In April and May, there are a lot of flowers that I love to Paint. I am going to share a few of the Spring watercolors that I painted. They are on exhibition at the Plaza de los Pintores in the heart of Madrid.

Posted on May 14, 2022 by victoria A. Olson

Rosas Rojas en Botella de Hierba Buena 10 de Mayo 2022

I named this painting Red Roses in a Glass Herb Liquor Bottle. I like this glass bottle because it has smooth edges and it is transparent. The roses are from my terrace. I have had this rose bush for many years. I take such good care of it so I can paint the beautiful red roses.

These flowers just showed up on my terrace one day. I didn’t plant them, but one day to my surprise a bunch of irises bloomed. I painted them as soon as I found the time.

Sapphire Bombay Gin Bottle with Red Roses and Sea Shells May 13th, 2022

Sometimes I use flowers as an excuse to paint my favorite bottles. I still remember the day I laid eyes on this beautiful blue bottle. It was in my grandma and grandpa’s liquor cabinet. I asked if I could have it and I’ve been painting it ever since.

Iris en Botella de Whisky Vintage Abril 16 2022

This one is called Iris in Red Vintage Whisky Bottle. I have had this bottle for years. It has a deep red color that looks so pretty in the light. I don’t have this one anymore. A nice couple came to the plaza and got it for themselves.

Irises with Yellow Daisies in Gooseneck Coffee Pot April 20th 2022

I got this vintage coffee pot at a street fair. When I got it, I could imagine red roses, almond blossoms, red poppies, and all kinds of colorful flowers inside. When those irises popped up on my terrace, they went right into this old gooseneck coffee pot.

Red Roses with Bottles and Vintage Pink Flower Shape Depression Gass Ashtray May 13th, 2022

I went on to make a few more watercolors. Here my sapphire bottle is with a depression pink flower-shaped ashtray with a few scattered seashells. I like to put them in front of the window to let the light go through them.

Red Roses in Blue Gin Bottle May 13th 2022

In this watercolor I had a coral tea rose in the blue gin bottle and red roses in the clear liquor de hierba bottle. I love to paint these beautiful bottles with different backgrounds and the flowers I have on my terrace.

Rosas en Anfora de Talavera de la Reina Abril 29 2022

This ceramic vase is a Talavera vase. My grandmother rescued it and glued it back together. I am so glad because this is my favorite vase. I put a branch of roses inside and painted them.

Rosas en Jarron de Cristal Abril 28 2022

Here is another one of my favorite vases. I like to paint the facets on the crystal. I painted a lot of roses because there are a lot of roses on the terrace.

At my Stand at the Plaza de los Pintores

Here is another one of my favorite vases in the watercolor behind me. My watercolor found a new home with this nice couple. You can find me at my stand at the Plaza de los Pintores located in Madrid at Plaza Conde de Barajas. I am there every Sunday from 10 am to 3 pm. Come by and see me when you are in Madrid.

What? The Plaza de los Pintores (An Outdoor Art Market) When? Every Sunday from 10am to 3pm Where? Plaza Conde de Barajas – In Madrid.

Hope to see you there:), Victoria Olson

PS I will be there tomorrow.

Yellow Melon with Red Bottle Summer 2016

Posted on August 16, 2016 by victoria A. Olson

Melon with Red Bottle and California Wild Flowers Summer 2016

When I saw this melon come into the room, I just knew I had to paint it.

Yellow Melon with Red Bottle and California Wild Flowers Summer 2016

The most interesting thing about this yellow melon was the way it reflected color. I was interested in capturing the reflection.

California Wild Flowers in Red Bottle with Melon Summer 2016

California Wild Flowers in Red Bottle with Summer Melon 2016

Here it is finished.

Small Watercolors of Flowers in Vases

Posted on July 25, 2016 by victoria A. Olson

I like to paint small watercolors of colorful flowers and transparent glass filled with water.

Bouquet in Crystal Vase 1994

These small still-life paintings date back from the 90’s to the present 2016.

They are all post card size 5.5”x 7.5”or smaller. I started off making this size in the mid-eighties to send as post cards.

Almond Blossoms in Raku Pinch Pot

Almond Blossoms are really nice to paint. In the spring there are a lot of these trees in Madrid. I sent this watercolor to my Mom. When I go to California I see it on the wall.

Sweet Pea Flowers in Purple Vase

I remember visiting someone who had sweet peas growing in their vegetable garden, I couldn’t resist taking some home to paint them. I’m going to have to get some sweet pea seeds.

