Watercolors by Celia Blanco

Pumpkins watercolor on Fabriano paper 30 cm x 23 cm/ 12 " x 9" This painting is based on a photo provided by art friend, Geri Berkenstock, painted with his permission.  I really love the warm colors of the season. It took me quite a bit of effort to build up the strong oranges, glazing my colors with many layers. This is a fun time of year, especially for kids. I hope everyone has a safe and Happy Halloween!

 Preserving It Fresh watercolor on Arches paper 17 cm x 17 cm NFS   I started this still life painting from freshly bought flowers I purchased during the summer. Even if I had to put the painting aside for a while, I was finally able to finish it last week from some photos I had taken. It is one of four paintings I am working on for a series which I will be presenting as a gift. The painting went through a series of scrubbing off and paint reapplying. I normally don't prefer to use masking fluid but found it necessary to preserve the various areas of color and build up the hues. I was always worried I would end up tearing the paper when rubbing but it handles it well ...I sweated bullets, as can be imagined, in the process. (below, various stages of my work in progress)

  Portrait of Wilson watercolor on Arches paper 11 x 7 inches available I painted this back in July but have not had a chance to share it here. It was painted for the monthly art challenge of my on line art group. The photo was kindly provided by Geri Berkenstock: it is his handsome rooster, Wilson. I had a lot of fun trying to convey his personality. It is something I always wished for, to have a farm!  Thank you for stopping by!

A Rose Aglow watercolor sketch on paper 18 x 26 cm The rose in this painting is situated in front of my daughter's high school. As I was walking past it, the sun was hitting it in a way that made it seem it was glowing with a beautiful mix of yellows and pinks.  I recently purchased some paints from the Ecoline liquid watercolor line. I enjoyed playing here with the pleasant intensity they possess. With this type of liquid ink there is the possibility of degradation of its properties over time, I will keep it for sketching purposes only.  work in progress

 Morning Stream II watercolor sketch on paper 18 x 26 cm I recently went plein air painting. I painted this same scene last year, about the same time of year and hour ( you can view it here ). I am hoping to catch the feeling I see of the early morning light coming from behind the trees and onto the water. It is very suggestive, hopefully one day I will manage. I apologize for my absence from this blog. I have missed visiting your blogs and hope to be around to catch up soon!

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 

 IF LIFE GIVES YOU LEMONS watercolor on Fabriano Artistico paper 30 x 23 cm available Now that it is summer, Amalfi lemons are in season at my local market. They are grown on the hills of the Campania   region, around Sorrento and Amalfi. They have a characteristic sweetness, a consequence of the volcanic soil, year-round warm temperatures, and perfect amounts of rain. After rinsing the lemons, I set them on a kitchen towel to dry. As I went about, I would pause often to take in the soft delicate pastel colors. My purpose became to convey the soft light that comes in, with many variations of whites and neutrals to highlight the sunny yellow skin of the lemons. It has also been helping me to do a warm up sketch before painting. I keep this sketch beside me to test colors before actually applying them.  my warm up sketch When all of this is over, I have a whole book of baking recipes devoted to the fragrance of these lemons ... I need to get to work! Oa