ROPA TENDIDA, watercolor on Yupo

ROPA TENDIDA, watercolor on Yupo, 20x26 in (51x66 cm.) found a new home yesterday, in La Jolla, California. It was bought at the Juried March Exhibition of the San Diego Watercolor Society.

I painted this watercolor a few years ago, inspired by rooftops and hanging laundry in Lisbon, Portugal. I have "a thing" for rooftops and hanging laundry. Love them! I guess it reminds me of when I was a little girl in Mendoza and Córdoba, in Argentina. There is no nicer smell than the clothes from the line hanging in the sun, is there?

BERGOGLIO, NUEVO PAPA - watercolor

BERGOGLIO, NUEVO PAPA, watercolor, 3x7in.
I painted this small watercolor from a picture I took in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on March 13th, 2013, from the tv set in my cousin Mirtha's house. As I had visited her in Buenos Aires for a few days, we were waiting to go to the airport, when Jorge Mario Bergoglio was announced as the new Pope. My cousin told me that she saw him regularly at her church. Father Bergoglio would come to help fill bags of food and/or clothing for the poor. He would arrive by metro or bus, not in the car with chauffeur assigned to his office as Cardenal.

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.

LES ALPES, oil on canvas

LES ALPES, oil on canvas 10x10" original painting, available for viewing at my studio : The Glashaus, 1815 Main Street, San Diego, California. Available for purchasing, contact me at minnievalero@yahoo.fr

Having grown up in Mendoza, Argentina, near the Andes, from the age of two to twelve, the love of mountains has stayed with me. I love all mountains everywhere. There is a sense of infinite mystery, beauty, silence, and marvel. I particularly love the French mountains, the Pyrénées, and the Alpes.

VILLEM'S BOAT, watercolor

Villem's Boat, watercolor, 12x9 in, painted during the South America cruise aboard Carnival "Splendor", from Los Angeles around Cape Horn, to Buenos Aires, Argentina. Look at the preview and buy  the book of watercolors from the trip: LOOKING FORWARD, here at Blurb:

http://blur.by/1bmi8fi

I visited LACMA's (Los Angeles County Museum of Art)  Calder exhibition this week. Very small, compared to Calder's exhibition at the Musee Pompidou in Paris a couple of years ago. The Pompidou had several floors of Calder's contraptions, while LACMA had just a few of them in a big room, so I was disappointed, but still, Calder is Calder, and it was fun to see them. 

BERGOGLIO, POPE, watercolor

Bergoglio, Pope, watercolor, 3x 7 in.
South American Cruise series # 47
We had visited South America for 6 weeks, and had to take our plane back from Buenos Aires to Los Angeles on March 13. My cousin Mirtha and her husband, Mario, were taking us to the airport in a couple of hours. Meanwhile, we were having a glass of wine and watching the news, when the announcement for the new Pope, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, surprised and delighted us! Not only he is from Argentina, but he used to visit my cousin's church, as a Cardinal, arriving by Metro instead of using the car available to him. Since my cousin knew him, we felt he was part of the family! What a way to end our trip! And what a way to end this South American Cruise saga!

Watch my new blog, coming up from Sweden.......

PASILLOS DEL CARBO, CORDOBA, watercolor

Pasillos del Carbo, Cordoba, Argentina, 4x6 watercolor
South America Cruise series # 45

Escuela Normal Nacional de Profesores Alejandro Carbo. These hallways saw me from age 12 to 16, when I graduated with the title of Elementary School Teacher, two years younger than my classmates. I had never gone back to visit in 50 years. So I walked in this time. A man stopped me at the door and asked me what was my purpose. As I was about to tell him I just wanted to visit the school, I couldn't talk. Emotion filled me with tears, he saw my face and understood. As I walked around and relived some moments of my youth, it was sad to see the classrooms in disarray, dirty floors and windows. Decay has slowly set in, as the school is not well kept.

ESTANCIA PEROTTO II, CORDOBA, ARGENTINA, watercolor

Estancia Perotto II, Cordoba, Argentina, 4x6 watercolor
South America Cruise series 44

View from the porch of our friends' house in Santa Catalina, Cordoba. Beautiful moments remembering times past, and getting acquainted with the new lives of their children and their children's children.

