Anniversary Celebration

ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION, watercolor on Arches paper. I painted part of this watercolor a few years ago, and left it, stored it, put it aside, not sure if I liked it. Cleaning up my "old paintings" shelves a few days ago, I found it and "messed up with it" again. I added, subtracted, and ended up with this "Anniversary Celebration". If you like it, it is available for purchase. Send me an email : minnievalero@yahoo.fr

"Honolulu Bus Stop", watercolor on Arches paper

HONOLULU BUS STOP, watercolor on Arches paper, 5x8"
We had bought the Hop ON-Hop OFF bus tickets, so while we waited for the next bus, I had enough time to quickly do this watercolor at the bus stop. I was sitting in the shade of a building, I think it was a government building, with big columns and a pond with little fish in front. You could see a park on the other side of the street.

NAWILIWILI PORT , watercolor on Arches paper

NAWILIWILI PORT, watercolor on Arches paper, 11x14" (28x35.5 cm)
Painted aboard Princess Cruiseship, during my recent trip to Hawaii, Samoa and Tahiti. This port was fun, beautiful, and convenient,  because the beach is right there, about a block from the port, so you can enjoy the beach and water, then go back to your ship to shower and change.
Nawiliwili is the port in Kauai, one of the islands in the State of Hawaii, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

PRAHA TOWER, Prague, Czech Republic, watercolor on Arches paper

PRAHA TOWER, Prague, Czech Republic, 14x11", watercolor on Arches paper. Accepted for exhibition at San Diego Watercolor Society, December 2-26. Artists reception on Friday, December 4, 2015, from 5:00-9:00pm. You are invited!!! Wine and hors d'oeuvres served.

The San Diego Watercolor Society has more than 700 international members, including the most prestigious watercolorists in North,  Central and South America, Asia, and Europe. The address is: 2825 Dewey Rd., # 105,  (Liberty Station) in San Diego, California 92106.

WORLD'S LARGEST BANYAN TREE, watercolor on Arches paper

WORLD'S LARGEST BANYAN TREE, 7.5x11 watercolor on Arches paper. Maui, Hawaii, October 2015. The day we visited this tree, near the port, they had an art festival. Here I represented just a few of the many branches and trunks and branches and trunks growing up and coming back down occupying an area bigger than a tennis court, all under the tree!!!!

PACIFIC SUNRISE, watercolor on Arches paper

PACIFIC SUNRISE, 7.5x10" watercolor on Arches paper, painted aboard Crown Princess, cruising the Pacific toward Hawaii, Samoa and Tahiti, three weeks ago.

On our way from Los Angeles to Hawaii, we were sailing west, then south to Samoa, then east from Samoa to Tahiti, and finally north-east from Tahiti back to Los Angeles. It was confusing at first, due to my ignorance of the exact location of the South Pacific islands. So we bought an inflatable globe, to be able to follow our own ocean path with the globe in our hands. The first few weeks I got up very early to enjoy the Pacific sunrise from the ship. Then I got lazy and just enjoyed the sunset, ha ha!

Basket Weaver in Papeete, Tahiti, watercolor on Arches

BASKET WEAVER IN PAPEETE, TAHITI, 7.5x10" watercolor on Arches paper.

The skill and speed of this woman, weaving hats, baskets, flower crowns, was impressive to watch. Papeete is a big town, capital of Tahiti in French Polynesia. People here speak Tahitian and French. They use the French Francs as currency. It is interesting that they are not used in France any more, only here. So the French government makes the Francs especially for them. They are French, but the pictures on the bills are of Tahitian people. Very cool!

PRAHA, CHARLES BRIDGE, watercolor

PRAHA, CHARLES BRIDGE, watercolor on Arches paper, 11x14 in.
Tonight, at the San Diego Law Library, this is one of my paintings in exhibition for the fundraiser LAW LIBRARY WITKIN AWARD, for people in legal practices and services.

I painted this watercolor in November 2014, while in Prague, Czech Republic, where I was having an exhibition at the Latin Art Gallery, and teaching a couple of watercolor workshops. Prague is a beautiful city!

WEDDING DANCE, watercolor on Arches paper

WEDDING DANCE, 23x16 in. watercolor on Arches paper, commissioned and sold.

No white lace or silks here, but two handsome gentlemen in gray suits, dancing away celebrating their wedding coming up in a few days. I painted this watercolor as a commission, just finished it. It is now framed and on its way to the gay wedding!

TRANQUERA , watercolor on Arches paper

TRANQUERA , watercolor on Arches paper, 11x14 in, available.
TRANQUERA was just juried into the April exhibition of the  San Diego Watercolor Society.

Rïse Parberry was this month's juror. "Tranquera" is based on sketches I did on location, and pictures taken at my friend's Lalo and Estela's Estancia in Villa Catalina, Córdoba, Argentina.

SAN DIEGO SKYLINE, watercolor

SAN DIEGO SKYLINE from Harbor Island, watercolor on Arches paper, 9x12 in. Painted plain air last week a day that the light was constantly changing. The sky, the clouds, and the sun, were playing hide and seek the entire morning!

