Watercolors by Celia Blanco

"Sweet or Sour?" watercolor on paper 9.5 x 6.5 in./ 23.5 x 16cm Not everyone likes onions, maybe because they make us cry? Lemons are sour, if you have some of their juice drip on a cut you won't forget to avoid it next time! There are a few metaphors about onions and lemons. I n the movie Shrek, for instance, it is mentioned that a person can be like an onion because you may find yourself pulling back the layers . Or the famous quote about making lemonade when life gives you lemons. My painting is no longer just a still life anymore or just the thought that the color of certain items look pretty together. It is hard to always find such deep meaning in what we are doing nevertheless sometimes it emerges effortlessly as we work.   As I painted I discovered onions do have many layers, they sprout at a moment's notice and as much as lemons, are indispensable in any kitchen. In a word, sour but sweet!

I have started a new still life painting this weekend  and would like to share my progress. I found some ruby red onions at my local farmer's market and have fallen in love with the color. I thought of colors that would complement the purplish red peel and attempted to build the still life around them. Sunlight is my illumination of choice because I think it complements food well. I am lucky to have a copy shop near my home. I get them to print a full size photo so as to work simultaneously from both life and photo. This is necessary because I don't always manage to complete the project in one sitting. This way I keep a reference on hand of my original lighting situation, while still looking at the real still life. Thank you for taking the time to view my work! work in progress

"Sprinkling Love" watercolor on paper 10.5" x 12" / 26 x 31 cm. "Sprinkling Love" is a painting I hope will be able to extend its message beyond Valentine's Day. Barely a week has passed, just like Christmas, the message is always valid, we should keep that loving spirit going all year! Even a week belated, I wish everyone a Happy Valentine’s day full of sprinkling love and with the hope that I'm not turning intolerably sweet myself!

I would like to share my progress -it's going slow... I am not a portrait expert but I love portraits and like to tackle areas where I can improve, to avoid being bogged in conformity. I feel I can approach this much like I do a still life or city scene. It's always shapes, hues, light and trying to get a likeness, hopefully.  I think the main reason why people shy away from portraits is the fear that it won't look anything like the person you are painting. I painted a portrait of my daughter last year and most of my feedback was just that, it looks nothing like her. This is wonderful practice because this image is just an image. I don't have to show this painting to the family and get the "it doesn't look anything like her" bit. It's a great way to practice portrait painting! I'm also having trouble with either the paint or the paper. I'm not sure which. It's not letting me scrape anything off, the paint is just stuck to the paper (Strathm...

work in progress  12" x 10.5 " I would like to share my very beginning progress of what I'm working on. It took me only two hours just to get the drawing down ... I really wish I were faster. I draw onto the paper because I don't like tracing. I thought it would be fun to paint this very cute little girl. The reference is mine and it's a section of a photo I took at my daughter's Valentine's Day party many years ago when she was in kindergarten. I love how she is completely taken up by her cookie and pouring on even more sprinkles.  It was not my idea to give the kids their own bottle of sprinkles, by the way! This is also my first experience stretching watercolor paper. I have been  keeping my work small but would like to work bigger. Hope everyone is having a great Valentines Day!

This is a collage of the 30 paintings created by me during the month of January. I wish everyone a good weekend!

" A Different Perspective" watercolor on paper 7.5 x 11 in./ 18.5 X 28 cm. my first painting in the challenge, 30 days ago This is my thirtieth painting-taddah!!! I titled my painting "A Different Perspective" because I feel I have a new perspective on life after having completed this challenge. Thirty days ago, I threw myself into this with the hope of sharpening my skills and improving, in some way. I can paint every day but the  challenge for me was to complete a painting everyday. I feel I've gained speed all around and am more confident . I've gainded a better understanding of color choices and know exactly what color will produce the effect I want. I feel I'm gaining in the ability to control the water. Once you get your creative juices going, you just want to keep going! I know this is just a drop in the bucket and I have still a long way to go in gaining skill but I feel I've learned an invaluable lesson. I started out with a c...