Friday, April 30, 2010

In Monet's Garden

In Monet's Garden is a small watercolor (7x9") I painted standing there in Monet's Garden at Giverny last Spring. The wisterias in bloom were exquisite. There was so much to chose from, so many flowers, that it was very hard to make a decision about what to put on the page. This is a quick watercolor on my journal. "In Monet's Garden" es una pequena acuarela de 17x23 cm. que pinte la primavera pasada alli en los jardines de Monet in Giverny. Las wisterias estaban exquisitamente florecidas. Habia tanto para elegir, tantas flores, que era muy dificil decidir que poner en el papel. Esta es una acuarela rapida de mi cuaderno de pinturas diarias.

Pierre Bonard has said: "Il ne s'agit pas de peindre la vie, il s'agit de rendre vivante la peinture". "It's not a matter of painting life, but of giving life to the painting". He used to nail the canvas to the wall to paint, he didn't need an easel. He didn't like "great installations" to paint. He loved his houses and used to represent them with geometrical designs, and with special care like Vermeer. Bonnard considered the work of art as time stopped for a moment. He hated to paint outdoors, when all his contemporaries were painting "plein air", he continued painting indoors. Of all the different stages of his oeuvre, it is the COLOR that makes his paintings. Pierre Bonnard ha dicho: "No se trata de pintar la vida, sino de darle vida a la pintura". El solia clavar la tela a la pared para pintar, no necesitaba un caballete. No le gustaban las "grandes instalaciones". Solia representar sus casas con diseno geometricos y con mucho cuidado, como Vermeer. Bonnard consideraba la obra de arte como detenida en el tiempo. El odiaba pintar al aire libre, cuando todo el mundo estaba pintando "plein air", el seguia pintando adentro. De todas las etapas de su obra, siempre es el COLOR el que gana la pintura.

Statue in Trocadero Gardens

Statue in Trocadero Gardens, watercolor from my Paris journal 2009, 9x7" (22x17 cm.) Estatua en los jardines de Trocadero, acuarela de mis cuadernos de Paris del 2009.

When I was in Paris last Spring, one day I went to paint in Trocadero gardens for a couple of hours. I sat on some steps overlooking the Eiffel Tower, with big statues on my left side. The statues had many female characters in different positions. Here on the left is my watercolor of that statue. As I was finishing, a young man approached me and asked me if I could paint a portrait of his sister from a picture he had of her, and the Eiffel Tower behind her. I loved the challenge! We agreed on the price and the time I needed to do it, and he left. When he came back, he was very pleased with my work. He left quite happy with his new painting, and I left with a little money, this watercolor of a statue, and great satisfaction on meeting a fun challenge. Cuando estaba en Paris la primavera pasada, un dia fui a pintar a los jardines de Trocadero por un par de horas. Me sente en unos escalones mirando hacia la Torre Eiffel, teniendo grandes estatuas a mi izquierda. Las estatuas tenian formas femeninas en diferentes posiciones. Aqui a la izquierda ven mi acuarela de una estatua. Cuando estaba terminando, un hombre joven se me aproximo y me pregunto si yo podria pintar un retrato de su hermana, con la Torre Eiffel detras. Me encanto el desafio! Nos pusimos de acuerdo en el precio y el tiempo que yo necesitaba para hacerlo, y el se fue. Cuando regreso estuvo muy contento con mi trabajo. El partio feliz con su nueva pintura, y yo parti con mas dinero, esta acuarela de una estatua, y gran satisfaccion de haber cumplido con exito un desafio divertido.

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Summer Palace

Summer Palace, oil, 22x28"(55x70cm.) is hanging at Petrini's Restaurant, in Little Italy, San Diego, California. As I said in my previous Blog entry, I have recently changed the exhibit there, this is also part of "Impressions of Little Italy...and Beyond". Summer Palace, oleo, tambien es parte de la exhibicion en el restaurante Petrini que acabo de cambiar, llamada: "Impresiones de Little Italy...y mas alla".
I'd like to invite all of you to come to Carlsbad on Saturday, May 1st, for the SD Museum of Art Artists Guild's exhibit, at the Front Porch Gallery. The reception will be 12:00 to 3:00pm. I've presented my "Falling Stones" painting for that exhibit. You can see "Falling Stones" in a previous Blog. So depending on where you live, if you like my work, you can see it "live" this week at the following venues in California and France. And as usual, you can see my work on the net in four places: this blog, my website: www.minnievaleroart.com , the San Diego Museum of Art Artist Guild page: www.sdmaag.org , and on ArtSlant, international.
-San Diego Watercolor Society, San Diego, CA.
-Front Porch Gallery, Carlsbad, CA.
-City of Brea Art Gallery "Made in California Exhibit", Brea, CA.
-Petrini's Restaurant, solo exhibition, on going, San Diego, CA.
-Au Village Galerie, Saint-Savin, France.
-Bordenave Immobiliere et Galerie, Cauterets, France.
-Les Amis des Arts de Verfeil Galerie, Verfeil, France.
Los invito a todos a venir a Carlsbad el sabado 1ro. de mayo, a la exhibicion del Museo de Arte de San Diego Liga de Artistas, en la galeria Front Porch. La recepcion tendra lugar de 12:00 a 3:00pm. He presentado alli mi "Falling Stones". Pueden ver "Falling Stones" en un blog anterior. Asi que depende de donde vivan, si les gusta mi trabajo, lo pueden ver "en vivo" en los lugares indicados arriba esta semana. Y como siempre, en la internet, en cuatro lugares: este blog, mi pagina web: www.minnievaleroart.com ,en la pagina web del Museo de Arte de San Diego Artists Guild: www.sdmaag.org , y en ArtSlant, international.

