Watercolors by Celia Blanco

"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

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!