Watercolors by Celia Blanco

Peaceful Isolation   17 × 11cm watercolor on FABRIANO ARTISTICO cold press paper available I painted this on location while on the Greek island of Ios. I was mesmerized by the jewel color of the ocean and the beautiful color shifts it created. One of my favorite spots had this dinghy left at anchor, I was immediately attracted by the similarities between the colors of the dinghy and the surrounding water.  This is the first sketch in my sketchbook. The sun dried everything on contact, which took some getting use to.  I discovered that it was better if I filled my palette wells with water and worked smaller. This is the second sketch. The little red dot you see in the water is my husband snorkeling.  He wears a red swim cap to make it easy for me to find him. This is as far as I got on location. I didn't bring my finer brushes. I left the fine details for when I got home. Thank you for your visit!

  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 !

Poppies watercolor on Fabriano Artistico paper   7"x 5" inches available  I created this painting from a sketch I did earlier in July.  I sketched on site and painted at home. It worked out well because the reference photos were not very helpful, without the sketch I would have  had to abandon the project.    my plein air sketch 

The Mending watercolor on paper 20 x14 cm     The inspiration for my painting is loosely based on a photo from an on-line art friend for our monthly art challenge. The tomato pin cushion brings back warm memories of my grandmother who always lovingly mended everything on demand for us. Basic sewing skills can be crucial to important relationships.

  Still-life study watercolor on Fabriano paper 28cm. x 12 cm. My daisy lasted a good two weeks, I couldn't resist painting it one more time. I painted this in one sitting, observing the colors' set up from life. I feel I over worked it and lost some of the freshness the previous painting had. A good lesson in patience. Anyone who understands the medium will understand how important it is to wait and let the washes dry, evaluating what the paint does on its own. It is nevertheless fun to experiment, there are always good lessons to be learned. Thank you for stopping by!   My work in progress...

GERBERA FLOWER STUDY watercolor on paper 15cm x 15cm I picked up a few gerbera flowers recently, it cheers me up to see their bright colors. A couple didn't last, presently I am left with two. I added a pear, I was then given squash from a relative's garden, now I have the makings of a very warm, autumn still life. I drew out my composition, decided to add some masking fluid. While waiting for the masking fluid to dry I painted a quick study of the flowers. I want to keep it for reference, because I have a feeling it won't be much longer before I will need to throw them away as well. The yellows almost seem to fuse together, a fun mix of warm and cold yellows. I'm just happy to get my brushes wet again. It feels like it's been a while...where did November go? ... work in progress ... I hope everyone is having a nice day, thank you for the visit!  

To the victims of the recent tragedy in France, peace, prayers and blessings! ____________________________________________________________________________________ Breakfast at the bar This is my first experience of coffee shop sketching, I've been wanting to try for a while. I imagined a happy scenario, and many sketches would come out of it. Unfortunately the waitress cleared my table before I was able to say anything, oh well... people smoking and sitting with friends are allowed to linger longer. My sketch above is what I was able to get down. I'm happy with the gestural line and the few colors I managed to capture. I wanted to go back in and work on the cup more but it being an exceptionally foggy morning, nothing was drying.   A "quiet" side street in Rome Afterwards I transferred to a side street. I wasted valuable time finding an out of the way place to sketch. It is not an easy task in Rome.  Parked cars leave, people co

Autumn on the Farm watercolor on paper 30 x 23 cm Available This was painted as part of the October "All media challenge" for the Artist Daily Friends group I belong to on Facebook. I was attracted by this photo (kindly provided by Karen Duncan) because it brought me back to my childhood, to the long car rides to view the autumn foliage. It seems sights like this are quickly disappearing to make room for strip malls and housing developments. Thank you as always for taking the time to visit my blog!

   Morning  Stream 21cm x 29,5 cm watercolor on paper  My husband found a perfect spot for kayaking. Last week I accompanied him, I enjoyed bringing my paints along. I tried to capture the light streaming in from behind. I also wanted to focus on the rocks.  I worked on it some more at home but tried to get down as much information as I could while there. The light moves quicker than I can paint. Great for pushing me to keep my brushwork loose.   My work in progress, my subject and a little visitor wanted to come home with me. All in all a fun day!  Thanks for stopping by.