TRANQUERA EN SANTA CATALINA, CORDOBA, watercolor

Tranquera en Santa Catalina, Cordoba,  4x6 watercolor
South America Cruise series # 43

After a 5 week cruise round South America's Cape Horn, we flew from Buenos Aires to Córdoba, in Argentina, where we were received by our friends Lalo and Estela Perotto. What a pleasure to see them after so many years! Lunch was accompanied by a delicious Merlot, their own brand: "Perotto", with a picture of Lalo's father when he immigrated from Italy. This wine was produced by his son Jose's own winery. What an honor to be welcomed in this manner!  In the evening we walked along downtown Cordoba streets full of life, and saw the "dancing waters" of El Buen Pastor, "Casa Tomada's " shopping mall, small colorful boutiques, music, people, noise, fun!

TANGO EN PLAZA DEL ARBOL, BUENOS AIRES, watercolor

Tango en Plaza del Arbol, Buenos Aires, 4x6 watercolor
South America Cruise series # 42

Another day in Buenos Aires, Argentina, we went to San Telmo, visited the stores of antiquarians, and sat at Plaza del Arbol, where we had a drink sitting under a big tree, while enjoying the tango dancers. Very relaxing!

BUENOS AIRES SKYLINE, watercolor

Buenos Aires Skyline, 4x6 watercolor         South America Cruise series # 40

After a one day stop in Montevideo, Uruguay, we finally arrived in Buenos Aires, our last stop. The cruise ship continued to New York, but we stopped in Argentina, for a few days visiting with family and friends. We visited the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, Parques de Palermo, and had lunch at London Cafe. Buenos Aires is often called: "The Paris of South America", due to the architecture of its late 19th C. and early 20th C. buildings and city layout, imitating that of Paris of the same period, the Haussman period.

PUERTO MADRYN, ARGENTINA, watercolor

Puerto Madryn, Argentina, watercolor, 4x6
South America Cruise series # 39

More than 30 years ago, my husband and I were here with our three young daughters, we had driven from Cordoba, then went on to Punta Tombo to see the penguins. It was so much fun! This time, as a one day stop from the cruise, we did not go to Punta Tombo, we just walked about in the town, had empanadas and beer, and sent some postcards. Then, at the Oficina de Turismo, we found out there is a fantastic museum: Eco Center, so we boarded the free shuttle for a very interesting visit to this modern museum overlooking the bay.

TANGO EN USHUAIA, watercolor

Tango en Ushuaia, Argentina, watercolor, 4x6 in.
South American Cruise watercolor series # 37

At the end of the world, people dance tango on the street, or a sidewalk, or a park, dressed sexy and elegant, for the entertainment of tourists and passers-by. A joy to watch them, and give them a well -deserved tip inside the man's hat usually laid down carefully nearby. Another wonderful moment in Ushuaia, land of many contrasts.

USHUAIA NATIONAL PARK, watercolor

Ushuaia National Park, (Parque Nacional de Ushuaia), watercolor, 4x6 in.
South America Cruise series # 36

In Ushuaia, Argentina, the southernmost city in the world, we took the little train (watercolor published yesterday) through this beautiful park "at the end of the world". We were among flowers, rivers, green grass, and faraway mountains with ice and snow on their summits. Paradise on earth! No wonder people who come here to try it out...stay!! At least, it is paradise in the summer months....Winters are harsh, cold and windy. For us, at the end of February, paradise!

TREN DEL FIN DEL MUNDO, watercolor

Tren del Fin del Mundo, watercolor, 4x6
South America Cruise series # 35

There used to be a train to carry the prisoners to the prison at the end of the world, at the beginning of the 20th C. After many years of the prison closed and the train abandoned, an entrepreneur decided to rebuild the tracks, the train, the station, and carry tourists now to the Ushuaia National Park. It is a beautiful ride, with two stops. The train at the end of the world is a great tourist attraction in Ushuaia, Argentina.

