MARSEILLE VIEW FROM THE MEDITERRANEAN, watercolor sketch

MARSEILLE, VIEW FROM THE MEDITERRANEAN, watercolor sketch in my sketchbook.

Please click to enlarge. On the right is the entrance to the port of Marseille, and on the left you can see the Cathedral: La Major, in the back ground, and in black le MUCEM, the most incredibly modern museum, inaugurated a few months ago.

I have been asked to write about my inspiration, and the artists that have inspired me. Delacroix and his travel sketchbooks have definitely been an inspiration for mine. I use ink and watercolors for my travel sketchbooks, and have a collection of them, since I started doing this, about 7 years ago. I have published a few as books, two are for sale at the moment: MY THREE LIVES: in Argentina, USA and France.  Also: LOOKING FORWARD, watercolors during my five week cruise to South America. Contact me for details: minnievalero@yahoo.fr 

WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD! acrylic on canvas

WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD! acrylic on canvas, 28x22, in exhibition and for sale at the restaurant/bar  Inn at the Park, Spruce and 6th St., San Diego, California. It seemed the perfect painting to start this New Year 2014. Happy New Year!

I was reading recently about Delacroix. He admired Rubens, was a great reader, and very curious. Eugene Delacroix was in constant search of new techniques.  He liked to prepare backgrounds, many of them, without any idea how he would later use them. Then, when he was ready to paint, he would look at the 20 or 30 backgrounds, and select the one to start his new painting.

Table `a Peinture de Delacroix

Table `a Peinture de Delacroix, watercolor in my travel journal. When I visited the Delacroix Museum in Paris a couple of months ago, I made this watercolor of his beautiful wood cabinet/table for his paints. I work from one made of aluminum and plastic from IKEA, very practical.
Table `a Peinture de Delacroix, acuarela en mi cuaderno de viajes. Cuando visite el Museo Delacroix en Paris hace un par de meses, pinte esta acuarela de la bellisima mesa/gabinete que el tenia para sus pinturas. Yo trabajo con una mesa de aluminio y plastico de IKEA, muy practica.

Merci mes Amies

Merci mes Amies, watercolor, 6x4" = 15x10 cm. Not available.
Musee National Eugene Delacroix, on Rue Fustenberg, Paris, occupies the last apartment and studio of the painter. He arrived at this apartment already sick, but moved in here to be closer to the church of Saint Sulpice, where he was working on a commission. He loved his new place, the day he moved in, in 1857, he wrote: "my place is decidedly charming...the view of the garden and the happy look of my studio gives me much joy."

Merci mes Amies, acuarela. No esta disponible.

El Musee National Eugene Delacroix, en la Rue Fustenberg, en Paris, ocupa el el ultimo departamento y estudio del pintor. El ya llego aqui enfermo, se habia mudado aqui para estar mas cerca de la iglesia de Saint Sulpice, donde estaba trabajando en una comision. El adoraba su casa nueva, el dia que su mudo, en 1857, escribio: "mi casa es decididamente encantadora...la vista del jardin y el aspecto feliz de mi estudio me dan mucha alegria."

Studio de Delacroix, Paris

Studio de Delacroix, Paris, watercolor, 4x6", 10x15 cm. Available: 40 Euros=60 US$. Painted "all prima", on location in the garden of Delacroix's home/studio/museum and garden, in Paris.
I will say with Oscar Wilde: "I have the simplest taste in the world: I'm content with the best."

Studio de Delacroix, Paris, acuarela.   Pintada "all prima", en el jardin de la casa/estudio/museo y jardin de Delacroix en Paris. Yo voy a decir como Oscar Wilde: "Tengo los gustos mas simples del mundo: Me contento con lo mejor."

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.