JUNE LAKE LIBRARY, ink and watercolor sketch

JUNE LAKE LIBRARY, ink and watercolor sketch in my sketchbook.
Spending time in the town of June Lake, in northern California, I visited the enchanting thrift shop and the library. The librarian, a lovely lady called Vanisia, was very friendly and welcoming. We talked about watercoloring, sketching, and how you comcentrate and pay so much more attention to details when you have to draw something, than when you are just looking.

BIRDWATCHING FROM JEAN'S WINDOW, ink and watercolor

BIRDWATCHING FROM JEAN'S WINDOW, ink and watercolor in my sketchbook. "oh, baby, it's cold outside!" While in here we are warm, reading, sketching, and enjoying the variety of birds that come to the birdfeeders just outside the living room window in Jean's house.

A real treat, to start the year like this, snowing in June Lake, California. Happy New Year!

RAINBOW FALLS SKETCH, ink and watercolor

RAINBOW FALL SKETCH, ink and watercolor in my sketchbook.

Painted during Dr. Sharon Faff's conference about Hawaii, the big island, aboard Crown Princess cruiseship. I love to write comments, a summary of something she said, and sketch some of the slides/photographs she was showing during her explanations. One of the best thing of Princess Cruises is the lectures on board, by excellent experts, who are well informed and fun.

WAIMEA CANYON, Kawaii, watercolor on gray paper

WAIMEA CANYON, Kawaii, 7.5x10 "(19x25 cm.) watercolor on gray paper

TECHNIQUE: As I like to experiment with different surfaces, this watercolor was painted on gray paper, its surface intended for pencil, crayon and pastels. I challenged myself to see how I could work it with watercolor. I had to use white gouache for the whites, since the surface was gray, but it worked, as you can see! This is one of the paintings in my large Carnet de Voyage, created by Alvaro Castagnet. Alvaro is a fantastic watercolorist from Uruguay.

Nick Kolesnikow, painter, ink and watercolor sketch

NICK KOLESNIKOW, PAINTER, ink and watercolor sketch , 7x7 ".

My friend Nick and I painted often aboard Crown Princess cruiseship, in our recent trip to Hawaii, Samoa, and the Tahiti islands in the South Pacific. I kept a sketchbook of activities, views, lectures, visits, and books read during the voyage;  nothing escapes my pen and watercolor brushes! If you stand still for a few minutes, I get you!!!!

RICHARD STARGULZ, portrait painter demonstrator at SDPS, ink sketch

RICHARD STARGULZ, oil portrait painter demonstrator at San Diego Portrait Society last Thursday. I did this ink sketch of him during his demonstration, in my sketchbook/notebook, where I was making some notes. People ask him questions, about what color he uses, what canvas, etc. When they asked him about his brushes, he said which was his favorite kind:
"ANY BRUSH THAT'S 70% OFF". Funny, and a statement of his skill, too. The skill is in his hand, brain, heart, experience, NOT in his brushes!

MARSEILLE VIEW FROM THE MEDITERRANEAN, watercolor sketch

MARSEILLE, VIEW FROM THE MEDITERRANEAN, watercolor sketch in my sketchbook.

Please click to enlarge. On the right is the entrance to the port of Marseille, and on the left you can see the Cathedral: La Major, in the back ground, and in black le MUCEM, the most incredibly modern museum, inaugurated a few months ago.

I have been asked to write about my inspiration, and the artists that have inspired me. Delacroix and his travel sketchbooks have definitely been an inspiration for mine. I use ink and watercolors for my travel sketchbooks, and have a collection of them, since I started doing this, about 7 years ago. I have published a few as books, two are for sale at the moment: MY THREE LIVES: in Argentina, USA and France.  Also: LOOKING FORWARD, watercolors during my five week cruise to South America. Contact me for details: minnievalero@yahoo.fr 

BEZIER, DEPUIS LE TRAIN, watercolor

BEZIER, DEPUIS LE TRAIN, watercolor in my Côte d'Azur sketchbook.

 Just passing by Bezier quickly in our train, on our way from Toulouse to Menton, with my friend Mireille, this image struck me. I didn't have time to get my iphone and take a picture, suddenly the image was gone! But I had my "mind's eye", and the image was stuck in my brain. I immediately got my sketchbook and painted it, starting my sketchbook of my last week in France. I will be posting here the sketchbook page by page. If you have no patience and want to see the whole thing at once, you can do so in my webpage: www.minnievaleroart.com 

SEVILLA FOR GABRIELA, watercolors on black canvas

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

I have been visiting my daughter Gabriela in Sevilla, Spain, for over 15-18 years. I sketch and paint small watercolors and "carnet de voyages" wherever I go. A couple of months ago, revisiting my travel sketchbooks I realized I had a good collection of small watercolors done in Sevilla over the years, and decided to put them together in some way. I selected a few, tried different ways, finally deciding on a black canvas background. I glued "photo corners" on the canvas, so each watercolor could be viewed like this, all of them together, but also you could take one out and see the reverse, where typically I write the title and/or date of the painting. I made this one with all paintings done in Sevilla, some inside my grand-daughter's bedroom, and the other canvas are watercolors in Marbella.

EL ALJIBE, MUSEO DE BELLAS ARTES DE SEVILLA, watercolor

EL ALJIBE, MUSEO DE BELLAS ARTES DE SEVILLA, watercolor in my sketchbook.

