Featured in Brazilian Newspaper!
Monday, July 26, 2010

Back to Largo do Boticario
I was featured in Brazilian Newspaper- Jornal do Brasil- about preserving the Historic National heritage !
Last week I went back to Largo do Boticario, the same place where I painted a series of plein air studies which were inspiration for the Large Panel I had been comissioned then.
To my disapointment the scenery was completely different.
To my friends who can´t read Portuguese; It is about the need to preserve our architectural heritage and the neglect this Rio de Janeiro hidden gem is suffering...About me and my feelings regarding this situation translated on canvas.

please,click and zoom in to read the article...

Posted bySandra Nunes at 4:20 PM 2 comments    

Labels: brazilian artist, Brazilian Landscapes, jornal do brasil, largo do boticario, Old Rio, plein air painting, Sandra Nunes

Summer Hiatus
Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Urca, Portugal Avenue
New Year, new projects, new paintings...
It´s hard to believe that it´s already February and that it has been more than one month since my last post. Rio de Janeiro is experiencing extremely high temperatures, it´s a though season for plein air painting. I need to slow down the pace and stablish strategies to cope with the unbearable heat.
Once more I went to Urca district in search of shade and of a refreshing breeze from the sea. Strolling through Portugal Avenue this Flamboyant in bloom called my attention, suggesting an harmonious composition with the sunlight bathing the colorful walls.
Portugal Avenue-Urca - Sandra Nunes o/c 50x70cm

Posted bySandra Nunes at 5:41 AM 2 comments    

Labels: Brazilian Landscapes, flamboyant_tree, oil painting, oil_on_canvas, plein_air_painting, rio_de_janeiro_landscapes, sandranunes

Urca- Clearing Skies
Saturday, July 4, 2009

Undefined weather, after a rainy night the sky starts to clear and the dance of the clouds creates a beautiful show on the water. I had to work fast and I hope I did justice in capturing the exquisite winter light.

Urca- Clearing Sky - oil on linen 38x46cm - Sandra Nunes

Posted bySandra Nunes at 11:56 PM 0 comments    

Labels: Brazilian Landscapes, oil on canvas, plein air painting, Rio de Janeiro, Sandra Nunes, Seascape, Urca

Candelaria Church
Thursday, May 7, 2009

Candelaria Church

A walking tour through dowtown Rio de Janeiro can be a trip to the past...

Candelaria Church oil on canvas 27x22cm - Sandra Nunes

Posted bySandra Nunes at 10:26 AM 5 comments    

Labels: Brazilian Landscapes, Candelaria church, historic center, oil paintings, Old Rio, plein air painting, Rio de janeiro landscapes, Sanda 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

Largo das Neves, Santa Teresa
Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Where the tram turns around

Surrounded by beautiful small two store buildings from 19th century, this Santa Teresa´s bucolic square often acts as scenario for movies and commercial ads. I set up my painting gear in front of the old church and started my composition.
The tram had already its place reserved on my canvas, it was just a matter of time and it would come to model for me. When it started its run my work was already structured and little by little the lazy Sunday morning started to wake up; locals and tourists heading the center of the square called my attention, from far away it could be heard the sound of berimbau (Brazilian musical instrument). People started to gather and I heard from a passerby that a Brazilian Capoeira show would start in some minutes.For a short period of time I was undecided, should I watch the show or should I go on with my painting? This sort of game, fight, dance is really amazing the players literally fly!
The unexpected crowd jumped into my canvas in quick brushstrokes. I had made my mind for the painting. When I finally could close my easel, the show was about to come to its end.


Largo das Neves, Santa Teresa –oil on linen 60x80cm – Sandra Nunes

If you liked this one you will like to see these paintings.

Posted bySandra Nunes at 10:27 AM 4 comments    

Labels: berimbau, bonde de santa teresa, brazilian art, Brazilian Landscapes, capoeira, rio de janeiro painting, Sandra Nunes, santa teresa tram, tramway

Sunny Day at Guanabara Bay
Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Finally the sun came for two days in a row and with it the weather that suits this city so well. From the first hours of the day on we can learn that the temperature is going to be very high, what can also be a challenge to the plein air painter.

I headed to the same spot where I did the first 2009 plein air painting (please, check the previous post) in search of that friendly leafy tree which gave me shelter from the rain. This time it provided me the shade I needed to protect me from the unbearable warmth of the sun.

I decided to do the same composition of the last sketch just for fun and the silvery grays gave way to the warm light of Rio de Janeiro summertime.

Posted bySandra Nunes at 8:16 PM 0 comments    

Labels: boats, brazilian art, brazilian artist, Brazilian Landscapes, comtemporary landscape, guanabara bay, plein air painting, Praia da Urca, seascapes, summertime

Albamar
Monday, December 22, 2008

End of the year and an atypical whether here. Besides the constant rain, the temperature is lower than usual, considering we are entering summertime...
If by one side it is much more agreable to paint without the unbearable warmth, on the other hand, the rain provides a few breaks to open the easel outdoors.

In one of these breaks at the seashore:
This is a reminiscence of Old Rio de Janeiro, this tower is what was left from the five ones that integrated the Municipal Market. The others were demolished to give way to a new freeway in the in the 1960`s. Nowadays it is seafood restaurant that operates at the same spot since 1933.
The sea smell intensified by the damp atmosphere inspired me in this composition

Albamar -oil on panel 16x22cm -Sandra Nunes

Posted bySandra Nunes at 4:25 AM 2 comments    

Labels: albamar, Brazilian Landscapes, mercado municipal., oil on panel, Old Rio, plein air painting, praça quinze, Rio de janeiro landscapes, Sandra Nunes, Seascape, seashore

Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas
Thursday, December 18, 2008

This is the same spot where the last Worldwide Paint Out took place.
Being the host of the event , I didn´t have time to paint that day, I´ve done a small unfinished sketch and later I went back there to paint , this time by myself.
One of the most beautiful Rio de Janeiro´s postcards, Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon portraying a rich ecossystem offers to the passersby spectacles of uncanny beauty at any time of the day at any season of the year .Surrounded by sophisticated districts (Ipanema, Leblon, Jardim Botânico) and framed by majestic mountains it is a good option of leisure for the family.

Sunday at Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon -oil on canvas 46x61cm - Sandra Nunes

Posted bySandra Nunes at 7:45 PM 0 comments    

Labels: Brazilian Landscapes, oil on canvas, pleinair painting, Rio de janeiro landscapes