PRAGUE CASTLE - St. Vitus Cathedral, watercolor in travel journal

St. Vitus Cathedral,  PRAGUE CASTLE , watercolor in my travel journal, painted plain air, while visiting the castle on a cold day. I didn't have enough warm clothes on, and caught a cold! 

This Cathedral was started in 1344, gothic style, its last renovation was in 1929. This is the seat of the Archbishop of Prague, and the last residence of the most famous Czech men and women. There is a beautiful vitraux de Alfonse Mucha here, which gives the church a touch of modernity in this 700 year old beautiful building. 

ANA MENDIETA at Rudolfinum Gallery, Prague. watercolor sketch

ANA MENDIETA exhibition at Rudolfinum Gallery, Prague. watercolor sketch in my travel journal.
There you have it: a piece of the beautiful old building where the Rudolfinum Gallery of Contemporary Art is located, top left of the page. Then, bottom right, is my watercolor sketch of a photograph  Ana Mendieta  had taken of herself, covered in glue (not tar?) and feathers over her naked body, face and hair. Only her pubic hair and part of a breast are showing through the feathers. She also filmed herself naked and totally covered with "blood" as if she had been raped and murdered, while her friends called to the scene panicked and called the police. Ana Mendieta had an obsession with nature, blood, fire. She died very young, under suspicious circumstances.

SUN OF PRAGUE, watercolor and ink sketch

SUN OF PRAGUE, watercolor and ink sketch in travel journal.
The Church Our Lady of Loretto, in Prague, has an incredible jewel, called "The Sun of Prague". This was made with a donation from Countess Ludmilla de Kolourat, of 6,222 diamonds. Yes, six thousand two hundred and twenty two diamonds, which had been a gift of her third husband when she was 53 years old. So... three is a charm!! In her honor, the jewelers then made the gold center, with 53 rays. Please count, I drew 53 ink sticks in my sketch. There are so many cameras and guards in the bullet proof room where this big jewel is, that I had to obey the signs: no pictures.

ALFONS MUCHA, watercolor and ink on travel note-book

ALFONS MUCHA, watercolor and ink in travel note-book, after Alfons Mucha's poster.
Mucha was from Prague, the Check Republic, and became famous in Paris, almost overnight. He designed one poster for Sarah Bernhardt, and she loved it so much, she immediately offered him a 5 year contract. His posters were a fantastic success, contributing to the birth of Art Nouveau.

His best works show figures with a longing look, almost in a hipnotical state. His own immersion in art was often in a state of trance. His drawings and pastels show he never stopped drawing.
We should learn from him. Never stop, keep drawing, practice, practice!

PYRÉNÉES 2, ink and watercolor

PYRÉNÉES 2, ink and watercolor in my carnet de voyages (travel sketchbook). I flew into Toulouse,  France, and took the train to Lourdes. While I look at the window, I smile non-stop: The valleys, the Pyrénées mountains in the distance, trees, sometimes cows, horses, a small mountain town here and there, flowers, everything passes quickly while my eyes and my memory try to catch a rooftop or a creek.

I am home, when I arrive to the Pyrénées. The train stops : Muret, first stop. Later we continue, I can't read my book, I'm addicted to looking out the window, looking at these beautiful mountains I fell in love with ten years ago. I can't stop smiling. I am home.

HUATULCO, MEXICO, watercolor

Huatulco, Mexico, watercolor, 9x12 in. available.
South American Cruise, watercolor 6

We rented a van with Saúl as driver, and he took us to the Copalita River, passing by "Tangolunda", which means "beautiful woman", a word of Zapoteca origin. We had a lovely day eating fish at Playa Santa Cruz, then visited La Crucecita downtown, Playa Conejos, and back to our cruise ship.