Red Bottle with Ceramic Dish and Irises 1999

The Red Bottle is one of my favorites. I bought it in the mid-eighties at the Salvation Army in the Gaslamp Quarter when I was living in sunny San Diego. I’m always on the look out for beautiful glass bottles and vases.

Red Bottle, kumquats and Sugar Bowl 1998

This watercolor is wet on wet with my favorite red bottle.

kumquats and Glass Bottle with Pinch Pot 1998

What I like the most about glass are the reflections; especially clear glass with water in it.

Red Bottle with Red Flowers 1998

I paint a lot; not everything turns out. It doesn’t matter. I like to include everything I see around my model.

Bougainvillea in Purple Vase 2011

I go to California often, almost every year. I like to paint the flowers in my Mother’s garden. Bougainvillea is so fun to paint.

Bougainvillea in Crystal Vase 2011

Sometimes I paint the motif twice. Here I changed the vase. I like this vase; I like the fact that you can see the stems and leaves in the water.

Roses in Crystal Vase 2011

Here is the vase again with my Mom’s beautiful roses.

Glass Bottles on Shelf 2012

I like colored glass. They have everything I like, color, shape, transparency and reflection.

Red Roses in Greek Vase 2015

Someone gave me this vase. I think it’s beautiful with the vertical grooves imitating a greek column. This one got sent off in the mail.

Red Roses in Glass Vase 2015

I like to do more than one painting to try a different view.

Poppies in May 2016

When the spring comes around, I go a little crazy. I can’t stop painting. Spring is such a bright season full of color and warmth.

Poppies, Daisies and Roses 2015

You can really see the difference of the light in the spring.

Red Glass Bottle with Orange Poppies 2016

These are California Poppies and wild flowers. I brought the seeds from California and planted them here in Madrid. I recently sent this one to my Dad.

Small Red Bottle with Wild Flowers 2016

I wanted to paint my model with the reflection in the mirror and on the table.

Chartreuse Bottle with California Wild Flowers 2016

This is the latest small watercolor. A friend told me that the color of this bottle is chartreuse.

I’m glad she told me. I had never heard of that color. Thanks to her the title isn’t yellow bottle with wild flowers, but Chartreuse Bottle with California Wild Flowers. 🙂

My Favorite Bottles

Posted on July 10, 2016 by victoria A. Olson

My Favorite Bottles is the first watercolor I painted of this series with the same name.

This is a large piece of paper, so I taped it to the table.

This series was about painting the bottles in different places in the house.

The paper is very wet.

The technique I used here was wet on wet.

My Favorite Bottle 2014

I no longer have this painting.

Glass Bottles on Table

Posted on July 6, 2016 by victoria A. Olson

This is a watercolor from the series ‘My Favorite Bottles’. Here are a some painting stages.

Paper with Model

I’m using Arches 300 GMS watercolor paper. The model is on the table in back to the right.

Starting with the area I like the most.

I wet the paper first. I didn’t start with a drawing, so I start on my favorite part and build up around the first object I put on the paper.

Still putting everything where it belongs

At this point, I’m still placing everything on the paper, trying to imagine how it will look at the end.

Developing the background and foreground

After I know where the bottles belong on the format, I continue with a la prima and try to get the shapes and colors in one shot.

Glass Bottles on Table 2014

The painting is finished. I try not to go back into the painting once the surface of the paper is covered.

Glass Bottles on Table 2014 (framed)

I no longer have this painting. I like the way they framed it with a 3-4 inch mat around the picture, giving it plenty of room between the painted area and the frame.

Glass Bottles on Table 2014, framed and on the wall

The frame goes well with the furniture and curtain and the colorful bottles add an accent of color to the living room. I love to see my painting in this home.

Glass Bottles in the Rain 2015

Posted on July 4, 2016 by victoria A. Olson

This watercolor belongs to the series of My Favorite Bottles.

Here are a few steps in the painting and a tip for watercolor painters at the end about sending watercolors through the post.

It was raining outside, but there was a lot of light, so I thought it would be a nice opportunity to paint my favorite bottles in the Rain.

A Painting Stage of Glass Bottles in the Rain 2015

I don’t always start with a drawing or a grid, sometimes I want to get straight into painting like in this case. I mark the top and bottom and let everything else fall into place.

Detail of Glass Bottles in the Rain 2015

Here is a detail in the stage of building up.

Glass Bottles in the Rain with a Mat 2015

I started matting my watercolors to have them ready for sending through the post for shows or a sale. When matted, they are protected from bending.

