Watercolors by Celia Blanco

Fresh Pick 26cm x 18cm watercolor on paper I started this painting this summer, left it unfinished until recently. The lady wearing the striped dress caught my eye while out shopping. Her outfit with the horizontal lines is remarkable amidst the chaos of the market.

Farmer's Market watercolor on cold press paper 24 x 32 cm This painting is based on a photo I took at my local farmer’s market. In the heat of the summer, it is vital to get there early. They luckily are up and running as early as 6am. I wanted to recapture the feeling of that early hour, when the sun helps to bring even more beauty to the already color-filled market. work in progress

  From My Garden watercolor on paper   8" x "8" Here are the last two paintings part of the gift to my parents. This is the final bloom from my Hibiscus bush, it is hard to believe it has kept blooming as far as December. The pink tones have a bluish hue in the autumn light. "August Window" is from a photo I snapped during the Italian holiday of Ferragosto , celebrated the 15th of August. It is a very hot part of summer, it is very uncommon to see an open window in the midday sun. I attempt to convey this feeling from a special, rather quiet time of year.   August Window  watercolor on paper 8" x 9" This is the final project: what it will look like on display.... all lined up and finished ! M y friends, I wish you much joy and happiness this Christmas !

Sweet Autumn watercolor on paper 23 X 30cm. It has been a very hot autumn for us but today, finally the crisper air has arrived. Fig leaves, very common locally, turn a beautiful bright yellow. I have noticed they even grow spontaneously in many impervious places. Last year I snapped the photo below for future reference. I love how the tree displays its various stages of life. It is a beautiful time of year to observe nature at its subtlest and most poignant point. I hope you are enjoying a beautiful day! 

"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...

Table for One watercolor on FABRIANO Artistico paper 12,5 x 18cm/ 5" x 7" A quiet meal alone, you and a bottle of local wine. The smell of rosemary bushes and the warm sunshine in your face. Well not today, it is a rainy Monday but the fun of painting allows you to escape! I tried to simplify the scene to leave the focus on the chair and geraniums. I eliminated much of what is going on in the photograph to a few important elements, hopefully I succeeded. I wish everyone a great day, thank you for the visit!

  DAY FOUR DETAIL OF MARY FROM THE "PIETA" BY MICHELANGELO DAY FIVE   SUMMER LIGHT watercolor on FABRIANO Artistico paper 12,5 x 18cm/ 5" x 7"  DAY SIX   SUN RIPE watercolor on FABRIANO Artistico paper 12,5 x 18cm/ 5" x 7" WIP

  A Room with a View watercolor on p aper (Daler Rowney cold pressed) 18 x 13 cm/ 5 x7 in.  “One doesn't come to Italy for niceness," was the retort; "one comes for life. Buon giorno! Buon giorno!” ― E.M. Forster , A Room with a View   Sunday morning a fishing competition forced my husband and I up river to kayak. There was no place for me to sit nearby so I ventured into the town of Subiaco to plein air paint. I have always wanted to paint a portion of this house which I have been infatuated with for years. I was also very attracted to the old style street lamp and the flowers blooming on the sill. This home looks over the Aniene River and has a beautiful mountain view. The owner of the house is very kind and came out to see what I was doing as did many of the friendly folk walking by. Being accustomed to the colder ways of the big city, I appreciate smaller towns where people take the time to  greet each other, even strangers. "Buo...

"Rainbow Oranges" watercolor on paper 10" x 7"/ 25 x 18 cm. I had a hard time getting going after the Easter holiday but I've been slowly working on this painting every time I had five minutes to spare here and there. I feel it's finished, I am afraid to overwork it at this point. For those of you who are not familiar with the Tarocco blood orange, it is a treat around this time of year here in Italy. They explode with juice and color when sliced. In our family it's almost like a prize to see who gets the darkest and juicest one at the table.  Some people have it down to a science to know which one will offer the darker flesh just from the color of the peel. I was hoping to capture the explosion of juice and color as the warm Roman sun hits across its dark flesh. I would like to rename these fruits rainbow oranges for the celebration of color that they contain.