Watercolors by Celia Blanco

Hidden Darling watercolor on Canson paper 24 x 32 cm A painting of what is in front of me, from direct observation.  I am finding it more difficult to keep up with this blog. I feel I need to simplify, this will be my last post.  I wish to thank everyone who has taken the time to visit me here over the years. It has been a wonderful experience. If I don't already follow you on other platforms, please leave me a comment and let me know where I can find you to stay in touch. If you are interested in keeping up with my work, I mostly post on Instagram at the present under  @celiawatercolor I also will be updating my website more regularily  ( watercolorsbyceliablanco.com )

 View of Rome from the Pincian Hill watercolor on paper 23 x 30.5 My friend, Michelle Endersby,  asked if I would enjoy doing a sketch of a rose in Rome for her monthly newsletter. Michelle's work has the most beautiful art inspired by roses and nature (click here to view her work). She shares her knowledge about roses, rose gardens, most importantly her current artworks. She has an amazing collection of roses from her personal garden, homeland of Australia and travels. (you can view them on her  Instagram page)   Rome has many beautiful gardens. My thoughts went back to a rose I remembered seeing in the Pincian Gardens. I always hoped to have the opportunity to go back to paint this image. I was lucky enough when I made it back up there to find roses to sketch, it happened to be just as the sun was setting.  The light became golden, sharpening the colors of the already beautiful subject for me. my sketch done on site ----------------------------------------

  Garden Joy watercolor on Fabriano paper 23 x 30.5cm / 9" x 12" available Every rose has a particular meaning as expressed by its color. Light pink roses express deep joy. This is also the emotion evoked while attempting to reproduce it in my imaginary garden. The fun of art is it can transport you anywhere! I found the inspiration for this rose at Paint My Photo by photographer Janet Ellington Horton. They have a wonderful collection, I felt compelled to paint one. My photo archive is filled with roses. I fell in love with the beautiful light shining through the rose. I've worked very slow, for some odd reason roses seem to make me nervous. Maybe it's their intimidating perfection.  Below are some work in progress photos Thank you for the visit!

  A Rose watercolor on Garza Papel paper 20x14 cm. 300 grs I love observing the delicate temperature shifts within rose petals. There is always a little warm yellow among the pink which turns to a bit of blue. It's easier said than done to transfer it onto paper but at least I finally got the dust of my brushes! I enjoyed using Garza Papel paper for the first time. The paper allows for smooth washes and it had a nice grain and absorbency. Delivery to my doorstep is an added plus! Thanks to my friend Bruce from The Art of Bruce for the suggestion! I hope everyone is having a nice day and taking a little time to stop and smell the roses!

I received a beautiful bouquet in the mail last week. It came in the form of a book from my artist  friend Michelle Endersby. I love how she has chosen to paint roses in a larger than life circular canvas, giving a modern twist to a classic subject. Each painting is accompanied by an inspiring quote about roses. It is a book I enjoy again and again. Thank you, Michelle, for making me feel better! Awakening Around Roses is the name of Michelle's book and recent exhibition. Please pay her a visit  and read the inspirational story as to why she has chosen to focus on painting roses. She is remarkable as a person and as an artist! I also want to take the opportunity to express heartfelt gratitude for encouraging me during this time. I am happy to be feeling better, hopefully soon I will have some of my artwork to share... maybe even a rose painting inspired by Michelle!

"White Roses" watercolor on paper  10" x 7"/ 25 x 18 I have been struggling with flowers. I started a painting last week which wasn't working out and ended throwing it away. There was too much going on and no inspiration. It's also a  nice feeling sometimes to be able to separate oneself from what we are creating and have the courage to start over. Next, I chose this image for its monotone color palette, attempting to simplify things for myself.  I've been noticing that I get more hues when I use less colors in my palette. Funny! I think it's the magic of watercolor. Gratitude goes to the fantastic free image library at Wet Canvas where I found this photo reference to work with. Today we celebrate Father's Day here in Italy. It's celebrated on the Feast of St. Joseph. I wish everyone, especially all the fathers and Joseph's out there a special day!