Norwegian Epic II, at Sea

Norwegian Epic II, at Sea, watercolor, 6x12cm., available
While aboard the Norwegian Epic cruise ship, in October 2012, I painted some scenes of every day life at sea. I was going from Rome to Barcelona with my friend Mireille.

A couple of months ago, thinking of my friend Marisa, who was born in Bolzano, Italy, I read: CASANOVA IN BOLZANO, by Sandor Marai, a Hungarian writer who died in San Diego, California. I felt touched by the coincidences. I was in Budapest when I learned of him (although quite famous ), the title of his book includes "Bolzano", and he died in San Diego, where I live part of the year. I really liked the book, I found Marai very inspiring. Some quotations: "He knew that everything was of equal importance, because it is only the feelings we have about what we see that makes things seem different.".....and....."I gave everything a woman can give a man, passion and patience, children, excitement, peace, security, tenderness, freedom from care...."

Elizabeth, pastel portrait

Elizabeth, pastel portrait, 20x16, available at Doreen Mellen Studio, The Glashaus, 1815 Main Street, San Diego, California. Come see more of my paintings, and the beautiful ceramic artwork by Doreen Mellen.

When I was in Budapest, Hungary, this past July, doing an artist residency, I visited Saint Stephen Basilica. It is named so, in honor of the first king of Hungary, Stephen. In this beautiful basilica is the mummified hand of the very own Saint Stephen! Imagine that! The basilica has excellent acoustics, and I was able to attend and enjoy an evening concert there.

My Feet, 1994

My Feet, 1994 pencil on draft paper, 11x8.5.
I have been cleaning and organizing my old drawings and paintings. I have found some old drawings I didn't even remember I had. This is one of them: my feet, as they were in 1994, soon after left foot surgery. You can almost see the shadow of a scar.  Almost 20 years ago, time flies.

When I was in Budapest last July, I saw a short art film at the Ludwig Museum: "The Hero, The Heroine, and the Author", by Nemeth Ilona (for us, Ilona Nemeth, they use the last name first). It was about a common woman, having breakfast at home, reading the paper, going to the market....while constantly supervised by two armed men, body-builders dressed to kill, really! A comment on society today?

California Beach

California Beach, pastel, 16x20, available. Contact me at minnievalero@yahoo.fr

When I was in Budapest, Hungary, this past July, as a resident artist, I was able to visit  Sabi Silagi's exhibit: "From Zero to Zero and Back", at the Budapest Galeria Lajos Utca. Some of his work was good, very conceptual. Some was political, like this one:  a big frame with two small flags, one of Israel, one of Palestine, the names of the countries written underneath, then at the bottom it said "Buy One, Get One Free".

Together

Together, acrylic on canvas, 7x5 in. available at the Women's Museum of California, located at Barrack 16, Liberty Station, San Diego, California.

The Hungarian National Museum, in Budapest, Hungary, was founded in 1802. Among its treasures, they have Francisco de Goya's "La Aguadora", oil on canvas, painted around 1812, Velazquez "El Almuerzo", Monet's "Fishing Boats", Manet's "Lady with Fan", plus Van Gogh, Toulouse Loutrec, Kokoshka, Picasso, etc. What surprised me the most, was to learn that they have the largest collection of Goya paintings outside Madrid. This beautiful museum is in front of Hero's Square, right where the big city park starts. Highly recommended visit.

Alizarin and Friends

Alizarin and Friends, watercolor, 6x12cm, available
When I don't know what else to paint, I paint my paintbox! Alizarin Crimson is that pretty red you see there, the others are his friends...

Today I did a presentation at the Pastel Society of San Diego. I talked about doing sketchbooks, and showed them some of my sketchbooks from 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012. Second, I talked about my artist residency in Budapest, Hungary, this past July: my work, museum visits, and visits to some specific artists' studios in Budapest, like Nora Gergely. Nora is a conceptual artist I greatly admire, who works in Budapest.

Alizarin and Friends

Alizarin and Friends, watercolor, 6x12cm.
When I don't know what to paint, my left hand, my feet, or my watercolor box are all good subjects. This was done on a lonely night in France a month ago. Alizarin and friends are always with me.

Sorry I have not been writing on  my blog lately. I've been traveling and teaching workshops a lot. I will be doing a demo at the Pastel Society of San Diego meeting next December 2nd, at the Point Loma Library, from 2:00 to 4:00 pm. The topic will be sketchbooking, and I will also be talking about my experience as Resident Artist in Budapest, Hungary, this past July.
Hope to see you there!

New York Cafe II, Budapest, inkwash

New York Cafe II, Budapest, inkwash, 14x18cm. available.
New York Palace is a luxurius 5-star hotel in Budpest, on the ground floor is the New York Cafe, popular with writers and artists in a previous time, now mostly popular with tourists. Marble floors and columns, crystal chandeliers, a piano player at a baby grand piano, lure us inside for a cappuchino, or an ice-cream cake. Built between 1891-1895, this beautiful building still delights its customers today.

Massolit Cafe, Budapest, watercolor and ink

Massolit Cafe, Budapest, watercolor and ink, 14x18cm. Available.
I know it doesn't look like a cafe, but it is. It is also an English book-store, they have free wireless internet, and this lovely garden, where you can sit with a drink, read books forever or write your next book. There is another Massolit Cafe in Poland, so I had to identify this one, where I have been going often since I discovered it, near downtown Budapest, and my residence.