CABO HATS, MEXICO, watercolor

Cabo Hats, Mexico, 9x12 in, watercolor
South American Cruise, watercolor 5

Our fist port in the Carnival Splendor South American Cruise was Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, on the tip of the Baja California Peninsula. It is a very beautiful spot. We had lunch at the Brewery, walked along the promenade, and took a boat to Lover's Beach and Divorce Beach. One beach is on the bay, with soft sand, the other one is facing the Pacific Ocean, with sharp rocks. Guess which is which?

Pont St.Louis, Porto

Pont St. Louis, Porto, Portugal. Watercolor in my travel journal, 4x6" (10x15cm.) Designed by Eiffel, a couple of years difference with the famous Tower in Paris, this bridge looks like the Eiffel Tower lying down! I'm thinking of Delacroix, and his incredible infancy full of accidents. Few babies have gone through what he did: by the age of three, Eugene Delacroix had survived being hung, almost drowned, poisoned,  and strangled.
Puente St. Louis, Porto, Portugal. Acuarela en mi cuaderno de viajes. Disenada por Eiffel, con unos pocos anos de diferencia de la famosa Torre en Paris, este puente parece la Torre Eiffel acostada! 
Estoy pensando en Delacroix, y su increible infancia llena de accidentes. Pocos bebes han sobrevivido lo que sobrevivio: a la edad de tres anos, Eugene Delacroix ya habia sobrevivido de estar casi colgado, envenenado, ahogado, y estrangulado.

Musee Quai Branly, Paris

Musee Quai Branly, Paris, watercolor in my travel journal. This museum, only three or four years old, is a couple hundred meters from the Tour Eiffel. Its logo says: "where cultures meet in dialogue". It's an ethnic/cultural museum, organized by continents. You actually enter a garden, high with different plants and trees, and from there you follow a long path to the central area where the walk to each continent starts. Your mood is set for traveling, the exhibitions are rich, varied, complex, amazingly beautiful!
Museo Quai Branly, Paris, acuarela en mi cuaderno de viajes. Este museo, abierto hace solo tres o cuatro anos, esta a doscientos metros de la Tour Eiffel. Su logo dice: "donde las culturas se encuentran en dialogo." Es un museo etnico/cultural, organizado por continentes. Uno entra a un jardin de plantas y arboles altos, y alli sigue un caminito al area central donde comienza el sendero a cada continente. Ya estas listo para viajar, las exhibiciones son ricas, variadas, complejas, y maravillosamente hermosas!

Sketch: Brioude, France

Sketch: Brioude, France.   10x7cm. Quick watercolor in my travel journal, while waiting for a "gallete". A gallete is a crepe (thin pancakes) with ham, cheese and/or some other things like mushroom, onions, tomatoes, etc. making it a meal. Delicious! I went to Brioude for the Biennal International d'Aquarelle, and saw many beautiful pieces by very talented artists. A real treat!
Bosquejo: Brioude, France. Acuarela rapida en mi cuaderno de viajes, mientras esperaba una "gallete". Esta es un panqueque muy fino, rellena con jamon, queso, y cosas como champignones, cebolla, tomate, etc. que lo hacen una comida completa. Delicioso! Fui a Brioude a la Bienal Internacional de Acuarela. vi algunas pinturas magnificas por artistas con mucho talento. Una fiesta para los ojos y el espiritu!

Ma Bibliotheque

Ma Bibliotheque, watercolor in my travel journal. This is my bookcase here in France. I say with Ted DeGrazia: "My best painting is the next one. I haven't painted it yet. I am in competition only with myself, and that's tough, because I believe in improving constantly." In contrast, take Andrea del Sarto, who is considered to have been as talented as Michelangelo at one point, but he lacked the ambition.
Mi Biblioteca, acuarela en mi cuaderno de viajes. Esta es mi biblioteca aqui en Francia. Yo digo con Ted De Grazia: "Mi mejor pintura es la proxima. No la he pintado todavia. Yo estoy en competicion solo conmigo misma, y eso es dificil, porque yo creo en mejorar constantemente." Al contrario, miren a Andrea del Sarto, quien se considera haber sido tan talentoso como Michelangelo en cierto momento, pero le faltaba su ambicion.