INTROSPECTION, acrylic on canvas, 36x36"

INTROSPECTION, 36x36" acrylic on canvas.
Day 4 of the Challenge. I did not paint this today, it took me a couple of weeks. It is the first time I share this painting in my blog. Enjoy! It is one of the 36x36" paintings for my solo show TRANSITIONS, taking place in February at The Glashaus Main Space Gallery, in San Diego, California.

MEDUSA, acrylic over ceramic mask over black canvas

MEDUSA, 16x20 in. black canvas- ceramic mask, painted with acrylics, glued to the canvas. The result is pretty striking.

My ceramist friend and studio neighbor Doreen Mellen made the mask, which I glued to a black canvas, and painted in acrylics. We had fun with this collaboration. It is in exhibition and for sale at The Glashaus Studios and Gallery, 1815 Main Street, San Diego, California. Come visit us!

KATHLEEN'S FIRE, pastel portrait on Canson paper

KATHLEEN'S FIRE, pastel portrait on Canson paper, 28x22 in., a portrait of Kathleen Mitchell, glass blower extraordinaire, at The Glashaus.

Big event today Saturday, March 14, at The Glashaus, Kathleen's exhibition of her beautiful production. Come today, wonderful music, good food, and her fantastic artwork. Most studios will be open, too, including mine, all afternoon and evening. The Glashaus: 1815 Main Street, San Diego 92113. From the 5 fwy, exit Cesar Chavez Ave. See you tonight!

DOREEN'S MAGIC, pastel portrait on Canson paper

DOREEN'S MAGIC, pastel portrait on Canson paper, 28x22 in. It can be viewed in Doreen Mellen's studio at The Glashaus, in San Diego, California. Doreen is a gifted ceramist, originally from Tasmania, Australia.

She works her magic in white ceramic, day and day out. She's a true artist, because as one of my professor's at the University of California once said: "If you work with your hands, you are a laborer, if you work with your hands and your brains, you are a professional, if you work with your hands, your brains, and your heart, you are an artist."

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.

WILD BEAUTY, oil on canvas and ceramic

WILD BEAUTY, oil on canvas painting with ceramic "hair" glued to the canvas, 24x36, in exhibition and available for purchase at THE GLASHAUS, 1815 Main Street, San Diego, California.

This art piece is part of a collaborative exhibition by the artists at The Glashaus Studios and Gallery. We combined our artistic skills and crazy ideas, and came up with new work we had not even imagined before we started! We surprised each other and ourselves. The result was a fantastic collaboration of different media never attempted before. It was awesome! It is a beautiful show, only two more weeks.

watercolor with wine wednesdays

WATERCOLOR WITH WINE WEDNESDAYS, during January, February and March 2015, at THE GLASHAUS, noon to 5pm. First class FREE, afterwards $ 35 for three hours, $ 45 for 5 hs. Come paint with me in my studio! Bring your own material, I provide the wine! All levels welcome. Register at: minnievalero@yahoo.fr, or 619-240-6092.

Above: Tango Callejero, watercolor, 30x22 in. , in exhibition at THE GLASHAUS, 1815 Main Street, San Diego, California 92113. Part of the exhibit: DANCING INTO THE NEW YEAR, during the month of January 2015.

DANCING INTO THE NEW YEAR, watercolor and acrylic paintings

DANCING INTO THE NEW YEAR, watercolor and acrylic paintings of tango dancers and musicians, a solo show exhibition in the Main Hall of The Glashaus, from January 3rd to January 25th, 2015. The Glashaus: 1815 Main Street, San Diego, California.

Opening Reception on Saturday, January 10th, 2015, from 5:00-8:00pm. 
I hope to see you there!

LA JOLLA SUNSET II, acrylic

LA JOLLA SUNSET II, acrylic on canvas, 22x28.
Painted in La Jolla, California, last month. It is in exhibition in my studio at The Glashaus, 1815 Main Street, San Diego, CA 92113. Visits to my studio are available by appointment only, since I am painting in France at the moment. To make an appointment, call Ernesto Aeberhard: (USA) 949-338-1446.

Next week, a three hour workshop at La Raillère, Cauterets, France, 2:00-5:00 pm. To register, send me an email or contact the library in Cauterets: (France) 05.62.92.59.96.

