MARBELLA FOR GABRIELA, watercolors on black canvas

MARBELLA FOR GABRIELA, watercolors on black canvas, 16x20 in.

As I said in my previous post: "Sevilla for Gabriela", I prepared these two compositions of small watercolors as a special present for my daughter Gabriela, who lives in Sevilla and vacations in Marbella, Spain. These are watercolors done over several years, on my visits there. The last two, at the bottom of this collection, were done in the airplane one very early morning, leaving to Paris. I had both views, AT THE SAME TIME! to my left: the sky with the moon and an engine, to my right, the sun coming up on the horizon. It was incredible!!! I had to paint it!!!

TANGO DE LAS ESTRELLAS, acrylic on a map of Paris on canvas

TANGO DE LAS ESTRELLAS, acrylic on a map of Paris on canvas, 16x16 in, 40x40 cm.

One of the paintings in exhibition at the LATIN ART GALLERY, Jungmannova 17/3, Praha 1, Czech Republik. The exhibition starts today, you are invited to the Opening Reception today Thursday, November 6, 2014, at 18:00 hs (6:00 pm) Come for the wine, stay for the art!

Hope to see you here tonight!!Espero verlos aqui esta noche!! J'espere vous voir ici ce soir!!!!!

AU LAPIN AGILE, watercolor

Au Lapin Agile, 7x9 in. watercolor, in exhibition now at Petrini's Restaurant, Ash and India streets, Little Italy, San Diego, California. I've been exhibiting my paintings at Petrini's Restaurant since March 2006, when David Petrini opened its doors for the first time. I usually change the show twice a year, a shorter winter/holiday season exhibition, and a longer spring/summer/autumn exhibition.  Come to Petrini's for the art, and come for the food, delicious italian cooking by the Master Chef, David himself!

Au Lapin Agile is the famous bar-cabaret where the intellectuals, artists, writers, used to meet at the beginning of the 20th. C.  Paris. Coming down from Montmartre, this is the lovely view.

PARIS MAP UNDER BALBOA PARK, mixed media

Paris Map Under Balboa Park, 23x16 in, is a mixed media piece I painted a couple of years ago. I used a map of Paris as support, and painted a Balboa Park, in San Diego scene, making sure some areas of the map showed. It is an interesting piece, framed, in exhibition and for sale at the San Diego Art Institute,  Museum of the Living Artist, in Balboa Park, San Diego, California. This exhibition opens from November 18-December 8. Reception is on Saturday, November 23, 6:00-8:00 pm. Come all, come early!! Paintings are bought off the wall, and they sell fast!!

HOMME A VELO, inkwash alla prima, plein air

Homme à Velo, 7x7,  5 minute inkwash, alla prima, plein air, sitting at a coffee shop in Paris watching and sketching people passing by.

I recently read in the International Artist magazine, the following comment by John McCartin, an artist from Australia:
"My personal idea of success is to be in a position where I can fully develop my craft without having to spend large amounts of time doing other things. To come close to reaching my full potential as an artist while encouraging and inspiring other artists along the way."
I like this, I feel it also represents me, in a way.

GAUMONT, ALESIA, PARIS, inkwash

Gaumont, Alésia, Paris, inkwash 7x7 in.
Sitting at the corner cafe, Metro Alésia , having a cup of coffee in the morning, while watching people go by and sketching. That is the life in Paris!!!

One day last week I went to the Pinacothèque de Paris. The exhibition of Chu Teh-Chun, "Les Chemins de l'Abstraction", is magnificent! Chu Teh-Chun has lived in Paris for over 25 years. He says that it's all a matter of energy, the capacity of showing with a unique brushstroke that painting and poetry are one. He says he was impressed by reading Kandinsky: "Abstract art, far from being separated from nature, is more intimately closer to nature than art has ever been."

PONT DES INVALIDES, PARIS, inkwash

Pont des Invalides, Paris, inkwash 7x7"
Quick sketch standing on the side of the Seine near le Pont des Invalides. I love to make quick sketches directly with ink, in this case a very thin pen in sepia color, and afterwards I add a little color to the sketch. 5 minutes to do the sketch, 5 minutes to add a bit of color. It's a great exercise to "keep the hand warm" as Sorolla used to say and do.

