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| A magical view from Sugarloaf mountain. |
Part 1 Rio sketches.
When I'm stressed I find it dificult to draw, even sketch, and my default creative outlet reverts to photography. As many of you know from following me on facebook (www.facebook.com/suepownallartist), I recently went to Brazil for the 5th Urban Sketchers Symposium. Looking at the posts now appearing, I am jealous of the sketching others have done in that beautiful country. Whilst I had a fabulous time, both in the week preceeding the symposium and at the symposium, I am not very happy with my sketches... obviously workshop sketches are experimentations and are not expected to be great yet... it would be nice. I'm very pleased with my photos especially Jump, which I took in Rio's Botanical Gardens and the photo of Cristo Redentor (above).
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| Jump, Jardim Botânico. |
My holiday started in Rio and I based myself in the Santa Teresa district, which I explored thoroughly, but it wasn't until the next day when I went to Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf mountain), after a diversion in the the Centro and the Brazilian collection in the Museu Nacional de belas Artes (due to missing a bus stop, but that's a whole different story) that I put down my camera and picked up a pen... when I got back to the bottom. Everywhere I went in Rio, there were street vendors and I wanted to capture this one at the base of the mountain. The customer is a composite person and I wish I could delete her. oh well
The following day, I went to the Botanical Gardens. Whilst I spent 3 hours in the gardens, this was the only sketch I did. I think it is a variety of Breadfruit / fruta pão, pão de massa in Portuguese.
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| Artocarpus altilis, Jardim Botânico |
From the gardens I had a walk alongside the Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon then caught a bus, deliberately, to Centro and the Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil. I saw an exhibition by Brasilian artist Milton Machado Cabeça and had a lovely cuppa before having a wander around. The old pier supports caught my eye, but, as I'd been told not to be in the area in the evening, I had to sketch quickly with the sunsetting.
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| Estação das Barcas |
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| Watercolouring in situ |
On my last day in Rio I had to go to Corcovado and see Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer). I made plans to meet fellow urban sketchers Jenny and Birgit, but due to train schedules we missed each other. I was up there quite early, yet it was still very busy. I found a space at the side to sit and paint. Whilst I was disappointed not to be sketching with the others, I needed the motivation, I am pleased with my painting. 
So that's the first part of my trip. What do you think so far?
