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Hotel Alfonso XIII, Seville, Spain, Interior Painting (2)

8/31/2012 4:04:58 AM

  Inspiration… where do we artists look for it or does it just come to us?  We all suffer from a creative block from time to time and we know that's when we struggle to find it.  But other than that, if we stay open-minded, we just know when we have it.   When I visited Hotel Alfonso XIII in Seville, Spain with my artist friends, we were all so excited with the lovely atmosphere inside and got in a sketching frenzy immediately.  No doubt there we had it - we were fully inspired (click here to see a painting I did there).   I just [...]

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Hotel Alfonso XIII, Seville, Spain, Interior Painting (1)

8/24/2012 2:59:58 AM

  Daytime temperature reaches about 40 degrees Celsius (104 F) before noon and stays that way well into the evening.  Being outside constantly reminds us that we need to somehow cope with this relentless, intense heat.  I suppose that is a typical day in Seville during summer months.  I got together with several local artists on such (in other words, brutally hot) a day to paint around town (click here to read related story).   First we headed to the Alcazar Gardens.  Simply a divine environment for plein-air painters like us.  Sometime after lunch, just when I felt like seeking some cool shelter, I [...]

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Sevilla IX, Spanish Landscape Painting

8/21/2012 7:11:06 PM

  In the age of internet, it has become so much easier to "meet" other artists and enjoy each other's creations online.  Despite the language barrier or the long distance, it is now possible even to make "friends" with those who live on the other side of the planet.  In this sense internet is not just technology but is a useful communication tool for many of us.  But it doesn't really replace face-to-face encounter which is no doubt more powerful.   In Seville, Spain, I recently had a chance to meet with several watercolor artists whom I had known only via computer.  They invited [...]

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Madrid VI, Spanish Landscape Painting

8/16/2012 9:35:49 AM

  Starting at the Puerta del Sol and going eastward on this street, Calle de Alcala, we pass many historical landmarks and important buildings of Madrid: Government offices and banks, the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando, the Buen Retiro Park... just to name a few.  And also the Plaza de Toros de Las Ventas, a famous bullfight ring, speaking of which I should add that I admire its beautiful architecture but haven't had the courage or strong desire to see what takes place inside.   One of the people who frequented this bullring was Ernest Hemingway.  It is well known that [...]

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Marseille Vieux-Port V, French Landscape Painting

8/13/2012 6:37:56 AM

  I am pleased to announce that "Marseille Vieux-Port, France V" has been juried into the San Diego Watercolor Society 32nd International Exhibition (judge: Nicholas Simmons).   The exhibition will open at the SDWS Gallery on October 1 and run through October 31.  The opening reception will be held at the venue on October 5, with many exhibitors and visitors attending.     Marseille Vieux-Port, France V   Click for an enlarged view of this painting. Media: Original watercolor on paperImage Size: 21 x 29 inches (53 x 74 cm) Frame/Mat: No Purchase: Available during the exhibition through gallery   Please send me an email for details.     - Join me on Facebook and follow my [...]

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Marseille Vieux-Port IV, French Landscape Painting

8/10/2012 9:15:19 AM

  "I was lucky to come from a difficult area.  It teaches you not just about football but also life.  There were lots of kids from different races and poor families.  People had to struggle to get through the day."  - Zinedine Zidane, French soccer legend, native of Marseille, son of Algerian immigrants   For almost two thousand years, Marseille has been a gateway for people arriving in France from other countries.  Immigrants have come from virtually an every corner of the world but mainly Greece, Italy, Turkey, and in later years from North Africa such as Algeria and Morocco.  With many settling there, [...]

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