Skip to main content

Shady business



Shady Business
watercolor on Fabriano paper
23 x 30.5cm / 9" x 12"



 The inspiration for this painting came from a photograph I took last summer as I waited for a bus. A striking character came along with a stack of colorful cowboy style hats for sale. He plopped them on the ground in front of him, naturally yelling out "Due euro" ( two euros) every few seconds.

I couldn't help but watch him as he provided a little comical relief from my endless waiting. I discreetly snapped a photo as he looked the other way, he seemed rather impatient to sell his hats and did not stop looking around nervously. I love the long shadows the sun makes at that early hour, I wished to portray the sense of chaos of the busy street corner.

*********
I was very happy to hear your sketchbook stories!

In case any one is interested, I would like to share the link I found helpful in making my Coptic sketchbook. I find her instructions very clear and I substituted some of the tools she uses for things I have around my house without a problem, such as the dental floss ! :-)

Sea Lemon is the name of her You Tube channel, she offers tutorials on bookbinding (including a Moleskin style notebook) and other random ideas.

Have a great day!





Comments

  1. J'aime cette lumière intense et ces belles nuances de bleu.
    Félicitations chère Celia!
    Bonne semaine.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Olivier, your kind comment means more than you know!

      Delete
  2. Celia - what a great painting...you have captured life and because you were there and took the picture you made this story come alive. You caught those shadows so well too. Going to go check out Sea Lemon - thank you so much for sharing. Hope you have a wonderful painting/creative week.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Debbie! It just warms my heart to read your comment, so happy you like the painting!

      Delete
  3. I love the light and the shadows, Celia! I had a look at that Coptic sketchbook, that looks really hard to do.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Judy! It isn't easy but she shows you clearly and I stopped the video as I did the different steps. I think if I do it again and again then it will be easy!

      Delete
  4. I like the story and you portrayed it perfectly ! The figure with the shadow is awesome ...and he has a defying attitude , love it !

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm so happy I managed to get my idea across, your feedback helps me a lot, Jane, thank you!

      Delete
  5. You have captured the scene you described s very well. Love the ose of the hat seller. Loose background perfect too

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Lorraine! I appreciate your comment!

      Delete
  6. I like the way you captured this scene, the man is standing in a way that tells the story as you describe. I like the shadows and light in this one as well. A creative painting Celia....well done!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I appreciate having your feedback Debi! Have a great day!

      Delete
  7. They say a picture tells a thousand words and that is certainly the case in this study, Celia. Love the long shadows and posture of the hat seller. You have captured a moment in time so well and so amusingly...this painting certainly makes me smile!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It really makes me happy my idea is coming across well, thanks for your kind feedback Michelle! Hope all is well

      Delete
  8. Un controluce decisamente interessante e dai forti contrasti. Mi piace la posa del venditore di cappelli. Ben fatto, Celia.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I love the story to this painting and the drama from your shadows!!! Great job.

    Thanks for the link to the video of how to make the sketchbook. I'm going to save this until I have time to make one, and also post it to my sketch group on Facebook.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm happy you like the painting and find the link helpful! Thanks for stopping by!

      Delete
  10. Great art here Celia and wonderful story to match! So nice to hear the tale behind the work!
    Love the way you handled the human form! Love the painterly effect. Colors are beautiful!
    As always another gem my friend!
    So glad you are painting!
    Take care buddy!
    Michael

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Michael! I was worried about the figure looking odd but it seems like it is being read the way I hoped. I do love to paint, just wish I could find more time to do it! Thanks for your sweet comment and visit!

      Delete
  11. Lovely scene Celia and quite lively! This is fun, I'm sure you had a good time painting this one. Bisous

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for your comment Helen! I'm happy I finally painted it, it was on my list for a while. Take care

      Delete
  12. I love this painting, Celia!! I as well, carry my camera with me all the time...one never knows when that perfect moment comes along....and we don't want to miss it..lol I love the long shadows and colorful outfits ....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Hilda! I'm happy to know it's not just me then.;-)

      Delete
  13. Wow, what a great painting Celia! You've really captured his nervy energy and I love the way the light falls on his hat. His great stance, shows that you have a talent for painting people! Thanks for the link for making sketchbooks too! She really makes things very clear. Great post Celia!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much Wendy! I'm happy to know it comes across as I had hoped.
      It would be wonderful if your daughter offered a tutorial for us too! Have a wonderful time in England!

      Delete
  14. You've caught the busy nature of the street and I really love the contrasts in this picture, it's got punch. Nice job!!

    ReplyDelete
  15. This is such a cool painting, Celia! You conveyed that exact atmosphere that you wrote about... the hot day, the shadows on the ground, the man looking around excitedly... I love how you did this!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

African Violets

 African violets sketchbook page I painted this sketch slowly, over a few day's time.  I use my sketchbook to experiment towards improving my skills although I seem to always find myself in a hurry to finish the sketches. It took my African Violets over two years to bloom, I felt compelled to capture this achievement! The flu is making the rounds around my household once more, I hope everyone else is well!

Pansies

 Pansies with Lemon  watercolor on cold pressed Daler Rowney paper  10" x 10" / 25 x 25 cm.  Available I wished to paint the happy faces of the pansies I planted earlier in the fall. They are hardy plants, lasting through the winter on my balcony. Soon I will have to pull them out and replace them with petunias or begonias, but not for another month. I love the different shades of purple and had fun mixing my own. I hope everyone is having a nice week!

Flying Colors

"Flying Colors" 28.5 x 20cm / 11" x  8"in.  I love the color of this blue jay's feathers and its stance, so graceful ... the various blues were hard to imitate. I am working on leaving more white areas in my painting and loosening up a bit. Thank you to Mim White for allowing me to use her photo! When I saw her photograph, I immediately imagined it as a watercolor painting.