Watercolors by Celia Blanco

"Just Peachy" watercolor on paper 9".5 x 9".5 inches / 24 x 24cm. I find the DPW painting challenge a good place to turn to when you feel you are lacking a direction in what to paint. This week, the focus is on composition. There are a lot of excellent points on things to keep in mind which I tried to incorporate. You can check that out by clicking here . It's a delicious time of year as fas as fruit is concerned. I'm always attracted by the colors of fruit and it is difficult to try and present it in a unique way. I worked larger than life in order to play with the washes more. And the best part is eating my still life once it is all over! I've included the full size images of the paintings from Master artists from last weeks hand "quiz". Have a great weekend! I "The Creation of Adam" Michelangelo

Hand Sketches-watercolor on paper 41 x 31 cm I have been unable to post in a while. My kids are on summer break and there is a lot of activity in my house. Finding the time to paint in the summer is always close to impossible. My posts will be sporadic until September.  I recently bought some paper from a local art store that only carried Cartiera Magnani paper. It is made in Florence and it is called "Portofino Acquerello ". They have been making paper since 1404! The odd thing is, on the internet you can't find much information about this paper and the little I found were bad reviews. I thought the  DPW Painting challenge   would be a good way to try it out and see how it handles. I have never worked with hot press before so this is also new to me. This paper soaks up the pigment immediately no chance for any mistakes! A nice thing is I can achieve very dark darks which I have had a hard time with other papers, I always thought it was the paint. You can't rub

"Flying Colors" 28.5 x 20cm / 11" x  8"in.  I love the color of this blue jay's feathers and its stance, so graceful ... the various blues were hard to imitate. I am working on leaving more white areas in my painting and loosening up a bit. Thank you to Mim White for allowing me to use her photo! When I saw her photograph, I immediately imagined it as a watercolor painting.

My lovely assitant helped me pull a name out of a hat! the winner for my Spring painting giveway is... Thank you so much for all the nice comments and participation in my Spring cleaning painting giveaway! The winner is Debbie Nolan from View from Harmony Hills blog! Have a great weekend everyone!

"Indian Youth" watercolor on paper 29 x 20 cm/11".5 x 8 in. This is a step-by-step demonstration done in values of gray from Painting Watercolor Portraits that Glow   by Jan Kunz . This young man looks so beautiful and proud in his ceremonial dress. I wish I could match the ideas in my head with more skill in my hand.  I will try and do more studies like these in the future. I liked illiminating color and just focusing on the values and light.

"Plants on the Rocks" watercolor on paper 10" x 7 " More often than not, you can find me in the proximity of rivers and other bodies of water, if you haven't noti ced already. Thanks to my kayak loving husband, this is where I spend many afternoons. Coming from the city, I crave solitude and being able to get lost in a watercolor with just the sounds of birds chirping and a running brook...well, Italians call this a river. This is the Aniene River, as it flows through the medievel town of Subiaco. It is about an hour's drive from Rome and a delightful place to paint.  I'm trying to focus more on a single subject when plein air painting and less on detail, hopefully I'll improve with practice. Being surrounded by green is somewhat overwhelming, and the fly fisherman, naturally, came after I had gotten my drawing down: if I would have known, I would have changed my composition to include him for sure! My sketch with its model fly fisherm

"Watering Can" 11".5 x8 in. watercolor on acid free paper   I've been spring cleaning this week and would like to donate the community a painting. I have been reaping the benefits offered by technology and by the outstanding people I have discovered through it, I should have already given back long ago  ... For those who are interested, you should indicate it in the comment section. The deadline is May 31st. I will then proceed to have a drawing, the winner will then indicate the mailing address (I offer the mailing fees). I would prefer for it to go to a loving home where it will be appreciated. I put a lot of love into my paintings and would not want that feeling to get lost! Thank you for visiting my blog!