Watercolors by Celia Blanco

A Yellow Feathered Visitor 23 x 30 cm watercolor on paper I painted this from a photo reference provided by my talented friend Cristina Mihailescu (see her beautiful works here ) .  I believe this bird is a Lesser Goldfinch . This will be my last post before Christmas. I wish you a blessed holiday season. 

 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 ----------------------------------------

Blue Water 18 x 12.5 watercolor on paper This is the last plein air painting I did while in Greece. I really hope to go back soon! It is nice to look back to the color of the water, it brings good feelings.

Fresh Pick 26cm x 18cm watercolor on paper I started this painting this summer, left it unfinished until recently. The lady wearing the striped dress caught my eye while out shopping. Her outfit with the horizontal lines is remarkable amidst the chaos of the market.

Rocky Wave 17 × 11cm watercolor on paper available This was started on location in Greece and finished at home. I thought the rock formations would make an interesting subject. It almost looks like an abstract design.

Peaceful Isolation   17 × 11cm watercolor on FABRIANO ARTISTICO cold press paper available I painted this on location while on the Greek island of Ios. I was mesmerized by the jewel color of the ocean and the beautiful color shifts it created. One of my favorite spots had this dinghy left at anchor, I was immediately attracted by the similarities between the colors of the dinghy and the surrounding water.  This is the first sketch in my sketchbook. The sun dried everything on contact, which took some getting use to.  I discovered that it was better if I filled my palette wells with water and worked smaller. This is the second sketch. The little red dot you see in the water is my husband snorkeling.  He wears a red swim cap to make it easy for me to find him. This is as far as I got on location. I didn't bring my finer brushes. I left the fine details for when I got home. Thank you for your visit!

Watermelon sketch The last days of September mark the end of summer in Rome. The longer days of summer, full of always unbearable heat, allow to do things I normally don't have time for.  I took a moment to flip through my sketchbooks, I would like to share some of my impressions.  A chance to explore new places in my town.  Observing the clouds from my window.   Planted something green and watched it grow. Spent quality time with whom I love. Visited new places.

Tropical 17 × 11cm watercolor on FABRIANO ARTISTICO cold press paper I painted this for the August challenge from my Artist Daily friends on-line group. The photo was kindly provided by Kim Ty (check  out her blog   here ) . It is of a flower from the tropics,  unfortunately I ignore the name. I love the way the flower slowly turns from pink to deep purple. I enjoyed playing with the range of colors of the flower and the unusual shape. Thank you for the visit!

Radicchio Leaf 17 × 11cm watercolor on FABRIANO ARTISTICO cold press paper While making dinner for my family,  I saved one leaf from a head of radicchio to begin the painting from life that evening.  While it was still fresh I took a picture,  I finished it from the photo reference later.  I fell in love with the beautiful designs in the leaf and the contrast of intense purple against white. Something I have been trying to focus on is adding repeated layers to create stronger colors.   detail Thank you for your visit!  

Turkey watercolor on paper 25 cm x 18 on Fabriano Artistico cold press I painted this from a photo kindly provided by Geri Berkenstock, artist and friend. It is a turkey that belongs to his grandson, he was recently awarded a blue ribbon at a local fair. In the reference photo his feathers are something amazing, really beautiful colors! I don't think I managed to recreate their beauty but it was great to practice.   Thank you for the visit!

Summer Colors watercolor on Fabriano Artistico paper 22 x 30 cm   I couldn't resist purchasing this lavender plate with polka dots to use for my still life paintings. I took  advantage of the bountiful fruit we get now and I have been sketching them as often as I can. My idea is to infuse the colors I have been seeing into my still life painting. The first layers of watercolor experiments in my sketchbook serve as a warm up. Thank you for your visit!

  Cellist watercolor on Arches cold press paper  26cm x  35cm I have slowly been working on this painting for the past month. It is for my online art group's monthly challenge, the photo was provided by Claudia Stougard, painted with permission. The photo was of a group of string players but I chose to focus on the one cellist and cropped off most of his face to help draw the focus to his hands and the instrument. I then chose to push the blue tones with the background and clothing colors so it would help to draw the attention on the warm tones of the instrument. my work as it progressed

The Palace of Justice at Piazza Cavour  sketchbook page, Fabriano Artistico rough Summer is here with more options to sketch outdoors. A recent errand gave me the opportunity to sit on a bench in Piazza Cavour for what ended up being a good while. Thankfully I found myself ready because I had not forgotten my sketching gear. Piazza Cavour is where the Palace of Justice is located. It is also a great place to sit and enjoy the shade provided by the many palm trees. There are water fountains available, an added bonus when I needed to clean my brushes. I thought it would be interesting to sketch a section of the Palace, it is very ornate...so many details!   view of the Piazza If you would like to visit this landmark virtually click here   and see the live webcam.

      Moka Express   17 × 11cm watercolor on paper available   My Italian moka coffee maker has been a nice challenge to work with.  I felt the need to paint something from life, I have been working too much from photographs lately. It has also been a great exercise to improve perspective skills, something else I am also striving for.   I first tried a value study in my sketchbook my work in progress, almost finished.  

Shades of Lavender watercolor on paper 24 x 32 cm I am working from the same lavender photo of my last post. This time I stepped back in order to add more lavender in my composition. I took a different approach to my painting process and tried to draw less before, going right into the painting. I also kept my palette to a minimum of colors. I like to let my imagination wander a bit, not adhering strictly to the photo. Thank you for visiting!

Bumblebee watercolor on Fabriano Artistico cold press 18 x 12.5 cm This is a larger than life bee painted from a photograph I took last summer. They visit my lavender pots regularly. It has become unusual to see this type of bee because it is, sadly, in decline. I mixed the black body using Viridian Green, Alizarin Crimson Red and French Ultramarine Blue. I  prefer to not use black from a tube. I like this method because it enables the creation of more interesting shifts of color.  (my work in progress)

Untamed watercolor on paper 24 x 32 cm I am increasingly enthusiastic of painting animals. It is the first time I tackle painting a fox. Depicting the fur texture was absolutely a challenge. Thank you for the visit!

Farmer's Market watercolor on cold press paper 24 x 32 cm This painting is based on a photo I took at my local farmer’s market. In the heat of the summer, it is vital to get there early. They luckily are up and running as early as 6am. I wanted to recapture the feeling of that early hour, when the sun helps to bring even more beauty to the already color-filled market. work in progress

Trust watercolor on cold press paper 24 x 32 cm I can't believe the month of March has flown by me... I have worked on this painting slowly throughout the month. It is from a photo kindly provided by artist friend Karen Duncan , painted with permission. I do not have extensive experience with horses, by the little opportunities I have been given, I have noticed that they are very sensitive animals. It must be a great feeling to have a bond with such an animal, to earn their trust is surely a beautiful thing.   before adding paint  Thank you for visiting and taking the time to view my work!

Sunflower watercolor on paper 8.5" x 11.5"/21.5 x 29 cm. I couldn't resist buying this sunflower from the market the other day. It usually dies before I manage to finish painting it from life. It almost felt like it waited for me to finish: it started drooping only once I was done.  my work in progress

Daydreaming Summer watercolor on paper 8.5" x 11.5"/21.5 x 29 cm. It has become rather cold and dreary. I thought this would cheer me up, hopefully it will you as well! Happy New Year!