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| Iglesia de Santa Ana © Sue Pownall 2011 |
The other town I visited in Cuba was Trinidad, where I ended up spending 10 very relaxed days. Apart from having a sketchbook in some form always with me, I was not actually very disciplined with my art whilst I was there. The first morning, after a downpour, I walked through the steaming and rapidly drying streets to the ruined church of Santa Ana, with the thoughts it could be a potential subject. It was, as you can see above, however I ended up with the very difficult perspective due to it being the only available bench in the shade. That evening I went for dinner at
Sol y Son restauran,t which is in a beautiful old colonial building. Whilst waiting for my delicious meal, I sketched some of the eclectic objects and plants, such as an angel, adding colour later back at my accommodation. So that was 2 drawings on my first full day.
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| Sol y Son restaurant. A6 sketchbook. © Sue Pownall 2011 |
The next morning after another heavy morning downpour, I stopped at the
Pelanque de Los Congas Reales to see a group that play rumba, African rhythms, and have a troupe of dancers too. Unfortunately, I planned the page to have musicians top left then dancers below bottom right, but got too distracted by watching the show that I didn't draw the dancers.
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| Tonadas Trinitarias. Pencil in A3 © Sue Pownall 2011 |
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| © Sue Pownall 2011 |
The following day was the fiesta for the official end of summer and I went to the beach to see how the Cubans did it. The answer with lots of live music, dancing, beers, rum and laughter.
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| On the beach. © Sue Pownall 2011 |
Having skipped another day of drawing in order to have a dance class, I went out the next two consecutive mornings to draw. On the first I did a painting of the main square, which was dreadful, and then the following morning I wandered to the outskirts of town and inked and painted these dwellings (
above) taking about an hour and a half. As this was a poorer part of town I did have several people begging for money, pencils or soap, however most people just said a cheerful hello asked who I was and what I was doing.
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| Near Ermita de la Popa. A3 pen & watercolour. © Sue Pownall 2011 |
16 comments:
Hi Sue. Rum and rumba, what a combination, no wonder they always seem so happy despite the poverty :) Lovely sketches and posting. If I was to have a favourite it would be the one of the poor dwellings. I love your pen and watercolour sketches, just makes me want to get out to somewhere beautiful to sketch again :)
The pen and watercolour sketch really appeals to me Sue. I bet the dance class was fun.
The watercolour sketch looks lovely and I bet you enjoyed the dance class - like Michael said, Rum and Rumba - what a combination :-)
Great composition and color in the la Popa painting...and I am very drawn to the foliage in the restaurant sketch. Nice post and really nice work, Sue!
You live such a fascinating life, Sue... Thanks for sharing your view. The sketches are great!!
Wonderful sketches and photos! I especially like the pen and watercolor with delicate colors and the way you captured the little hill/valley in the road.
Wow! have I enjoyed all you posts on your Cuba trip and sketches. Thought it was a bit scary for you to sit all alone sketching by the waterfall and other scenes. Seems a very poor country judging from the homes you visited and sketched from. Your architecture works have come on a bomb - shows what practice can do for ones art. What made you decide to go to Cuba? Are you back in the UK now?
Fabulous sketches Sue!!
Thank you everyone.
FYI I'm now back in Qatar, Middle East.
I too live vicariously through your adventures. You go to places few of us ever get to see, both for work and pleasure. and your views both in sketches and photos are always interesting!
ps I changed my blog theme when another artist said my theme was competing with my paintings!
As always, an interesting post with some great sketches. I especially love the pen and wash sketch. Superb.
Love the atmosphere you captured in the last sketch! Back at work now?
Buon lavoro!
Wandering to the outskirts was a good idea, great painting you did emita de popa!
Beautiful sketches and artwork, and hey, who would blame you for getting distracted and not draw the dancers?
Love those stories - wrtten and painted - about Cuba.
wonderful sketches Sue, especially the Iglesia de Santa Ana is so beautiful!!!
So nice. Very good expression.
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