Hummingbird Feeder

Hummingbird Feeder, watercolor, 7x5" (17x12 cm.)

One of the first watercolor sketches in Boquete, Panama, where I arrived a couple of days ago. I will be painting and resting here till the end of July. Life is art. Change and evolution are good, stretching ourselves out of our comfort zone help us grow. Art is life. Una de las primeras acuarelas rapidas pintadas aqui en Boquete, Panama, donde acabo de llegar. Estare pintando y descansando aqui hasta fines de julio. La vida es arte. Cambio y evolucion son buenos, estirandonos fuera de nuestra zona de confort nos ayuda a crecer. El arte es vida.

Magic Dreams

Magic Dreams, pastel, 30x40cm. (12x16"), in exhibition at Galerie d'Art de Verfeil, France.

While you work with pastels, you will have dirty fingers. The problem is that you may transfer some dark pastel powder in your fingers, say blue, to the next pastel stick you pick up, let's say white or yellow. How do you avoid this? There are several techniques that I know and probably more that I don't. These are some of them:

1. Cleanse your fingers with a kneaded eraser. The eraser will pick up the dust from your fingers, if you work it several times.

2. Wash your hands often and wait for them to dry. Obviously, this is the least practical.

3. Have wet-wipes handy, wipe your fingers with one of them, then dry your fingers with a paper towel. This is the most practical one for me. When I work with pastels, I always wear an apron with a big front pocket. I have wet-wipes in a plastic bag, and dry paper towels, all in my pocket, so it's easy to wipe my fingers first in the wet wipes, then in the dry towels, and continue working.

Come Back to Me

Come Back to Me, pastel, 40x30" (16x12 cm.) in exhibition at Galerie Bordenave, Cauterets, France. COME BACK TO ME es una pintura a pastel en exhibicion en la Galeria Bordenave, en la ciudad de Cauterets, Francia.

Pastel can be combined with oil, watercolor, acrylics. Don't be timid, experiment! As the painting develops, use the fixative with gusto! The spray not only binds the pastel to the surface at each stage but it isolates that stage and creates a new surface with slightly more tooth. Pastel puede ser combinado con oleo, acuarela, acrilico. No seas timido, experimenta! A medida que la pintura se desarrolla, usa el fijativo con gusto! El spray no solo une el pastel a la superficie en cada etapa, pero ademas aisla cada etapa y crea una superficie nueva con en poquito mas de "diente".

Dreamer

Dreamer, pastel, 40x30cm (16x12"). I painted "Dreamer" in Paris last year, from a live model. "Dreamer" is now in exhibition at the "Salon de Printemps", Galerie d'Art de Verfeil, Verfeil, France. Yo pinte este retrato en Paris el ano pasado, frente a la modelo. "Dreamer" esta ahora en exhibicion en el "Salon de Printemps", Galeria de Arte de Verfeil, en Verfeil, Francia.

Pastels is an extremely versatile medium. Pastel sticks is pure pigments and chalk bound with gum. There are three grades: soft, medium and hard. Then there are also the pastel pencils, whick is what I used for this portrait. The color of the paper plays an important part in the finished picture. Some of the techniques of pastel painting are: crosshatching, pointillism, linear strokes, scumbling.

Rue Tolbiac II

Rue Tolbiac II, watercolor, 5x7" (12x17cm.) another view of the same corner in Paris, from my watercolor notebook. Otra vista de la misma esquina de Paris, de mi cuaderno de acuarelas.


Continuing with the same topic of the book I mentioned in the previous Blog, DOG TRAINING MY WAY, I will mention some other advice by Barbara Woodhouse. Dogs adore affection. It is essential to talk to your dog often, as you would a child, with affection and firmness. The tone of your voice is the secret to efficient training. It is HOW you say things not WHAT you say that matters. But ....isn't it the same for us, human beings? Continuando con el mismo tema del libro que mencione en el Blog anterior, ENTRENANDO PERROS A MI MANERA, mencionare mas consejos de Barbara Woodhouse. Los perros adoran el carino. Es esencial hablarle a su perro a menudo como si fuera un nino, con afecto y firmeza. El tono de su voz es el secreto de un entrenamiento eficaz. Es COMO uno dice las cosas, y no tanto QUE se dice que es muy importante. Pero.......no es lo mismo para nosostros, humanos ?

Rue Tolbiac

Rue Tolbiac, watercolor, 5x7" (12x17cm.) from my Paris watercolor sketch notebook last year. Acuarela de mis cuadernos de bosquejos del ano pasado en Paris.

Today I'll refer to the book DOG TRAINING MY WAY by Barbara Woodhouse, 1980. I found it in the used books section and have read it to understand dogs better. It's a fascinating book. She says: " Dogs have a brain equal to that of a 5 year old child. Dogs pick up your thoughts by an acute telepathic sense, and it is useless to be thinking one thing and saying another. You cannot fool a dog. Enthusiasm is essential for success. This book has helped me understand and appreciate dogs better. Hoy me voy a referir al libro ENTRENAMIENTO DE PERROS A MI MODO de Barbara Woodhouse, 1980. Lo encontre en la seccion de libros usados y lo he leido para comprender mejor a los perros. Un libro fascinante. Ella dice: "Los perros tienen un cerebro igual al de un nino de 5 anos. Los perros reciben tus pensamientos por un sentido telepatico muy agudo, y no se puede pensar una cosa mientras dices otra. No puedes enganar a un perro. Tener entusiasmo ees esencial para tener exito. Este libro me ha ayudado a comprender y apreciar mejor a los perros.

Capricho de Venezia

Capricho de Venezia, watercolor, 12x16" (30x40cm.) I did this painting from my sketches and photographs after my last trip to Venice, Italy.

Today, a word to the wise painter: Paint only from your own sketches, photographs, notes. If ever you decide to copy from somebody else's painting, for some practice exercise, give credit where credit is due. Acknowledge the original artist in the title of your painting, and keep the painting for yourself. I recently was witness to a very sad story. I will not mention the artist or the gallery here, only the event. A couple of months ago, I was visiting a gallery in Southern California, when I noticed a painting on the wall that caught my eye. I had recently seen that same painting in a museum. How could that be? For a few minutes I couldn't remember where I had seen it, since I have a habit of visiting art museums often, then I looked at my notes. I also have a habit of keeping notes on paintings that strike me. I found it! The painting on the wall looked almost exactly as F. Luis Mora's "Morning News", hanging at that very moment at the San Diego Museum of Art. It was unbelievable to me, such a flagrant copy. The turn of the century hats, the New York Times, the other man carrying a box on his knees, every detail was there, only this copy was less luminous, the brushstrokes insecure. The next day I went back to the San Diego Museum of Art, to confirm my already certain suspicion. I then called the people in charge of the gallery and told them what had happened. Then I learnt that the artist of the copy had won a third prize award for that painting over the weekend, with high scores on originality!!!!!Needles to say, she eventually had to take the painting down.