Autumn Plein Air Painting in Madrid

The leaves on the trees are a light luminous green color in autumn. This light reaches out to infinity on the horizon. It’s pretty cold, but a coat, gloves, and hat will do the trick to be almost warm.

I like the benches on this path. You can’t see them because my body is blocking them, but that’s alright because you can see them in the watercolor below.

I have to laugh because I remember telling myself to paint the benches off to the side, not in the middle. I guess the benches wanted to be in the middle of the paper regardless.

Autumn Leaves in the Retiro Park

I think the element of surprise is what I like about art making.

Thank you for reading my little story,

Victoria

Plein Air Painting in Madrid

An early cold morning is a good time to paint in the park.

I went to the plaza de Marmol because I was there the day before. The previous day, this beautiful little plaza was full of bright red geraniums. When I got there the next day, the gardeners had pulled all the flowers and I had a completely different scene to paint.

Watercolor of Fuente en la Plaza del Marmol

Although I was really looking forward to painting this fountain with red flowers, I decided that the Retiro Park gardeners would be fun to paint. While I was painting, it started drizzling more and more. I hurriedly finished the watercolor with pen and ink and decided I would come back another day.

Thank you for reading my little story.

Victoria

A watercolor of Cathedral Santa Maria la Real de la Almudena from the French Bridge

La Almudena desde el Puente de los Franceses 2021 Watercolor on Arches 300 gms 38.5×28.5 cm / 15×11.5 in $85

The Cathedral Santa Maria la Real de la Almudena is simply called la Almudena. The Virgin of the Almudena is the Patron Saint of Madrid, Spain. The Almudena in this watercolor is portrayed in Autumn. In Madrid, Autumn is spectacular. The leaves at a certain time of day look like gold. These colors resonate with the lapis lazuli blue domes of the Almudena Cathedral. The rusty and golden colors of the foliage also reflect in the water and complement the color of the cobalt blue sky reflected in the water. The bridge that crosses the Manzanares River is called the Puente de los Franceses. The name of the bridge came about because most of the engineers who directed its construction were French. The Madrilenians began to refer to it as “The Bridge of the French”.

Painting The Crystal Palace in Madrid, Spain

Palacio de Cristal Autumn of 2020

The Crystal Palace in the Retiro Park is so colorful and beautiful in November that it attracts so many visitors.

The experience of painting this amazing sight was absolutely fulfilling, Here’s a little clip of the day painting the Crystal Palace in Madrid, Spain.

I like to put my hand near the painting to have a reference size of the watercolor. Also, the natural wood is what looks best when framing one of my watercolors.

It is a lot of fun to paint out doors even though it’s chilly, brrrr.

Autumn in El Parque del Moro

Autumn in El Parque del Moro 2020

It was a really cold day when I was out there painting, but the only time to catch these colors in nature is in the months of November and December. Lots of big beautiful birds and ducks came to visit me. I’m going back again on Sunday. I hope it’s not so cold.

Some people have asked me about framing. I think the color of the natural wood is a nice color combination.

Size Reference Autumn in El Parque del Moro 2020

Fuente del Àngel Caìdo September 2019

If you come to Madrid, don’t miss out on seeing this impressive fountain.

This is the Fallen Angel Fountain.  If you’ve ever read John Milton’s epic ‘Paradise Lost’  The first page comes to life when you see this awesome statue. 

Watercolor of the Fallen Angel Fountain. There are red flowers around the fountain

Fuente del Angel Caìdo September 2019

I’ve painted parts of this fountain a few times, but this is the first time I painted the whole fountain.

 

Art stands in the fall in Madrid. People walking around looking at the art exhibition in the little plaza

La Plaza de Pintores – A Collective Painting Exhibition at the Auditorio Y Sala De Exposiciones Paco De Lucia / La Plaza de Pintores – Una exposición de pintura colectiva en el Auditorio y Sala de Exposiciones de Paco De Lucia

-There are 39 Painters at the Plaza-

Inauguration day at Sala Paco de Lucia.

-Hay 39 pintores en la Plaza-
Día de inauguración en la Sala Paco de Lucía.

Six women getting ready to celebrate a painting inauguration

A small group of painters just before the opening.

Oh another picture, more of us are here.

Painters from the Plaza posing for a picture

The Group started getting bigger

16 of the 39 painters presented a piece at the Sala.  Hopefully next time they will all participate.

16 de los 39 pintores presentaron una pieza en la Sala. Esperemos que la próxima vez todos participen.

four women looking at the camera.

Here we are again.

That would be super fun.

Eso sería super divertido.

A few people in front of the camera saying hello

The Inauguration begins

I don’t have pictures of everybody or the other’s paintings.

No tengo fotos de todos ni de sus pinturas

Woman standing in front of her paintings

While Setting up

But these are the paintings I presented at the exhibition.

Pero estas son las pinturas que presento en la exposición.

An Art Exhibition at Sala Paco de Lucia

Painters and Friends

You would have to come to the exhibition to see the rest of the pieces. Although here is a clip.

Tendrías que venir a la exposición para ver el resto de las piezas. Aunque aquí hay un corto.

At the exhibition

Checking out the exhibition

The art work presented here is quite amazing.

El trabajo de arte presentado aquí es bastante sorprendente.

Visitors at the Sala Paco de Lucia

Sala Paco de Lucia

as amazing as my buddies at the Plaza.

Tan asombroso como mis amigos en la Plaza.

VOlson

At the Plaza

The Art exhibition is up through the 27th of February.

La exposición de arte – solo hasta el 27 de febrero.