L'ESPLANADE DES OEUFS, Cauterets, France, watercolor

L'ESPLANADE DES OEUFS, Cauterets, France, watercolor, 16x24 in.
Started as a demonstration painting at the "Esplanade", an open area in the center of town in Cauterets, France, I later finished this painting in the studio. It is now hanging at the show in the Library in Cauterets. Come see the show! The two weeks of watercolor workshops just finished today.

La semaine prochaine, le cours de pastel commence: mardi, mercredi et jeudi, 15:00-18:00 hs. Enregistrement à la Bibliothèque de Cauterets, ou appellez: 07.81.96.24.15 le cours est au Club House, près du tennis.  Matèriel fourni, 60 Euros/persone, 10 personnes maximum. Merci.

La Fille d'Elise, pastel portrait

La Fille d'Elise, pastel portrait, 16x24 in.
Completed last month, and brought to the town of Sireix, in the French Pyrénées, for her parents.  This young woman died very young, soon after her baby son was born. Her parents were happy with the portrait.

Before you start a painting, in whatever medium you are using, watercolor, pastel, acrylic or oil, you must first consider the composition. Where will you place your subject? What will be your most important area in the painting? Cold or warm colors? How will you arrange the different shapes? There is a lot to consider before you pick up the brush or the piece of chalk, or the pencil. Usually, when you start painting, the painting is already done in your head.

WINDS OF CHILDHOOD, pastel on velour board

WINDS OF CHILDHOOD, pastel on velour board, 16x20 in. Available.
This painting was based on a series of photographs taken of me and my son. He was crying because something hurt his foot, walking in the garden. I was trying to see what happened, and help him feel better. Tomorrow is MOTHER'S DAY in the U.S. Happy Mother's Day everybody!!

I am finishing the book: CARAVANS, by James Michener. It's awesome, excellent, brilliant! A novel of Afghanistan, very interesting, a page turner, and beautiful! I strongly recommend it.

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  

THE MASTER AT WORK, pastel on black Canson paper

THE MASTER AT WORK, pastel on black Canson paper, 12x9 in
This is a portrait of international DJ Dan DeLeon. He's playing in several venues in California this month, then he does an Asia tour:  Beijing, Singapour, Shanghai. He will return to California for a few days, before embarking on his playing tour of South America: Mexico, Colombia, Brazil and Argentina. Check him out! Get your tickets early!

This painting will be in exhibition  at the Pastel Society of San Diego Members show at the Point Loma Library, in San Diego, California,  from May 3rd till August 3rd. Reception will be announced soon. Stay tuned!

LAUREL II, pastel portrait on suede board

LAUREL II, pastel portrait on suede board, 20x16 in.
I painted Laurel's portrait in 2007. Her unfortunate brain cancer and untimely death some months later, at 13 years old, was a tragedy. The family was devastated.

I didn't know what happened to the portrait for several years. I found it last year in a very poor condition. For seven years that portrait must have been exposed to strong light, humidity, and a lot of movement , to judge by its condition. I offered to "fix" it, still not sure how I would do it, but it was very sad to see the state that portrait was in.

 I have been working over my original Laurel's portrait for some weeks now, and finally was able to make it look similar to the original. So this is the "fixed" version, finished today, of that original portrait painted seven years ago, and later ruined.

UN POQUITO MAS, pastel

UN POQUITO MAS, pastel on Fabriano paper, 20x14in.
In exhibit at Museo  San Ramon, Costa Rica, till Monday 24th. Enjoy!

A LA ESCUELA, PANAMA, pastel

A la Escuela, Panama, 16x12 pastel painting, you can see it and purchase it at Kettner Arts Studio and Galery, 1772 Kettner Street, San Diego, California.

The Chinese painter and poet Sou Zhi (1035-1101) believed that painting and poetry were one and the same. Each painting becomes a symphony. Zhang Can, painter from the Tang dynasty (618-907) said: "The imitation of nature, the exterior form, is not the essential thing. The essence is born from the source that resides in the heart of the painter."

NATALIE OF PALMIRA, pastel

Natalie of Palmira, pastel, 16x12 in. In exhibition and for sale at Women's Museum of California, San Diego, California.

Will Gompertz, director of the Tate Gallery for seven years, has recently published the book: WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT?, 150 years of Modern Art in the Blink of an Eye.  The book is written in a fun and casual way, yet with excellent ideas, information, and profound comments. One of the best things about this book is the chart of the art movements and "isms" of the past 150 years. Strongly recommend it!

A LA ESCUELA II, PANAMA, pastel on Canson paper

A LA ESCUELA II, PANAMA, pastel on Canson paper, 12x18 in.
Painted a couple of years ago, while I was in Boquete, Panama, surrounded by Panameñan people from different ancestry: Spanish, and Gnobe-Bugle. This girl is wearing the typical dress of the Gnobe-Bugle women, in bright colors, and decorated with ribbons in zig-zag. Also, the cut of the dress seems to be made to de-emphasize the "feminine curves", yet this young girl attracted my eye as she walked past me, on her way to school.

