Watercolors by Celia Blanco

I finished the last drawings and paintings from the "Every Day in May Challenge". I haven't been able to upload them here. I apologize for clumping so many together.  I did not complete just a few of them. It has been a wonderful experience which I hope to repeat next year. DAY 23. An interesting detail of a building. DAY 24. Keys Day 25. An apron, or something you wear during messy activities. Day 27. Something furry or fuzzy. Day 28. A yard ornament.  Day 29. A faucet. Day 30. A bird-feeder or bird house. Day 31. Eggs. Day 14. Something I use everyday. Day 15. Something I could throw away. If you braved it to the end, I can't thank you enough for your continued support! Have a wonderful weekend!

 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!

 Clementine watercolor on paper  20x14 cm.   I am very excited to start off the new year because of the opportunity to focus on what lies ahead. My  goals for the coming months include many positive wishes!  I have written out a physical list for the first time in my sketchbook  to be able to draw a balance at the end. My first painting of the year is a clementine. The contrasting colors and the long shapes of the leaves  are always fun to paint; the fruit's taste is definitively delicious and brightens the dreary winter. I wish all of you a joyful, creative year! Happy 2015!

      To my dear friends, I happily wish you a Christmas filled with joy, peace and love. Thank you for the kind and much needed encouragement you always provide! Happy Holidays!

Cloud study, love listening to the silence at the beach in autumn.  Persimmon fruit and leaf study   Various sketches to experiment with the Tombow dual brush pen. November came and went ... honestly, I was unable to devote time to painting or sketching. I feel I am behind on everything. I am promising myself to be more organized this month, catching up on visiting your blogs, always a source of genuine inspiration!  Hope everyone is well.

This month, my focus has been on street scenes and landscapes. I also like sketching while in my kitchen, it is the source of quite a few of my projects. I am sharing personal favorites from the month. It is interesting to sketch outdoors in a city. I try and keep to myself but it is fun to get some human interaction, people like to peek in. One sketch I completed while conversing with an elderly man. He wanted to watch and talk about art ( the market scene below). It is a wonderful brain exercise! I had some time while I was waiting for my daughter, it was her first day at driving school. I sketched this while waiting. Autumn is for apples and I have been baking all of my favorite recipes. This a new recipe I tried, found in an old Martha Stewart Living magazine. I painted her picture from the magazine, mine was not quite as pretty.  I love the color of this house with beautiful Bougainvillea plants growing over the fence. Perspective is hard...

 Yellow Peppers watercolor on paper 28 x 20 cm./ 11" x 8 " I hope everyone had a nice summer/ winter (for those of you in the southern hemisphere). I have worked a lot in my sketchbook despite not sharing much of what is in it. The sketches led me to paint these peppers. I was attracted by the varying cold and warm yellows in the peppers and the plate itself makes for an interesting play of light with the colors. I love to paint what surrounds me. Thanks for taking interest in my work!

I have been very busy these past two weeks. I've tried to organize myself in a way to still find time to sketch. If I have my sketching supplies at hand, I try to put something down even if I finish it later. I spent an hour waiting at the health office just to pick up some paper work... by luck I had brought my sketching supplies!  I painted the fruit stand across the street. The first one I  first drew out, then added the black ink.The second page was drawn immediately with marker. When I went home, I added the watercolor. Cars are not my forte... People waiting do not stay still, constantly looking left then right, it is a challenge to get a likeness. I try to fix one side then hope to catch them again when they are in the same position. One of these days I will go up and ask them to...please stop moving!!!  I love the long roots of these fresh white onions. I would like to incorporate some calligraphy but feel rather shy about it, hence ...

"Monte Prena and Monte Camicia" "Wildflowers" "Alpine Geraniums" waiting it out  in the car  wild flowers I love this dramatic picture my husband took The most incredible bowl of beans on earth! Gran Sasso National Park is situated in the Abruzzo region of Italy. It is off the beaten path as far as mass tourism is concerned but a beautiful place worth visiting. It is one of the largest protected areas in Europe, the majestic mountain massif dominates the landscape and is the highest mountain in continental Italy south of the Alps. (information taken from Wikipedia) We stayed there last week and savored the wonders Mother Nature offers. I painted a few paintings in my sketchbook, but I mostly enjoyed the overall beauty of this incredible place. In any case, a trip anywhere in Italy is always a wonderful gastronomic experience. This region is particularly well endowed. It has superlative wines, meat and dairy pro...

 sketch of a copper pitcher and plant on Cartiera Magnani hot press paper I am more into the summer feeling now with the present month. Days are busy, my girls are home, out of school, there is much activity at home. I love the longer days summer brings even if I feel like I have a difficult time getting into the mindset for painting. Working in my sketchbook is offering me with a great alternative. I feel like it is an easy thing to grab my sketchbook and set up my supplies. I don't have a formal work space at home, this way I am not in anyone's way. I have also organized a dedicated art supply pouch just for my sketchbook. Like this I will always have everything I need at hand.  I love the immediacy and free feeling of working in a sketchbook. If a painting doesn't work or if I don't manage to finish it, I just turn the page. Enjoy your long summer days! Who's eating the last cupcake? Green tea brewing Sandwhich  on fancy plate

Spaghetti Sketch  watercolor on Garza Papel paper  20x14 cm.  180 grs The inspiration for this sketch came from last night's dinner. I thought it would be a fun way to practice my negative painting technique. This particular dish is with capers and anchovies...quick, easy and delicious... I worked from a photograph I took before eating my dinner, my memory isn't that good. I wish everyone a nice and creative week!

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

A sketchbook is great place to experiment new ideas. The funny thing is as much as I love painting in watercolors, I do not own a watercolor sketchbook. I thought making one would be a great solution, something I have never done. I imagine it is not new to many of you, your homemade art journals are the source of my inspiration. It was easy to make, I used dental floss as a binder! I have already filled it up with several sketches. Sketch of my dinner  salad -includes corn, tomatoes lettuce, carrots ...  I have also been reading Jean Haines book, Atmospheric Watercolours: Painting with Freedom, Expression and Style . All things I long for! It's a great book and I love how she encourages you to use her methods while using your own creativity.   Begonias I feel my last two sketches are close to my goal. I am testing myself with the loose washes of color. I would love to hear if any of you have tried making your own journals. Thanks for stopping by...

  Garden Joy watercolor on Fabriano paper 23 x 30.5cm / 9" x 12" available Every rose has a particular meaning as expressed by its color. Light pink roses express deep joy. This is also the emotion evoked while attempting to reproduce it in my imaginary garden. The fun of art is it can transport you anywhere! I found the inspiration for this rose at Paint My Photo by photographer Janet Ellington Horton. They have a wonderful collection, I felt compelled to paint one. My photo archive is filled with roses. I fell in love with the beautiful light shining through the rose. I've worked very slow, for some odd reason roses seem to make me nervous. Maybe it's their intimidating perfection.  Below are some work in progress photos Thank you for the visit!