Winter in Paris Gardens - Praça Paris
Monday, August 18, 2008
Autumn Colors
There are in Rio de Janeiro special places where passersby must stop or at least slow down their pace and enjoy the show mother nature performs. This week I went to paint in “Praça Paris”, one of the most beautiful gardens in the city.
At this time of the year colors blow up, it is a finished work of art in rich tones of ochre, oranges and reds. I went there with my painting equipment to face the challenge of translating my emotion to the canvas, for some time I stood still immersed in that profusion or colors as if I were in one of Akira Kurosawa´s movies. It was hard to decide if I should just sit and enjoy the wonderful atmosphere or if I should stick to my plan of painting.
I took a deep breath and my senses, dazzled by that scenario, refused to squeeze paint on the palette. A short time elapsed until the process started up. I was led by the falling leaves blown by the wind, landing on the easel as well as on the palette as if suggesting what to do next. I launched quickly the composition, the drawing flowing from my hand, I didn´t have time to spare. There was no shade in the place where I decided to work. The glare of the white linen in the sun reached my eyes and the colors started to take their place from the brush to canvas mixing ones to the others composing the images, abstract washes becoming leaves, sky, soil...
I was immersed in that profusion of colors, the brushstrokes coming one after the other, I kept observing the cool blues and grays far away involving the church (Outeiro da Gloria) and the warmer ones inside of the garden, shinning under the light of our winter sun. The morning haze disappeared slowly giving way to the beams through the leaves of the mutant trees.
People jogging, exercising, students in their blue and white uniforms, lovers exchanging caresses, homeless people lying in the shade of the trees….and I was pleased to be there in communion with nature…I entered in the flux…
Sometime later, I really don´t know exactly how much. I started hearing some comments from the passersby; at these moments I generally stop to evaluate my work, and give way to the left brain. I would like to have stopped earlier to take pictures for my records. I like to do this, so that when the painting leaves my studio to meet its owner I keep a bit of that moment. Of course a lot of it remains in the memory, each painting has its own history and that remains impressed inside of me…
Winter in Paris Gardens -(Praça Paris) oil on linen 40x90cm - Sandra Nunes
Posted bySandra Nunes at 10:03 AM 2 comments
Labels: autumn colors, colors, kurosawa, landscape, oil painting, outeiro da gloria, plein air painting, Praça Paris, Rio de janeiro landscapes, Sandra Nunes
Children´s and Teenagers` Rights
Sunday, July 6, 2008
I ´ve been painting in Santa Teresa for a while and I`m associated of Chave Mestra,(Santa Teresa Visual Artists Association), this way I´m getting more and more involved with the community issues.
I was invited to participate of the eighteenth anniversary of the Estatuto da Criança e do Adolescente (Law establishing children’s and Teenagers rights).
The event is produced and promoted by a Non Governmental Organization that works with the community of Morro dos Prazeres in Santa Teresa.
The aim of the event is to promote a discussion among the civil society about what has changed as well as what can be done to improve what is not working.
There will be Lectures, debates, workshops and Art exhibition
I accepted the invitation and this is one of the works that will be in the exhibition. This is not like the ones I´m used to post here, but it is enough to go out anytime and we watch to a scene like this:
Sinal Fechado - The little Malabarist oil on canvas 65x54cm - Sandra Nunes
Posted bySandra Nunes at 9:10 PM 0 comments
Labels: child work, Children rights, malabarist, Morro dos Prazeres, pleinair painting, Sandra Nunes, Santa Teresa
Here comes the tram!
Monday, June 30, 2008
Continuing my Santa Teresa series, I´m still working on small and large formats . These small canvases or panels come on handy to work en plein air specially in Santa Teresa, climbing its slopes and walking on its narrow, almost non existent sidewalks. (please check the beginning of this series in my official website www.sandranunes.com).
I stopped just in front of Curvelo Tram Station and imediatelly its red roof bathed by our winter sun called my attention , so instead of painting the yellow ochre building with its acqua windows, I decided to work quick and simplify a composition with the red roof thatwas almost shining at that time of the day.