I was able to quickly capture her image with my camera, and later I painted her in pastel (this version here) and in oil on burlap coffe bag. Enjoy!

LES FRERES, pastel

Les Freres, (The Brothers), pastel, 16x20in.

"Every portrait that one paints with soul is a portrait, not of the model, but of the artist."--Oscar Wilde.

"A painting is a poem that one can see instead of feel, and poetry is a painting that one can feel instead of seeing it." --Leonardo da Vinci.

"It's the canvas of nature that the imagination has embroidered." --Voltaire

THE MASTER AT WORK, pastel

The Master at Work, pastel, 12x9 in.
This is a pastel painting of internationally known DJ Dan DeLeon, who can often be seen playing at the best night clubs in San Diego, Los Angeles, Palm Springs, in California, or in Shanghai, Singapore, Brazilia, or Barcelona, as his music takes him.

It was not love that Paul Gauguin searched in Tahiti, but paradise. He found in such luxurious vegetation, an explosion of colors...and the absence of temptation.
---It is a land, --he assured his friends-- where there are no snakes and no apples. For that reason, the women there are not dangerous. 

from Les Mots les Plus Drôles de L'Histoire, by Bernadette de Castelbajac.

MIDNIGHT IN LAPLAND-JUNE 18

Midnight in Lapland-June 18, pastel, 9x12 (22x31 cm.)

Now you have an idea of the varietes of "midnight sunsets" I can see from my front door and windows, if  you look at my last few posts. Unfortunately, last night, June 19, it was so cloudy and dark, that it didn't look like an interesting painting.

Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio perfected the Chiaroscuro, the use of lights and shadow for dramatic effect. Following his work, we can use the following guidelines:
-Choose a subject
-Decide on a design and composition for it
-Do a color study.......................................................Now, GET TO WORK!

MIDNIGHT IN LAPLAND-JUNE 17, pastel

Midnight in Lapland-June 17, pastel, 9x12 (22x31 cm.)

I just finished reading ALICE BLISS, by Laura Harrington. The story of a 15 year old girl, smart, funny, not afraid to stand up for what she believes in. She idealizes her father. When he goes to war, her coming of age painfully, dramatically, starts. Very entertaining!

Marc Chagall said: "If you work with your heart, everything goes well."

MIDNIGHT IN LAPLAND-JUNE 16, pastel

Midnight in Lapland-June 16, pastel, 9x12 in (22x30 cm.)

Continuing my series of Midnight in Lapland pastel skies, here is the sky a couple of "nights" ago. Well...not totally night, since after this, the light travels behind the mountains to the right of the painting, for about an hour and 15 or 20 minutes, then the light starts coming back up, having made an arc of about 45 degrees behind the mountains, from here. Then, at about 1:45 or 2 in the morning, the light becomes stronger and the sun starts coming up. Next Friday 21st is "Midsummer" called here in Sweden. The shortest night and the longest day. Celebrations are all over Sweden, with song, dance, music, drink and cakes. I am very much looking forward to that.

MIDNIGHT IN LAPLAND-JUNE 1ST, pastel

Midnight in Lapland-June 1st, pastel, 12x9 (30x22 cm)

Every night I'm flabbergasted by the beauty of the sky near midnight,  and its reflection on the Kultsjön Lake. I run around the house taking pictures from different windows, or from the front porch, or the side. So a couple of days ago I decided to start painting those midnight suns in pastel. I started by my first night here, June 1st. This was midnight sunset on June 1st.

I've been painting the midnight sun for the past three nights, and plan to continue doing so for at least a week. Some of them will make it to this blog. So stay tuned!

SÁMI GRANDMOTHER, pastel

Sámi Grandmother, pastel, 12x9 in (30x23 cm.)

The Sámi are the native population of Lapland, in Northern Sweden. Like any native population in the world, they have been misunderstood, mistreated, their rights ignored, their land invaded and stolen by the "civilized" groups that came later to the land. These "newcomers" are us, who think in terms of "conquering" nature. The Sámis live IN nature, with it, respecting it. In Lapp mythology there are seven female divine beings, and three of them are most important, the daughters of Maadter-Aahkka--the Earth Mother. The word Aahka means something good and safe, grandmother. Aahka is also an honorary title and symbol of respect.

KISS ME , pastel on board

Kiss Me, pastel portrait on board, 10x8 in., available.
For a painting to be successful, one must have:
1. A solid composition
2. An interesting color combination
3. A personal representation of objects
4. A desire to innovate
Enjoy! Now go paint! Then paint some more...

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.