It is such a pleasure to visit this art museum, every time I'm in Sevilla, Spain. In my experience, it is always open, free, and with patios to rest between visiting galleries of paintings and standing on your feet for a long period. Then a patio with plants, a water fountain, or an "aljibe"= water well, appears for your rest and comfort. It is walking distance from downtown's El Corte Ingles, from the famous bar "La Campana", and the elegant shopping Calle Sierpes.  When I rest for a few minutes, I do a little sketch or watercolor, like this one painted a few years ago.

YOUR BRAIN ON ART, watercolor in my sketchbook

YOUR BRAIN ON ART, watercolor in my sketchbook.
A new study proves creating visual art after retirement does a body-and mind- good. A recent study conducted in Germany suggests it might be beneficial to our brains. Using fMRI (functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging) to measure brain activity in recent retirees, several researchers published their results in an article: "How Art Changes Your Brain" in PLOS ONE, an international, peer reviewed outline journal.
The brains of those who were "physically creating art" showed "a significant improvement in psychological resilience" or stress resistance over the control group taking art appreciation. Find more details: www.plosone.org

Richard Walker's Breakfast, ink and watercolor

Richard Walker's breakfast, in La Jolla, California, ink and watercolor in my sketchbook.

This morning we had a fabulous breakfast here. I did this quick sketch of the view I had from my table, after breakfast. Suddenly this handsome man came to our table and introduced himself: he was Richard Walker, the owner of this and other establishments! What a surprise! Apparently our waitress had told him I was sketching. Delicious super-breakfast!

CAFE LOUVRE HISTORIC POSTCARD, watercolor in sketchbook

CAFE LOUVRE HISTORIC POSTCARD, Prague, Czech Republic, watercolor in my sketchbook.
Cafe Louvre, in Prague, opened in 1902, one of the elite's of Prague's cafes. They achieved this reputation by organizing two concerts a day. Now a jazz club in the wine cellar, where Bill Clinton once played the saxophone.

Cafe Louvre used to be visited by those who belonged to the cream of the arts, literature, and science. Franz Kafka, Max Brod, and even Einstein, used to go there to meet friends and to do paperwork. They now serve breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a lovely tea for two in the afternoon.

ORCHID FROM MINA, waatercolor in sketchbook

ORCHID FROM MINA, watercolor in my sketchbook.

When I returned from Europe two weeks ago, I found this beautiful orchid in my studio, a present from my lovely neighbor friend Mina. I had to immediately sit down and include it in my sketchbook.

Thank you, Mina!! So beautiful flu!!

AND THE BIRDS RAINED DOWN, ink and watercolor in sketchbook

AND THE BIRDS RAINED DOWN, ink and watercolor in sketchbook, from the cover of the book, written by Jocelyne Saucier.

"Freedom is being able to choose your life. And your death."
"The eyes are what are most important in old people...."The eyes tell the story of their lives."
"Happiness needs only your consent."

Ms. Saucier won the Prix des Cinq Continents de la France with this book. It is a wonderful book I strongly recommend.

HILL OF PETRIN, watercolor sketch in art notebook, Prague

HILL OF PETRIN, watercolor sketch in art notebook, Prague, Czech Republic.
This park has been immortalized in Milan Kundera's novels. Most buildings are from XIX C. Beautiful parks, and a fun funicular takes you up there. A replica of the Eiffel Tower, 62 meters high, surprises and offers the best view of Prague. Walking up, 299 steps, built in 1891 for the Prague International Exhibition.

VIEW FROM MY WINDOW, PRAGUE, watercolor and ink in my sketchbook

VIEW FROM MY WINDOW, PRAGUE, watercolor and ink in my sketchbook
About a week ago, when the moon was full, and the night sky clear, this was the view from my first story room in Prague. I couldn't help it, I had to paint it, even if it was a quick sketch. It was such a  beautiful night! This is downtown Prague, where tramways pass by often, going in all directions. Prague has a fantastic public transportation system; efficient, fast, clean, and inexpensive.

PRAHA ROOFTOPS, watercolor and ink in my sketchbook

PRAHA ROOFTOPS, watercolor and ink in my sketchbook.

It's practically impossible to draw all the details of each rooftop. They are so beautifully decorated, this city of Prague, in the Czech Republic, is a paradise of details and decorated buildings. Some of buildings are several centuries old, so I understand Mucha's inspiration for the posters that made him famous in Paris.

The Wind Rises, BY HAYAO MIYAZAKI, watercolor

THE WIND RISES, by Hayao Miyazaki, filmmaker. Watercolor in my art-notebook after watching the film.  It narrates the story of Jiro Horikoshi, who designed several Japaneses war planes during II W.W., and how his work was in direct opposition to his sweet and delicate nature, and his love for his lovely and sick wife. This film is all in watercolors! Beautiful, gorgeous, watercolor paintings, one after the other one! It is a MUST SEE!

LISA EN LAC DE GAUBE - watercolor in sketchbok

LISA EN LAC DE GAUBE , watercolor in my travel sketchbook - carnet de voyages.
This lake "lac de Gaube" is after the famous waterfalls "Pont d'Espagne", near Cauterets, France. Lisa   Marie Evans is a video artist who did a creative residency with me. At the end of her residency, offered a film in creative animation, presented at  the Bibliotheque de Cauterets. It was very well received.