Watercolors by Celia Blanco

" Little Beach Shack" (11.5x7.5 watercolor on paper) I love the beach but have never painted a beach scene. It is my first and it’s a great time of year to be thinking back on summer days. Ugh! Winter hasn’t even started. I drew the preliminary drawing on site back on a beautiful October morning then put it aside for a while. I finally got around to finishing it this week. It was funny, my kids asked me where this nice place was. It is only the shack we see as we enter the beach, we must have gone by it a hundred times! I mulled over this landscape the whole summer. I love the play of the sun on the weathered wood and sand. It turns it into various shades of gold making the shadows look so rich against it. The blue boat thrown on the side ready to be taken out, the flora in front. Whoever lives here must really enjoy this. A true beach lover, with bleached hair and tanned leathery skin, ready to set sail at a moment’s notice. Someone like me, having to lug everyt...

"Homegrown" 11x15watercolor “Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.” ~Marcel Proust  To all those celebrating Thanksgiving today, may you be blessed with the quality of gratefulness today and forever. Happy Thanksgiving Day!

"Morning Market" 13x10.5 Watercolor on paper This painting is based on the farmer’s market in my neighbourhood. I love this place especially for its vitality. If you are depressed on any given day, walk through this small stretch set aside only in the morning and you quickly forget your troubles (besides never walking out empty handed!). It is a feast for the senses with all the local produce that abounds. In the early morning, the warm glow of the Roman sun hits the stalls and slowly illuminates the day’s offerings. I strive to capture this feeling in my work. The painting challenged me primarily because of the strong contrast of light and the sharp perspective. I tried to harmonize the work as much as I could through color, trying not to make it appear too busy because of all the various mounds of fruits and vegetables. I also had difficulty with my reference photo because so much of it is in shadow. For larger areas, I normally use masking ...

  I remember the first time I came in contact with watercolors was in high school. My beloved art teacher, Sr. Helen David, gave us a demonstration on how to use the medium. She magically moved her brush around while explaining effortlessly what we needed to do. Lo and behold, a few brushstrokes later appeared a charming lake scene. She made it look so easy! The funny thing is, my mother happened to unknowingly buy that painting at a school art auction and to this day it is hanging in my parents’ home. My first attempt at watercolors was a muddy mess, not quite the masterpieces I hoped for. I was experimenting with various mediums because Sr. Helen pushed us to pursue as many art directions as possible. The disappointment was so great I decided to stay away from watercolors from then on. It wasn’t until many years later, newly married, living in Africa and without any art supplies that I purchased a very non-descript set of watercolors and some paper. I went into it wit...

  I love to paint. I don't consider myself an artist, although I have some formal training, I regard myself as an endless art student !  My med ium of choice is watercolors and here ar e some of my most recent works.                                                                                                    "Teatime Lemons"  8.5x11.5     "Tomatoes and Garlic" 11x8 "Rosetta" 12x8 I hope to share my pro gress on this blog, but especially my thoughts on what I was trying to convey and anything I learn along the way. Thank you for having a look!    ...