Reflection

Reflection, oil, 28x22" (70x55cm) is part of the new solo exhibition at Petrini's Restaurant, in Little Italy, San Diego, California. Last Saturday, April 24th, I took out the unsold paintings from last year's show, and decorated the walls of the restaurant with new oils of this series I call: "Impressions of Little Italy...and Beyond".

Next Saturday, May 1st, opens a new exhibit by San Diego Museum of Art Artist Guild members at the Front Porch Gallery, in Carlsbad, California. Reception is 12:00 to 3:00pm. You are invited.

This week, you can also see my work at the San Diego Watercolor Society, in California, at the Verfeil Art Gallery in Verfeil, France. Life is Art. Art is Good. Life is Good.

Monday, April 26, 2010

Smooth Sailing

Smooth Sailing, oil, 10x10" (25x25cm.) This is one of my new oils in exhibition since Saturday, April 24th at Petrini's Restaurant in Little Italy, San Diego, California. This is an on-going exclusive exhibition, this year it is called: "Impressions of Little Italy...and Beyond." All the paintings have been inspired by living for a few months in San Diego, with its beautiful bay, coastline, hills, gardens. I will be showing more of the paintings in this exhibition, in my blog. Stay tuned.

Smooth Sailing, oleo. Este oleo es uno de los nuevos en exhibicion desde el sabado 24 de abril en el restaurante Petrini's en Little Italy, San Diego, California. Esta es una exhibicion continua y exclusiva, que este ano la llamo: "Impresiones de Little Italy...y mas alla". Todas las pinturas de esta colleccion fueron inspiradas al vivir por unos meses en San Diego, con su hermosa bahia, costa, colinas, jardines. Mostrare mas pinturas de esta coleccion en el blog. Mantenganse alerta.

Passion

Passion, oil, 33x46 cm. (16x23"). This is one of five portraits in exhibit at Les Amis des Arts de Verfeil Art Gallery, in Verfeil, France. Opening-reception was yesterday Saturday April 24th. Pasion, oleo. Este es uno de los cinco retratos en exhibicion ahora en la Galeria de Arte Les Amis des Arts de Verfeil, en la ciudad de Verfeil, Francia. La recepcion fue ayer sabado 24 de abril.

One of the museums I enjoyed very much in Paris last year was the Dali Museum in Montmartre. I have found a quote in my notes but don't know who said it: "La oi il y a Dali, je ne m'ennuie jamais." (Where there is a Dali, I never get bored.) I love it because it is so appropriate! This museum has more than 300 original works by Dali, the largest collection of Dali's works in France. Two of Dali's obsessions were: fire, and women with drawers. This refers to the mystery of hidden secrets. Salvador Dali said: "I am in a state of permanent intellectual erection." Uno de los museos que mas disfrute cuando estuve en Paris el ano pasado fue el Museo Dali en Montmartre. He encontrado una frase en mis notas, pero no se quien la dijo: "Alli donde esta Dali, nunca me aburro."Me encanta porque se aplica tan bien! Este museo tiene mas de 300 obras originales de Dali, la coleccion de obras de Dali mayor en Francia. Dos obsesiones de Dali eran: el fuego, y las mujeres con cajones. Esto se refiere al misterio de secretos escondidos. Salvador Dali ha dicho: "Yo estoy en un estado constante de ereccion intelectual."

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Dig Wayne

Dig Wayne, pastel sketch, 7x5" (18x12.5 cm.) Dig Wayne is an actor. I was having dinner with Dig and the family one night last month, and just did this quick sketch while waiting to be served. He liked it, and is now in his home in Los Angeles. Dig Wayne is actor. Una noche del mes pasado, yo estaba cenando con el y la familia. Hice este bosquejo mientras esperabamos que nos sirvieran la cena. A el le gusto, y esta ahora en su casa en Los Angeles.



"Patience, Planning and Practice" is the best advice I ever got. I've heard about "marinating ideas", I like to think about "digesting ideas", but whatever the expression, it means the same: A good painting requires those three Ps: Patience, Planning and Practice. I practice all the time, and I know that's the reason I've improved in the past few years, lots of practice. I've also learned to plan my paintings better, and to be patient about them. I've wanted patience so badly, I've insisted: "I want my patience right now!"just kidding, I'm still striving to reach those goals, and "patience" is the most difficult for me to obtain. "Tener Paciencia, Planear y Practicar" es el mejor consejo que he tenido. He escuchado "marinar las ideas", pero a mi me gusta la expresion "digerir las ideas", el sentido es el mismo: Una buena pintura requiere esas tres Ps: Paciencia, Planeamiento, y Practica. Yo practico todo el tiempo, y se que esa es la razon que mi trabajo ha mejorado en los ultimos anos, mucha practica. Tambien he aprendido a planear mis pinturas mejor, y a tener paciencia. Tanto he deseado tener paciencia, que he insistido: "Quiero mi paciencia ahora mismo!"bromas aparte, todavia estoy luchando para cumplir esos objetivos, y "paciencia" es el mas dificil para mi.