pastel painting, plein air painting, sandra nunes, soft pastel

Beautiful Urca!
Wednesday, March 22, 2017

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

Labels: impressionism, oil on canvas, plein air painting, rio de janeiro landscape painting, Sandra Nunes, Urca

Flamboyants and Urca - High Summer
Friday, February 10, 2017

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

Labels: flamboyant, impressionism, landscape painting, oil on canvas, plein air painting, quadrado da urca, Sandra Nunes, summer in Rio de Janeiro, Urca