Then it was the time of children from the local public schools to leave. It was a great chance to give some movement to my theme. They ran shouting, calling their companions to catch the crowded tram.
So this painting could only be named:
Here comes the tram! Santa Teresa oil on canvas 22x27cm
Posted bySandra Nunes at 12:56 PM 5 comments
Labels: curvelo, pleinair painting, Sandra Nunes, santa teresa tram, tram, tramway
Under Repair
Friday, June 6, 2008
Under repair oil on canvas 38x61cm
Posted bySandra Nunes at 9:18 PM 2 comments
Labels: boats, oil on canvas, plein air painting, Rio de janeiro landscapes, Sanda Nunes
SouthwestArt Magazine
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
World Tour of Contemporary Landscape Artists...
Posted bySandra Nunes at 6:38 PM 0 comments
Three Falls Waterfall - Penedo
Friday, April 25, 2008
About 190 kilometers from
Early in the morning I sat comfortably on a stone, listening just the murmur of the waters and birds singing...
Opening the paint box was a natural gesture...
After a couple of hours, tourists start to come...
Suddenly I realize I´m on a trail...that stone was on the middle of the way to the waterfall...
Time to stop...
Three Falls Waterfall - Penedo oil on canvas 16x22cm
Posted bySandra Nunes at 8:08 PM 0 comments
Old Fountain
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Old Fountain oil on linen on canvas 8"x10"
The purpose of some fountains in
Paint your village and you will paint the world...
Well, this is pretty much what I´ve been trying to do. This is the first image I see whenever I get out home, although I´ve already painted it, I´ve never composed it this way.
The morning light bathes the old fountain with
This painting is going to Far and Near Horizons - World tour of contemporary Landscape Artists. I thought it would be interesting, to send a piece of my "daily life". The exhibition is already in its second year and to start this season it will be in
Posted bySandra Nunes at 8:25 PM 0 comments
Labels: Corcovado, Far and Near Horizons, old fountain, Old Rio, plein air painting, Sanda Nunes, World Tour of Contemporary Landscape Artists
Arcos da Lapa - Gateway to Santa Teresa
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Arcos da Lapa - oil on canvas 46x55cm -Sandra Nunes
What moves and intrigues me at this site is the comtemporary atmosphere that reminds us of a romantic time gone by.
Posted bySandra Nunes at 4:56 PM 2 comments
Labels: aqueduct, Arcos da Lapa, Old Rio, plein air painting, Rio de Janeiro, Sandra Nunes, Santa Teresa, tram
Urca Beach - Oil and sand on panel
Sunday, February 17, 2008
People always ask me why do I like so much plein air painting if in the studio it is much more comfortable. Well, I have a lot of answers to that question, short and long ones.
Maybe it´s because I love the unpredictable...
Warm sun, a light breeze...
After one hour of work on composition, first washes and I´m ready for some impasto areas.
Time to stop look and take some pictures.
A not so light breeze and...
Where is the panel?
More texture than I wanted...
A lot of scraping and much of the sand as well as my brushwork is gone.
More observation and one more hour of work...
Urca Beach - Oil and some sand on panel 8 x10"
Posted bySandra Nunes at 1:53 PM 6 comments
Labels: plein air painting, Praia da Urca, Sandra Nunes, Seascape
Rainy Morning- Praça XV
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Painting en plein air during summer in Rio de Janeiro is always a surprise. Gnerally we have sunny mornings and heavy showers in the afternoon. But we never know...
This special morning when I started this painting it was cloudy, then a bright sun appeared and later a heavy shower came down. I decided to be consistent with my beginning and kept it cloudy. I like rainy days, cools and warms kind of mix and light is difuse. Fortunatelly I had a shelter under a bridge and could finish it in the site.
