Watercolors by Celia Blanco

CONSTABLE'S COTTAGE watercolor on paper 26 x 18 cm  value study The inspiration for this painting came from a lucky art friend who recently visited John Constable country and shared  her photos. It is the house on the bend from the Hay Wain painting. I thought it would be a good time to keep things simple and do a value study.  I used only Ultra Marine Blue and only a little Indigo to deepen the color. Now that it is May, I have started the "Every Day in May" challenge. It is a fun activity to be in, each day is dedicated to a different topic. Joan Tavolott is also participating, she has posted a nice description of the project in her blog which can be seen here.   This year I have (to be honest, I am in the process of finishing) a dedicated journal for the purpose. I have included a mix of papers, HD press, cold press, Fabriano, etc. with the hope of branching out into other mediums.  My sketchbook cover is a collage from calendars, my ...

  Riverside Grasses sketchbook page watercolor, colored pencil, white pen My husband and I had a fun outing recently. I guess it might seem normal to most but we have spent the last few months somewhat boxed in. We were therefore very happy for the opportunity to be outdoors. He brought his kayak and I brought my sketching supplies. The best part was waking up at the crack of dawn and watching the sun rise.   I  sketched the grasses growing by the river. The light changes very quickly. I lost my whites because the paper wouldn't dry, making it impossible to pick up the color. The paint has difficulty drying near the river because of the humidity, even if the sun is present. I went back into the painting back home with colored pencils and white pen to gain back the feeling of the light hitting the grass. who wants to dive in?!  Thanks for the visit!

Evening Calla watercolor on FABRIANO Artistico paper 12,5 x 18cm/ 5" x 7" available I drew inspiration to paint from my little grocery store calla plant once again. I think I might have over-watered it because the flowers keep flopping down. I discovered afterwards that they don't require much water. It is funny how we, responding to the urge to nurture, have a tendency to hurt houseplants by over-watering. They actually do very well outdoors in this part of the world, I hope to start a pot full of them.  I decided to add a darker background to hopefully bring the pinks out from the flower. Even if I didn't paint it during the night, it has a nocturnal feeling. Thank you for stopping by! detail

Colorful Callas for Mom watercolor on paper NFS I was asked by VIDA to design a scarf with my mother in mind. I prepared a design to be printed on a square silk scarf. My mother loves balance and colors. She is also aware of color undertones which bring out the undertones in one’s skin, as when picking out a lipstick or blush (I highly recommend going with her when you need one!).  She is particularly fond of a shade of greenish teal, I wished to include it in my design. She has even introduced it in her interior design, walls, chairs, etc . Callas are her favorite (you might recall I painted callas for her here ). I purchased a plant to have inspiration but mostly painted from impressions, keeping my mother in mind. This is the result, a scarf is already making its way to my mother's home. my work in progress I used a lot of  Ultramarine Turquoise, Green Gold, and Opera Pink from the Daniel Smith line. I added colors from my usual  palette t...

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.

Winter Fruit watercolor on paper 20 cm x 20 cm A ripe pomegranate with its deep red, round shape is the inspiration for this painting. I added the pears for contrast. A quick sketch while I still had the fruit in front of me with the idea of painting it at a later time. I  redrew it to proceed with my painting. I then stopped, feeling stuck, the painting format looked too plain.  My work in progress ... I replaced the pomegranate with an apple, the former needed to be eaten. I decided to set it aside ... ended up being for a couple weeks. In the mean time I had a wonderful opportunity to visit the Vatican Museum .  Pattern, colors, details everywhere!! Incredible history, very glad to see many frescoes restored since my last visit...over 20 years ago!!  yet more patterns and incredible works of art..."The School of Athens" takes my breath away every time!! Photography is strictly prohibited inside the Sistine Chapel, I think if I...

Mediterranean Pine Horizon Study watercolor on paper 30 cm x 14cm NFS  This week I have worked on a landscape based on a photo I have taken in a nearby park. I liked the high horizon line with the Mediterranean pines dotting the landscape. I first started out with a loose warm up exercise (pictured below). I began painting without drawing and allowed myself a 15 minute time limit. For my formal painting I wanted to play up the colors from my own imagination. I chose to work from a black and white photo to give myself the possibility to explore different color schemes instead of what is really in the landscape. It was a fun exercise to stimulate my imagination.  I ended up cropping away half the painting because the path and grasses was competing with the tree line. It is great to experiment, I love the learning process inherent in each work, whether good or bad. I drew a line where I felt I needed to crop.  30cm. x 20 cm. my warm up sketch ...