Pears In a Bowl watercolor on Hot Press paper 22cm x14cm / 8"5' x 5"5'  I painted this still-life set up from life. I was attracted by the shapes, it is always great to paint such bright yellow colors.   I am working on not covering all of the paper with watercolor, hopefully allowing certain areas to breathe. It is always a challenge to put the brush down. I wish everyone a wonderful week, I hope all of you are enjoying the end of Summer!

Left side of my painted with the old paint/ Right side painted with fresh professional grade watercolors This week I have been doing a little housekeeping. I replaced the paints in my Winsor & Newton Cotman Sketchers' Box which I use for my sketchbook with fresh replacements. I was feeling frustrated by the colors in my sketches, I couldn't achieve the brightness and values I wanted. I finally decided to clean the palette and start over with a clean slate. The sketch on the left was painted with the old palette, the one on the right with the new. I feel like it gained some luster. Fresh clean colors Presently I need to get back to painting. I have a few projects in development which I hope to share soon! Thanks for the visit!

Red Roses, Pink Roses Too 29,5cm x 21cm/ 11".5' x 8" watercolor on paper AVAILABLE   I was given some lovely roses from a friends' garden some time back. I set out to paint it from life, started a few washes. The flowers quickly wilted, I was forced to set the project aside momentarily. I fortunately had taken some reference photos which came to the rescue: obviously I know myself well.   sketch of a rose A few weeks ago I enjoyed a visit to one of my relatives' beautiful garden. I sat under a plum tree, made many new ant friends and sketched this amazing rose. It sparked my desire to finally finish my painting. I hope everyone is having a nice weekend!  Thanks for the visit!

  The Room  watercolor in my sketchbook The sketch above is of our hotel room in Amsterdam, this past week we took a family vacation there. Our favorite place is The Van Gogh Museum.   A strong recommendation to anyone who visits is to purchase advance e-tickets. They allow you to skip the very long line. The museum has three floors. It is the largest existing collection of his paintings and drawings and includes many  letters written to his brother Theo. It is an incredible insight and understanding into the artist's life. I've never quite experienced a museum like this. To see his paintings up close is amazing. No book will ever get close to reproducing what he has achieved on canvas. No photography is allowed in the museum, I've added this video to hopefully give an idea of the place. I really like how they have made it so interactive to the point that little kids run around interested: it is not your usual boring museum visit. Vincent would be surely please

 Apricots for Sale watercolor on paper 5" x 7" / 12,5 cm x 17,5 cm Rome is a city that wakes up early. My local market is open for business by as early as 6:30am. At that hour, the early morning sunlight warms up colors. When it hit these fresh summer apricots, the colors intensified as if it were a glow. Well, that is what I wish to convey: it is always a challenge to convey impressions on paper. What is your favorite summer fruit? I don't think I can pick just one.  Have a wonderful week! 

Catching a Wave Sketch I watercolor on paper Catching a Wave Sketch II watercolor on paper Catching a Wave Sketch III colored pencil in my sketchbook Sitting by the seaside I can't help but be inspired by the beauty provided by waves and light. I have been trying to capture my impressions as the waves break in front of me. These are done on site only and are intended as observational practice, not as finished works of art. The ocean has my full respect, it is a very challenging subject. Constant change is a hard concept to grasp on paper. I have also been busy filling up some of  my older sketchbooks. The warm weather makes it easy and I carry my supplies whenever possible, even on quick errands. I rely on my homemade sketchbooks the most. I prefer to choose the paper according to my needs, not always for watercolor. My daughter requested one as well! She loves to draw using graphite and colored pencil. She had very specific paper and size r

1. A FAVORITE FOOD I have been very bad about blogging as of late, I wanted to share this sooner. I signed on for a drawing challenge for the month of May. Everyday we have a theme to work on in our sketchbooks and we share our work on a group board on Facebook or Flickr. It is a lot of fun because you are pushed to sketch something you normally would not otherwise do. I also love the sense of community: seeing what other people come up with is a great inspiration. 2. A NEARBY TREE 3. CURTAINS 4.BOTTLE OF HERBS OR SPICE 5.SOMETHING HOT 8.SOMETHING WITH A HANDLE I would like to wish all 's a wonderful Mother's Day!

 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.