Go ahead! Draw, sketch, paint and enjoy!

PETIT PALAIS, PARIS, watercolor

PETIT PALAIS, PARIS,  watercolor in my art notebook.

Le "petit" (small) Palais,  in Paris, was built for the 1900 Universal Exhibition, like its neighbor, the Grand Palais. It houses a magnificent collection of decorative murals and sculptures created between 1903 and 1925. The architect Charles Girault wanted to lend his building the grandeur and dignity of an official palace and created a program of work designed to glorify the city of Paris, and celebrate the benefits of art. This is the view from the garden, where I was sitting sketching in ink, and then put some color into it. I used sepia ink, then some watercolor. It is a huge, beautiful, very elegant building. Nothing in it is "petit", but it is smaller in comparison with the "grand" Palais. In the galleries around the garden, Paul Baudouin painted a huge vista of vines interspersed with medallions featuring the months of the year, and the hours of the day and night. Then three large sections of the vaulted ceiling are painted with feminine allegories of the Seasons. Gorgeous! Not to be missed!

DANS LA RUE, after Robert Bereny, watercolor

DANS LA RUE, after Robert Bereny, watercolor in my art notebook.
At the Musee d'Orsay, in Paris, I had the great opportunity of enjoying the temporary exhibition: "Béla Bartók and the Hungarian Modernity 1905-1920". In music and in painting, the same spirit of renewal was vibrating in Hungary and Paris. A group of Hungarian painters and the musician Bartók, were visiting Paris for different periods of time, enjoying the art scene Parisienne. This is Robert Bereny's masterpiece, in oil. I did a quick watercolor in my art notebook to remember this beautiful painting: Dans la Rue = En la calle.

ANNECY, FRANCE, watercolor

Annecy, France, watercolor 7x5 in.
Only the swans are missing! But at the moment I painted this small watercolor, the swans were somewhere else, I guess. They are often swimming around this area of Annecy, on the East of France.

I've just finished reading Katherine Pancol's LES YEUX JAUNES DES CROCODILES, original in French. The literal translation is: "The yellow eyes of crocodiles", but who knows how the offcial translation will be when it appears in English, or maybe it already has? It's a novel placed in Paris, France, about fear, low self-esteem, redemption, happiness, lies and truth, about men and women, about who we are and who we want to be, it's full of laughs and tears, it's about life. I enjoyed it very much, I recommend it, if you can find a translation.

LES VEDETTES DE LA NONETTE, acrylique on canvas,

LES VEDETTES DE LA NONETTE, acrylic on canvas, 81x100 cm.

La Nonette is a river in the area of Senlis and Chantilly, north of Paris. This painting and 23 others, are hanging at the Bibliothèque Municipal d'Argeles-Gazost, France. The solo show has started on October 1st, and tomorrow Friday, at 18:00 hs (6:00pm) is the Vernissage (opening reception) at the Bibliothèque. YOU ARE ALL INVITED!!!

I've just finished reading: LA LISTE DE MES ENVIES (The list of my desires) by Grégoire Delacourt. The story of a haberdashery owner, who comes into fortune, but keeps it to herself...for a while. She questions the benefits and problems of being able to offer oneself everything one can desire. It is a beautiful story, which invites us to revisit our own list of wishes and desires. I strongly recommend it.

THE GRAND CANAL, Venice, Italy, watercolor

THE GRAND CANAL, Venice, Italy, watercolor in my art notebook.

Venice, Italy, and Yangzhou, China, are both cities that "grew from canals". The Grand Canal between Beijing and Hangzou is the earliest and longest man-made waterway in the world. For La Biennale di Venezia, 11 Chinese artists were invited to present. Wang Du's installation, as my small watercolor above shows, represents a bathtub, with a Yamaha motor off board. It's title is: "Love in the Time of Cholera", like the experiences of the hero and heroine of the novel, he points out that the only survival instinct of mankind is fearless romanticism and idealism. Wang Du lives and works in Paris, France.