We recently took a tour-cruise on the San Diego Harbor, and learned that "Harbor Island" didn't exist a hundred years ago. It was created with the accumulation of silt and rocks from the bottom of the bay, to deepen the San Diego Bay. Now there are some beautiful hotels, restaurants, parks, yatch club, it is a lovely ride with a gorgeous view of the San Diego skyline.

TANGO CALLEJERO, watercolor on Arches paper

TANGO CALLEJERO, watercolor on Arches paper, 30x22 in. This painting was just juried into the show at Point Loma Credit Union, 3777 Sports Arena Blvd., San Diego, California. The exhibition will take place during the months of February and March, 2015,  9:00 am-6:00 pm, every day except Sunday. Free to visit and see the show. Paintings are for sale.

TANGO AQUARIUS, watercolor on Arches

TANGO AQUARIUS, watercolor on Arches paper, 30x22 in (75x55cm) available.

I've just completed this watercolor, and framed it. It was fun, it goes well with the rest of my TANGO series. Painting is good for you, and dancing tango is good for you. In San Diego, you can dance tango at several venues. Tango del Rey, near the 5 Fwy, is convenient, easy parking, very friendly and patient instructors. Try dancing tango!

CHARLES BRIDGE, PRAHA, watercolor on Arches paper

CHARLES BRIDGE, PRAHA, watercolor on Arches paper, 11x14 in.

This is the oldest bridge in Prague. It is so old, that it cannot support car, buses or tramways. It is a walking bridge. It is so beautiful, that it is constantly full of people walking in both directions, even quite late at night. The views are magnificent, with the illuminated buildings on both sides of the Vltava river reflected on the water. The streets that lead up to the bridge on both sides, take you to the most turistic locations of Prague: to the castle on one side, and to the main downtown area on the other side. The towers and statues along the bridge are magnificent! Walking along Charles Bridge is must, when you are in Prague.

Prúhonitzer Park and Castle, Praha, watercolor

Pruhonitzer Park and Castel, Praha, watercolor on Arches, 10x7.
This natural park was founded in 1885 by the Count Emanuel Silva-Tarouca. He used both native and introduced woody species. The result is an original masterpiece of garden landscape architecture that is of worldwide importance. The park, southeast of Prague, is a haven for a variety of organisms. It is a World Heritage Site.

RECORDANDO A PIAZZOLA, watercolor on Arches

RECORDANDO A PIAZZOLA, watercolor on Arches paper, painted with a sponge and a credit card, 16x12". It doesn't sound possible to paint with a sponge and a credit card? It is not easy, but it is possible. The color was splashed and spread on the paper with the sponge, and the border of a credit card was used to make marks on the wet color, like for the  accordion, and some parts of the head of the player. Painted quickly, with secure strokes.

This painting is at the San Diego County Fair, in the DelMar Fairgrounds, till July 6. For sale, $450.-

CATEDRAL DE SAN MARCOS, Chile, watercolor

CATEDRAL DE SAN MARCOS, CHILE, watercolor on Arches paper, 9x12 in. painted on location during a cruise from Los Angeles, California, down South on  the Pacific Ocean to Chile and Argentina, in 2013.

Chasing the light. That's the key to watercolor: 1, Make a preliminary value sketch. 2, Adjust the composition to accommodate light and darks. 3, allow each layer to dry in between.

Puerto Varas, Chile, watercolor on Arches paper

PUERTO VARAS, CHILE, watercolor on Arches paper, 9x12 in.
This is one of the five paintings accepted for exhibition at the San Diego County Fair, THE FAB FAIR!, which opens June 7, and goes till July 6. Fine art, fun and games, in Del Mar.

At the Watercolor Biennial in Shenzhen, China, the need for international exchange was very strong, according to comments in the June issue of Watercolor magazine. There were people from all over the world. Linda Baker said: "I was moved not by the differences but by the sameness. We were one in the pursuit of art."

PUNTARENAS FROM THE BALCONY, watercolor on Arches

PUNTARENAS FROM THE BALCONY, watercolor on Arches paper, 9x12 in.

Costa Rica was a wonderful experience! I spent five weeks in San Ramon, traveled to Volcan Poas, Tortuguero, San Jose, Puntarenas, walked to and from downtown San Ramon daily, made friends, ate rice and beans plus a host of delicious treats, laughed, painted in watercolors and pastels, had a solo show: PURA VIDA! at the Museo San Ramon, Universidad de Costa Rica, and most of all: I met the most wonderful people in the world! Costa Rica is good for your health!

COLLIOURE II, FRANCE, watercolor on Arches

COLLIOURE II, FRANCE, watercolor on Arches paper, 7x5 in.
Collioure is the extreme South of France, next to the border with Spain. Actually, it is the very last town in France where the train goes. Matisse took the train to the very last station in France, and started painting there. Later his friend Derain came over, too, they started painting the beach red, and using strong colors, plus black lines, and....voilá! Fauvism was created!

Anyway, here I was in Collioure, enjoying the beautiful light, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, the boats, the lighthouse, and the beautiful and colorful town.