La semaine prochaine, un stage de peinture à La Raillère, Cauterets, France, 14:00-17:00 hs. Enregistrement à la bibliothèque de Cauterets, France: 05.62.92.59.96 ou envoyez moi an email.

NICE, FRANCE, watercolor

NICE, FRANCE, watercolor, 5x7"
This small watercolor was painted on location in Nice a couple of years ago. It is framed, and available in my studio-gallery at The Glashaus, in San Diego, California.

Remember: Balance, Unity, Movement, Proportion, Emphasis are the keys to your composition. And simplify, simplify, simplify!

REFUGEE, pastel on velour board

REFUGEE, pastel portrait on velour board, 10x8 in. Today, this portrait won the Award of Excellence. This brings me to Signature Member status at the San Diego Portrait Society.

My upcoming events:
Next Tuesday, May 13: I am giving a demonstration for the North County Society of Fine Art, starting at 1:00.- The topic will be: Sketching while Traveling. Everybody welcome!
Next Wednesday, May 14:  Pastel portrait workshop at my studio-gallery in THE GLASHAUS, 1815 Main Street, San Diego 92113.- 10:00am to 1:00 pm. To register call: 619-240-6092 or email me: minnievalero@yahoo.fr  Space is limited, register early!
Next Friday, May 16: Watercolor workshop at my studio-gallery in THE GLASHAUS, 1815 Main Street, San Diego 92113.- 10:00 to 1:00 - to register call or email: 619-240-6092 or minnievalero@yahoo.fr   Space is limited, register early!

HOPE, pastel on velour board, 20x16

HOPE, pastel on velour board, 20x16, winner of award at the San Diego Portrait Society, and selected for Poster of the Year 2011 by the Bilateral Corridor Coalition,  sold.

I will be teaching two new classes starting this week: PASTEL PORTRAIT CLASSES, on Wednesdays, starting Wednesday, May 7th, throughout May and June. Classes will be at my new studio-gallery at THE GLASHAUS, 1815 Main Street, San Diego 92113. Three hour session:
10:00am -1:00pm, for $ 30.- a  session, maximum 5 students. All levels.

Also: WATERCOLOR CLASSES, on Fridays, starting Friday May 9th, throughout May and June. Same place, my studio-gallery at THE GLASHAUS, 1815 Main Street, San Diego 92113. Three hour session: 10:00-1:00, for $ 30.- a session, maximum 5 students. All levels.
TO REGISTER, CONTACT MINNIE AT: 619-240-6092, OR minnievalero@yahoo.fr  

PUNTARENAS II, COSTA RICA, watercolor on Hungarian paper

PUNTARENAS II, COSTA RICA, 5x7 in. watercolor on Hungarian paper, sold to a lovely lady yesterday afternoon at the Glashaus, studio and gallery, 1815 Main Street, San Diego, California.

I've just finished reading GRAIN BRAIN, by Dr. Perlmutter. I've learned that my brain weighs 3 pounds, and has 100,000 miles of blood vessels, contains more connections than there are stars in the Milky Way, and how apparently there is a direct correlation between the amount of wheat and gluten consumed, and problems in your brain, from headaches to other serious diseases. Amazing book! Very interesting! I recommend it!

FRIDA WITH A PEARL EARRING, acrylic on canvas

FRIDA WITH A PEARL EARRING, acrylic on canvas, 36x24, available
Strange? Familiar yet unrecognizable? Weird?
All of the above?
Frida Kahlo's face, with Vermeer's famous Girl with a Pearl Earring's clothing and scarves. A blend of Europe and Mexico, old and new, a beautiful passive girl and a rebellious hairy pioneer woman.

The perfect mix to grace the entrance to my new studio at THE GLASHAUS, 1815 Main Street, Barrio Logan, San Diego, California.

Secretos

Secretos, watercolor on Yupo, 14x11, available at The Glashaus, Doreen Mellen Studio, 1815 Main Street, San Diego, California. The inspiration for this painting were my grand-daughters Alejandra and Marina, who live in Sevilla, Spain.

How do you get a style? It is the total sum of all the workshops you've taken, shows and  museum visits, art books, art magazine articles you've read, comments from instructors, friends, and your own observation and practice over time. Paint often, read a lot, visit museums, art galleries, share. Joaquin Sorolla used to say: "keep the hand warm" (by practice).

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.