ARRIVAL IN USHUAIA, ARGENTINA, watercolor

Arrival in Ushuaia, Argentina, watercolor, 4x6in
South American Cruise series # 34

After cruising along the Beagle Channel since sunrise, we approached the border between Chile and Argentina mid-morning, arriving in Ushuaia, the Southernmost city in the world, at noon on February 27th. The wind, the clouds sliding in the sky, a wild West setting, home-made houses, colorful, timeless, this is Ushuahia.  The architecture is uneven, chaotic at times. The Beagle Channel created a frontier and a passage. The port/harbour of Ushuaia is exempted from taxes, so it is filled with many factories. Thirty years ago, Ushuaia was only a town. Why do people stay? Why do others come? At the end of the world, swept by winds, with an average temperature of 41 degrees Farenheit throughout the year, Ushuaia can have four seasons in the same day!

A MEDIA LUZ, tango, watercolor, acrylic

A Media Luz, tango in watercolor and acrylic, 30x22

Exhibition of my paintings FROM THE END OF THE WORLD, Argentina and South America, starting tomorrow April 9 till the 22nd. In conjunction with Doreen Mellen's elegant ceramics, she's from Australia, another country FROM THE END OF THE WORLD. Our artists' Reception is next Sunday, April 14th, from 3:00-7:00pm.

Where? Gallery 21, Spanish Village Art Center, Balboa Park, San Diego, California. Come one and all!

Regina K.

Regina K., 8x6, pencil and pastel crayons, 1996.
Like "Nick K. ", one of my old portraits I found a few days ago, while re-organizing my art-work: my friend Regina. I have painted my family and friends for years! Even in high school, in Argentina, whenever we had a free period because the teacher was absent, I would do portraits of my friends.

Visiting Los Angeles recently, I re-"discovered" the downtown area, how beautiful it is now! I used to work there some years ago, but have not been living the constant renovation of the downtown area for ten or so years, so it came as a surprise. The Staples Center, the ice-skating rink, the lights, the screens, and the number of people braving the cold, just walking around and enjoying the views. Magnificent!

El Patio de la Morocha

El Patio de la Morocha, mixed medium, 75x55cm. Available: 545 Euros, or 815 US$. One of my Tango series paintings in exhibition at this moment at the Bibliotheque Municipale de Argeles-Gazost, France. The exhibit continues till Monday, August 22nd.
"Romanticism", in the 19th C., was born as a reaction to  "Reason above all". Romanticism explores drama and contrasts, sensation and the artist's individuality, imagination and fantasy, evasion, dreams and nature. Main characters: Delacroix, Pre-Rafaelites, Goya, Friedrich, Impressionists.

El Patio de la Morocha, tecnica mixta, disponible: 545 Euros = 815 US$.  Esta es una de mis pinturas de la serie: Tango, en este momento en exhibicion en la Bibliotheque Municipale de Argeles-Gazost, Francia. Esta exhibicion termina el lunes 22 de agosto.

"El Romanticismo", en el siglo XIX, nacio como reaccion al Raciocinio. El Romanticismo explora el drama y los contrastes, la sensacion y la individualidad del artista, la imaginacion y fantasia, evasion, suenos y la naturaleza. Los principales personajes son: Delacroix, los Pre-Rafaelistas, Goya, Friedrich, los Impresionistas.


 

A Media Luz

A Media Luz, acrylique sur Aquarius paper, 75x55cm., 30x22in. Available: 545 Euros or  815 $US. This painting is in exhibition at the Bibliotheque Municipale de Argeles-Gazost, France, at the moment, till Monday August 22.

Under the slogan: "liberty, fraternity, and equality", the French Revolution marks the beginning of the Contemporary Age. The main contributor to Neoclassic painting was Jacques-Louis David (1748-1825), who started the concept of "artist committed to a cause".

A Media Luz, acrilico sobre papel Aquarius. Esta pintura esta en este momento en exhibicion en la Bibliotheque Municipale de Argeles-Gazost, Francia, hasta el lunes 22 de agosto.

Bajo el lema de "igualdad, libertad, fraternidad", la Revolucion Francesa marca el comienzo de la Edad Contemporanea. El principal contribuyente a la pintura Neoclasica fue Jacques-Louis David, quien comenzo el concepto de "artista comprometido".