PARIS, LA TOUR EIFFEL II

Paris, La Tour  Eiffel II, watercolor, 5x6 in. available at Gallery 21: "Small Image Show", Spanish Village Art Center in Balboa Park, San Diego, California.

The Small Image Show runs from January 23 to February 25, it is open daily 11am to 4pm. You are invited to the Reception, this coming Saturday, January 26, 4:00-8:00pm.  I hope to see you there!

Paris, Eiffel Tower I

Paris, Eiffel Tower I, oil on canvas, 12x9 in, available, contact me.
This is one of three oil paintings in exhibition now at La Jolla Art Association Gallery, La Jolla, California. The Opening Reception is Friday 21st, from 6:30-8:00 pm. You are all invited! I hope to see you there!

I love to walk in Paris and find hidden, interesting views of the Eiffel Tower. I have sketched that tower at all times of the day, from a hundred different places. Here is another view! Enjoy! I usually sketch in pencil, pens, and watercolors, filling up many travel journals with my value sketches and watercolors. Then sometimes I do a larger painting in my studio.

Paris, La Concergerie

Paris, La Concergerie, watercolor, 8x10, available. I arrived yesterday. Paris is a city of lights, of art, of music, and more than anything else, of dreams. My feet may hurt from walking so much, but my heart....ah! my heart is singing! Paris, je t'aime!
On the plane, I saw a video titled: "Picasso, influence on the development of Modern Art in England". It was very interesting. They said that Picasso visited England only once in his life, for several months, and he left vowing never to return, and he didn't. He found Brittish art "pretty",  Yet, his influence in Brittish Modern Art has been enormous, particularly his influence on Henry Moore, Francis Bacon, and Sutherland, who took the theme of crucificion after Picasso's style. Picasso's 1st major retrospective in the 1960's in London brought major visitors, including David Hockney, who loved Picasso's works.

Gaslamp Quarter over Paris

Gaslamp Quarter over Paris, acrylic and collage San Diego, California scene over a map of Paris. 17x23". Available.  This is one of the paintings at Gallery 21, Spanish Village Art Center, Balboa Park, San Diego, California show: Minnie Valero and Mariko Irie 2012.  Open every day from 11:00am to 5:00pm. Come see our show!!!

Paris, Eiffel Tower V

Paris, Eiffel Tower V, oil on canvas, 12x9, available.
If you would like to see the originals of my work, here is where you can at this moment:
--La Jolla Art Association, La Jolla, California.
--San Diego Watercolor Society, San Diego, California.
--Gallery 21, Spanish Village, San Diego, California.
--San Diego Art Institute, San Diego, California.
--Petrini's Restaurant, San Diego, California.
--Agence Bordenave, Cauterets, France.
More shows coming up soon, I'm always updating my website:www.minnievaleroart.com
Thank you so much for your interest and support!

Paris, Eiffel Tour II

Paris, Eiffel Tower II, (2012-002) oil on canvas, 12x9, (30x23cm.) Available.
Paris, the city of dreams, the city of light, the city of art, wine and cheese, coffee and watching people walk by, the Metro, Montparnasse, Montmartre, the Louvre, the Musee d'Orsay....painters on the street, tourists on the streets, people to get you on the streets: "Madam, is this gold ring yours?" I was asked many times one day...it seems that different people kept finding on the ground a gold ring that could have been mine???
Paris, I miss you always when I'm not with you. I love you when I'm with you.

Paris View

Paris View, watercolor, 12x5" (30x13cm.) One of my Paris series. Sold yesterday at La Jolla Art Gallery, California.
In "Styles in Painting", Paul Zucker says: "originality develops only with growth".  "Original forms of expression will arise under preassure of some urgent spiritual need." Food for thought.
Paris View, acuarela, una de mis pinturas de la serie Paris. Vendida ayer en La Jolla Art Gallery, California. En "Styles in Painting", Pau Zucker dice: "la originalidad se desarrolla solo con el crecimiento". "Formas originales de expresion apareceran bajo la presion de una necesidad espiritual urgente." Algo para pensar.

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."