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!

COUNTDOWN JOURNAL ENTRIES, Hawaii Cruise, ink and watercolor

COUNTDOWN JOURNAL ENTRIES, Hawaii Cruise, ink and watercolor.

The last day of our Hawaii cruise in January, coming back to L.A. , we stopped in Ensenada, Mexico. I bought some "praliné" from this lady, took a picture of her cooking-roasting it, then painted this watercolor sketch in my cabin. Late that night, we put our suitcases by our door, to be taken out at sunrise when we arrived in Los Angeles, San Pedro port.  On the right is a watercolor and ink sketch of our suitcases. Done. The trip is over, back home.

Don't ever forget: "YOU NEVER TAKE A TRIP. A TRIP TAKES YOU!!!" anonymous, and true!

Antonio String Quartet, ink and watercolor sketch

Antonio String Quartet, ink and watercolor sketch in my journal. This String Quartet played daily in different parts of the Star Princess ship, where we were cruising from Los Angeles to Hawaii in January. They were awesome!

According to Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, when you write a goal you MUST have a deadline. A goal without a deadline is not a goal, he said, but just a wish.

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.......

LOOKING FORWARD, watercolor

Looking Forward, watercolor, 4x6 in. (10x15cm.)
South American Cruise , watercolor 1

Sorry for not publishing my blog for over a month. I was in a cruise aboard Carnival "Splendor", featured here above. We left the port of San Pedro, near Los Angeles, California, on February 3rd. I brought my watercolors with me. We were three couples friends from before, in a cruise ship with 3,000 passengers. I will now start blogging about the 6 week trip, starting in Los Angeles on the Pacific Ocean, and ending in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on the Atlantic Ocean. Come along!!!!!

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!

Cassius in June

Cassius in June, watercolor, 6x4". Painted plein-air in my daughter's backyard yesterday, while Cassius was playing, laughing, drinking lemonade, and jumping in the pool. Cassius is 5 years old, and has recently graduated from Kindergarten. Yesterday Sunday was Father's Day in California. It was very warm in the San Fernando Valley, and about 20 degrees Farenheit less in Los Angeles and San Diego, near the beaches. It is amazing that in just an hour or two drive you can have such a difference in temperature.

Impossible Things

"There is no use trying, one can't believe impossible things..." said Alice in Wonderland, page 6 of my Travel With Minnie Sketchbook 2011. It is now doing the World Tour, it just left Los Angeles, for Oakland.  You can see this one and many other sketchbooks from June 1st to the 20th at the Pop Up Library, Oakland, California. The Sketchbook Project people are extremely well organized, young, fun, responsible, friendly and helpful. You can't miss it!

The Gift and the Work by Emile Zola

"The Artist is Nothing without the Gift, THE GIFT IS NOTHING WITHOUT THE WORK" quote by Emile Zola. These are the following pages of my TRAVEL WITH MINNIE 2011 sketchbook. Mine and hundreds other sketchbooks are doing a "World Tour", in the USA and Canada, for several months, then they will rest permanently in the Broklyn Art Library, in Brooklyn, New York. This coming weekend, May 25th and 26th, they will be available for checking them out and reading at iam8bit, 2417 Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, California. Come check it out!

Beauty Suspends the Desire to be Elsewhere

"Beauty Suspends the Desire to be Elsewhere", (Ian Roberts)second page of my sketchbook: Travel With Minnie. Written and painted in 2011, it is making the Tour of the USA and Canada during 2012, to return at the end of the year to the Brooklyn Art Library, in Brooklyn, New York, where it will become part of their permanent collection. You can see the original sketchbook, touch it and read it this weekend  at  iam8bit, 2417 Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, California. Come to the Opening Reception Party, Friday May 25th, from 7-10pm. I will be there! See you !

Driving to L.A. in the Rain II

Driving to L.A. in the Rain II, watercolor, 4x6" (10x15cm.). This painting and the one I published yesterday were painted on the same trip from San Diego to Los Angeles, California, in the car, in the rain, while my husband was driving. I paint every day, but I usually don't publish the painting the same day, since it requires photographing the painting, and downloading the image to my laptop before I can use it.
The statistics of my Blog say I have about 200 visitors a day from all over the world. If you like my work, please become a follower.
Driving to L.A. in the Rain II (Conduciendo a L.A. en la lluvia II ) Esta pintura y la que publique ayer fueron pintadas en el mismo viaje de San Diego a Los Angeles, California, en el auto, en la lluvia, mientras mi esposo conducia. Yo pinto todos los dias, pero generalmente no publico la pintura hech en ese mismo dia, puesto que debo fotografiarla y bajar la imagen a mi laptop antes de usarla.
Las estadisticas de mi Blog dicen que tengo alrededor de 200 visitantes por dia, de todo el mundo. Si te gusta mi trabajo, por favor, hazte un "follower".

Driving to L.A. in the Rain

Driving to L.A. in the Rain, watercolor, 4x6" (10x15cm.) This is what I do while my husband drives: I paint, no matter the weather. A word about Complimentary Colors: they set up a tension in the nervous system of the eye, making each color appear more exciting, and more intense. Think of Van Gogh's blue and orange! Think of the shopping enticements coming up soon, with decorations in green and red!
Driving to L.A. in the Rain, (Conduciendo a Los Angeles en la lluvia) acuarela. Esto es lo que hago mientras mi esposo conduce: Yo pinto, no importa que tiempo hace. Una palabra sobre los Colores Complementarios: ellos establecen tension en el sistema nervioso del ojo, haciendo que cada color aparezca mas excitante, y mas intenso. Piensa en Van Gogh, y sus azules y naranjas! Piensa en las atracciones de compras que vendran pronto, con decoraciones en rojo y verde!