Tuesdays at Rudas Bath, watercolor

Tuesdays at Rudas Bath, Budapest, watercolor and ink, 14x18cm. available.
From Everything is Illuminated, by Jonathan Safran Foer: " Art is that thing having to do only with itself --the product of a successful attempt to make a work of art. Unfortunately, there are no examples of art, nor good reasons to think that it will ever exist. (Everything that has been made has been made with a purpose: I want to sell this, or I want this to make me famous and loved, or I want this to make me whole, or worse, I want this to make others whole.) And yet, we continue to write, paint, sculpt, and compose. Is this foolish of us?"

Turkish Baths, Budapest

Turkish Baths, Budapest, watercolor alla prima, on location, 14x18, available.
These beautiful baths date from the 16th C. The main part of the baths has an octogonal plunge pool and four small corner pools with water at different temperatures. The baths have been totally modernized in recent years, and now include a swimming pool for mixed bathing. The baths run certain days for women only and most days for men only.

Rudas Baths, Budapest, watercolor

Rudas Baths, Budapest, watercolor and ink, 14x18, available.
These are ancient baths, with very hot water (burning) if you'd take it naturally, so they cool the waters to different temperatures, you can choose your pool, or go a few minutes to each. Tuesdays is for women only, most other days is for men, and I think there is one day for mixed. So the exclusive one-sex days people have the option of wearing a bathing suit or not. I made several watercolors, and I had to work very fast, because the humidity in the air was such, that spontaneous droplets formed on my glasses, and on the paper!

Budapest National Gallery, watercolor

Budapest National Gallery, watercolor, 14x18cm. available.
I was at the National Gallery in Budapest when I painted this view, from a table in the cafeteria.
Something to think about: "Take your practiced powers and stretch them out until they spam the chasm between two contradictions."--- Reine Maria Rilke.

Martyr's Square, Budapest, watercolor

Martyr's Square, Budapest, watercolor, 14x18cm. available.
I was sitting on the Parliament side, waiting for the #2 Tramway, when I saw this small park, with beautiful trees, around some kind of bridge with a statue of a person standing on it. It looked quite appealing from the distance, so I made this watercolor sketch in my sketchbook without knowing what or who it was. Later I found out, this is a statue of Imre Nagy, ex- Prime Minister of Hungary, much loved by his country, who gave his life to support the people of Hungary, literally, he was assassinated. He now stands on the bridge, looking at Parliament.

Hard Rock Cafe, Budapest

Hard Rock Cafe, Budapest. watercolor, 14x18, available.
The other night, I went for a walk in the most touristic downtown area of Budapest. I had a cup of coffee at a bar across the street from the Hard-Rock Cafe, so I painted this watercolor from there.
Carl Jung has said: "The Soul Speaks in Images."

Sunset on the Danube II, inkwash

Sunset on the Danube II, inkwash, 14x18cm. available
You can see the Elizabeth Bridge, in Budapest, from this view point. Elizabeth is still a most adored queen in Hungary's past. You remember the story: "Sissi Emperatriz" was the movie I saw in Argentina as a young girl, and everybody knows "Sissy", as a most adorable young woman, playful, falling in love with her cousin, the next King of Hungary. Unfortunately, her life was not all roses after the first few years of marriage, she survived her husband's infidelities, the killing of her son, and was herself killed. The people of Hungary will always remember her as a lover of the common people. This is the beautiful white bridge with her name.

Sunset on the Danube III, inkwash

Sunset on the Danube III, inkwash, 14x18cm. available.
Same afternoon a few days ago, seating in the same place, just looking to the right, to the left, or in front of me, I managed to paint several ink-washes in a few minutes each. I am using the pens "Tombow", which are thin on one end, and brush-like at the other end. The ink bleeds quite well, so the minute you touch the design with a brush with water, it bleeds producing very nice effects.

Sunset on the Danube IV, inkwash

Sunset on the Danube IV, inkwash, 14x18cm. available. Just sitting there in this park along  the Danube in Budapest, as the sun was setting, they closed the umbrellas at the bar...the sky was so beautiful, the colors were amazing! That day I had left the residence with an ink pen, a little brush, and a very small bottle of water. I do like to vary my quick sketches, in different media. And working on VALUE only is a great exercise. I strongly recommend it. It's much easier to use color!

Sunset on the Danube V, ink wash

Sunset on the Danube V, sepia ink and water, 14x18cm. available.
Budapest, Hungary: Walking along the Danube, on a long and beautiful walk on the Pest side, at sunset, the tourists go out to dinner, and the independent sellers of tourist articles appear. This lady was offering beautifully embroidered tablecloths and napkins. Behind her, the Danube, and farther away, on the other side, you could see a couple of tunnels under the big hill that is Buda.

Bus-stop, Budapest, watercolor sketch

Bus-stop, Budapest, watercolor sketch, 14x18cm. available.
I had the opportunity of visiting the studio of Barabas Marton, a famous Hungarian artist whose work is in several museums here in Budapest. He works with piano pieces. Born in 1952 in Budapest, he creates dimensional work and painted illusions. He realizes unique, organic, constructive, intertwined or solitary geometric shapes, regular or irregular. Very interesting work! His next exhibition will be in Marseille, France, at the Book-Art Festival in October 2012.