Posted bySandra Nunes at 2:51 PM 4 comments
Labels: chafariz do mestre Valentim, Chafariz do Paço, Paço Imperial, pleinair painting, Praça VX, Sandra Nunes
Article in O O Globo Newspaper about plein air painting in the city
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Posted bySandra Nunes at 1:33 PM 0 comments
Labels: IPAP, o globo, pintura ao ar livre, plein air painting
Article in O O Globo Newspaper About plein air painting in the city
Posted bySandra Nunes at 1:09 PM 2 comments
Labels: chafariz do mestre Valentim, IPAP, o globo, pintura ao ar livre, plein air painting
Painting in Santa Teresa Morro dos Prazeres
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
To open my posts this year I though I shoud post some images painting en plein air. This one is from Morro dos Prazeres in Santa Teresa, some of the most astonishing views from Rio de Janeiro can be seen from this spot.
Posted bySandra Nunes at 10:35 PM 4 comments
Labels: Casarão dos Prazeres, Morro dos Prazeres, pintura ao ar livre, plein air painting, Santa Teresa, Sugar Loaf Mountain
Relógio e Outeiro da Glória
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Relógio e Outeiro da Gloria -Sandra Nunes -46x65cm
The morning light bathes the centenary clock and the bulwark projecting interesting patterns of shade on the sidewalk. Gloria used to be a very elegant district at the turn of XIX century, there was tramway along the bulwark and a stop here.
Posted bySandra Nunes at 12:56 AM 0 comments
Labels: oil on canvas, Outeiro da Glória, Relógio da Glória
Açude da Solidão - Loneliness Dam -Tijuca Rain Forest
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Açude da Solidão - Loneliness Dam - 46x61 cm oil on canvas Sandra Nunes
Posted bySandra Nunes at 8:47 PM 0 comments
Labels: Açude da Solidão, rain forest, Tijuca National Park
Ilha Fiscal- oil on canvas, 60x80cm -Sandra Nunes
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Ilha Fiscal- oil on canvas 60x80cm
Posted bySandra Nunes at 6:15 PM 0 comments
Labels: castle, Ilha Fiscal, marine painting, oil painting, palace, Rio de Janeiro, royal family
Marina da Glória
Monday, October 22, 2007
Posted bySandra Nunes at 7:45 AM 0 comments
Labels: boat painting, Marina da Gloria, oil painting, plein air painting, Rio de Janeiro, Sandra Nunes, Seascape
Antonio Parreiras Museum
Friday, October 19, 2007
Posted bySandra Nunes at 11:19 PM 0 comments
Antonio Parreiras Studio, oil on canvas 46x61 cm
To celebrate the 70th aniversary of death of Antonio Parreiras, one of the greatest Brazilian Landscape Plein Air Painters , artists were invited to paint in the garden of his house where today is the Antonio Parreiras Museum.
I´ve chosen this composition showing the entrance of his studio, it was an amazing experience to be in this event. As a closure, there was a show (Minha Terra tem Parreiras) when the 21 paintings were exhibited
Posted bySandra Nunes at 11:04 PM 0 comments
Labels: Antonio Parreiras, brazilian painter, landscape, plein air
Lapa o/c 61x38cm Sandra Nunes
Lapa oil on canvas 61x38cm Sandra Nunes
Lapa, Joaquim Silva street - Rio de Janeiro downtown
Traditional Bohemian area in Rio de Janeiro, it is nowadays a mix of diverse cultural and artistic manifestations. Here you find places where you listen to typical Afro-Brazilian and luso- Brazilian music - samba, forró, chorinho- as well as hip hop and other world influences. Behind the beaten by time windows, you find bars and restaurants where intelectuals come for a beer and enjoy the "Brazilian Montmarte" atmosphere. This is one of the gateways to Santa Teresa hill.
Posted bySandra Nunes at 10:41 PM 0 comments
Labels: bohemian area, Joaquim Silva, Lapa, pleinair painting, Santa Teresa, uban scape
Rio de Janeiro seen from Morro dos Prazeres, Santa Teresa
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Morro dos Prazeres, oil on canvas 60x 1.20 (24" x47") -Sandra Nunes
Posted bySandra Nunes at 7:10 PM 0 comments
Labels: Morro dos Prazeres, painting, Santa Teresa
