Horton Plaza, Sunday morning sketch, watercolor

HORTON PLAZA, Downtown San Diego, California, Sunday morning sketch, 6x8 in. Photo taken on the bricks of the plaza.

It's so much fun to sketch with the Urban Sketchers group. This is a dedicated, serious group of artists. After two hours of quietly sketching, We take pictures of our work and ourselves. We all learn from each other.
"Art is the most intense mode of individualism that the world has known." -- Oscar Wilde (1854-1900)

KEN GOLDMAN SKETCHING, pen on paper, alla prima

Ken Goldman Sketching, pen on paper on my art-notebook, live and alla prima at the La Jolla Riford Library. Ken was doing a portrait from a live model, as demonstration for the San Diego Portrait Society. I sketched the sketcher.

Ken Goldman is an internationally known artist, author, teacher and juror. He was teaching us while he was doing a beautiful portrait of his model. He taught us about the Elements of Design, the Principles of Design, and most importantly, by example. He is extremely talented, and humble. It was a pleasure to attend his lecture and demonstration. Thank you, Ken Goldman!

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.

PARC D'ARGELES-GAZOST, FRANCE, watercolor alla prima

Parc d'Argeles-Gazost, France, watercolor, 4x10 in.

Just walking around Argeles-Gazost, I stopped and sat for a while at the beautiful park, did this little watercolor, and continued my walk. Happiness is enjoying the small things in life. The birds are flying south from the Pyrénées to the north coast of Africa. Autumn is changing the dress on the trees, every day the greens are more yellowish and orange.

We are hanging the show today, at the Bibliotheque d'Argeles-Gazost. The new exhibition starts tomorrow: "Le Mystere de l'Eau/Agua/Water". They are mostly watercolors of water scenes in Sweden, Italy and France, with two pastel portraits, two women.

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.

Mission Bay Friend, watercolor

Mission Bay Friend, watercolor, plein air, 5x4". Available. Mission Bay is a place in San Diego, California, where locals and tourists alike walk, hike, run, or just sit and enjoy the view. Friendly visitors fly in and out, hoping for a scrap of food or a piece of bread.

Catedral de Burgos III, watercolor alla prima

Catedral de Burgos III, Spain,  watercolor alla prima, 6x4, available.
In the January-February issue of Artists Magazine, there is a recommendation I highly support: "Spend time at a museum. Aspire not to copy, but to seek what they sought.  They depth of your art will be in direct proportion to your love and understanding of your subject." And I add: keep a record of that museum visit, write notes, copy/sketch one of the masterpieces that struck you the most, study it, analyze each stroke, learn.  Your next paintings will reflect what you have learnt.

Alcazar de Sevilla, watercolor alla prima

Alcazar de Sevilla, Spain, watercolor alla prima, 4x6" (10x15cm.) Available.
When the king and queen of Spain visit Sevilla, they stay here. Over 700 years ago, the Moors lived here, and they had built this palace with lavish gardens, water-fountains, and beautifully decorated walls, ceilings, gates and patios. It's an amazing place to visit and spend an entire day immersed in centuries old beauty. When I go to Sevilla, I love to spend at least an afternoon in the Alcazar, and paint a couple of watercolors. This one is a small sketch from 2010.

Brioude Sketch II

Brioude Sketch II, France, watercolor, 9x6", available. Painted alla prima last July, during the Brioude International Watercolor Festival.
What's the importance of William Blake(1757-1827)? To most people he was a mad artist on the fringes of art and society. His motto was: "Imagination, the divine vision." He was a painter, a poet, a genius. He followed no school, he was independent. With him, the cult of the artist-genius begins.

I'm not ready

I'm not ready, watercolor, 9x6" (23x15cm.) Available. Painted alla prima, from the live model, in San Diego, California.
Francis Bacon (1909-1992) painted his own suffering, reflected in the deformations of the human body, as mirror of his own pain. To each his/her own!