There is something that I’ve learned about sending watercolors through the post and would like to share with other painters.

Recently I’ve sent some large watercolors in the post, so I had to protect them with sturdy cartons to ensure they didn’t get damaged. I realised that I could mat them myself for a bit more and send them through the post protected with a professional finished presentation.

I have a blog which explains how to mat a watercolor; the finishing touch is to cover it with a plexiglass. I’ve also learned that before you mat, the watercolor should be flattened by spraying the back with water, rubbing it down and putting it between two pieces of matting board with weight on top (books). Let it dry over night.

I’d love to hear your comments and questions. If you have better advice, I’d like to hear that too; one never stops learning.

Bottles in a Corner 2015

Posted on July 3, 2016 by victoria A. Olson

This painting is from a series called My Favorite Bottles.

I started this series in 2015. I painted the bottles in a different place in the house everyday.

The purpose of this blog is to remember the steps in making the painting.

Wetting Watercolor Paper with Brush 2015

Marking the placement of glass bottles on the format.

Putting in the color and contrast; trying for an a la prima.

I love painting colorful glass bottles.

Spanish Poppies in front of Window 2016

Posted on June 23, 2016 by victoria A. Olson

Spanish poppies are very large and vivid in color which is why they are so fun to paint.
: I started with the poppies, keeping in mind what else I wanted to put in the painting

I set in the vase very lightly in case I had to move something.

When everything was where it belonged on the picture plane, I started painting a la prima.

The metallic bar across the window was white, so I respected it and painted around it.

This is the final result.

Red Glass Vase with California Wild Flowers

Posted on June 19, 2016 by victoria A. Olson

I planted some California wild flowers in May, so I’ve been painting them. They are small delicate flowers. So I put them in a small vase.

Here is the still -life of the glass vase and California wild flowers. I carefully drew it out to make sure everything fit on this tiny format.

At this stage I try for an a la prima; putting in the pure contrasting darks and saturated colors in one shot. I try to move around the paper, not concentrating too much on any area.

Building up color and contrast; trying not to invent anything.

I start building up the darks, so the light can be seen.

Here, I’m looking for contrast; trying to bring out the light.

Red Glass Vase with California Wild Flowers 2016

The Art Making Process of Resin-Oil Painting

Posted on February 22, 2015 by victoria A. Olson

The Art Making Process of a Resin-oil Painting; a Spin-off from a Watercolor.

Most painters work in more than one medium because variety offers many possibilities of expression. I made a spin-off of the watercolor ‘Glass Bottles on top of Antique Closet’ in resin-oil. Resin-oil is a medium in which you mix oil with with thickened linseed oil and Venetian turpentine. This medium gives a candied effect with vivid colors. I use resin-oil in a more expressionistic manner than my watercolor and tempera paintings. I like the happy accidents and drips that show up on the canvas. There is one drawback regarding resin-oil; the room where you paint needs to have plenty of ventilation because the vapors are very strong.

Glass Bottles on top of Antique Closet 2015 Watercolor on Arches 640 GSM - 15 in x 22 in - 38 cm x 56 cm - unframed - $200.00 USD - Contact: victoriaangelesolson@hotmail.com

This is the watercolor ‘Glass Bottles on top of Antique Closet’. I chose this to make the resin-oil.

I use linseed oil, thickened linseed oil, Venetian turpentine, dry pigments and odorless petroleum spirits as part of my equipment.

I use dry pigment and mix it with linseed oil.

I mix dry pigment with linseed oil.

When you mix the dry pigment with linseed oil with a spatula, the paint has to stand up like butter, not run down to meet the surface.

I use different kinds of paint brushes. It depends on what I need. The most important thing is to clean them with petroleum spirits and wash them carefully with warm water and soap. I like dish washing soap. Then hang them upside down to dry.

When you finish your painting session, clean your brushes with petroleum spirit, wash them carefully with warm water and soap and hang them upside down to dry.

I don’t always begin with a drawing, but since I’m making a copy of my watercolor in a different meduim, I want to control the out come.

I always try to work all around the picture plane, developing everything at the same time in order to find harmony.

I'm still working all around the picture plane, trying to put down the exact color I see in an area and leave it there. The dry pigments are on the easel in little plastic containers.

I’m still working all around the picture plane, putting down the exact color I see in an area and leaving it there without smudging it around the canvas. The dry pigments are on the easel in little plastic containers.

My Favorite Bottles 2015
This is the final result of the resin-oil on canvas.