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

Posted on February 21, 2019 by victoria A. Olson

-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.

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.

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.

Checking out the exhibition

The art work presented here is quite amazing.

El trabajo de arte presentado aquí es bastante sorprendente.

Sala Paco de Lucia

as amazing as my buddies at the Plaza.

Tan asombroso como mis amigos en la Plaza.

At the Plaza

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

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

Plaza del Conde de Barajas Plaza de los Pintores. White tents with artwork from 39 artists

Plaza de los Pintores at Conde de Barajas Madrid Spain.

Posted on October 25, 2018 by victoria A. Olson

This is the Plaza del Conde de Barajas la Plaza de los Pintores. There are 39 artists who show their work every Sunday from 10-2. I have a little stand there too. As of October I have a permanent stand where I show my art too. I’m really happy about it.

: My stand at Plaza de los Pintores; Here is a snapshop of a friend and I at my little stand of watercolors.; Oil paintings, Prints and Watercolors

I’m really happy to have a little space to show my art whether it be watercolor, print or oil paintings.

Glass Bottles

I’m going to show some watercolors this Sunday. This watercolor is part of a series called My Favorite Bottles.

Click here on these Links below to see how to get to the Plaza de los Pintores.; From San Miguel Market and from Calle de los Cuchilleros.

Hope to see you there!

Summer June Flowers 2017

Posted on July 29, 2017 by victoria A. Olson

After our funny hail storm in June, these little yellow sun flowers bloomed on the terrace all at once.

I took out my easel and oil paints onto the terrace and started to paint the mini sun flowers early morning.

I mix my own colors with natural pigment bound with linseed oil. The colors are: cadmium lemon yellow, yellow chrome, transparent gold ochre, cadmium orange, magnesium blue, intense crimson, tierra sombra and cadmium red.

I usually start with my favorite part and build around it.

I just try to paint what I see.

I put the exact color and shape on the canvas as quickly and accurately as possible.

Here again the next morning in the hot sun.

Here I started putting in the skyline.

Since all the colors influence each other, I try to find all them as quickly as possible before the light changes.

The background colors are established, so now I start with more detail in the foreground.

I felt as if I had finished the painting at this point and then I couldn’t resist putting a scumble on it to push the back ground into the distance.

So little by little I started building up the foreground, leaving the back ground alone.

Summer June Flowers 2017.

Dante’s Inferno Canto IV Modern Language Version. Written by Jim Belton and Illustrated by Victoria Olson.

Posted on March 19, 2017 by victoria A. Olson

Canto IV Limbo 2017

The next day, we came to the foot of a noble castle, circled seven times by high walls. A fair creek encircled the walls, but we crossed it as if it was hard ground. I went in through the seven gates with the sages, and we came to a healthy green meadow.

Jim Belton’s modern language version of Canto II by Dante Alighieri. Click here to read Canto IV.

Figure Painting

Posted on December 31, 2016 by victoria A. Olson

Dante’s Inferno Canto IV in process – Mixed Technique: Tempera Underpainting and Resin-Oil Finish.

Illustration in Process of Canto IV Limbo.

Canto IV Limbo Last Session

Canto IV Session 12

Canto IV Session 11

Canto IV Session 10

Canto IV Session 9

Canto IV Session 8

Canto IV Session 7

Canto IV Session 6

Canto IV Session 5

Canto IV Session 4

Canto IV Session 3

Canto IV Session 2

Canto IV Session 1

Dante’s Inferno Canto II Modern Language Version. Written by Jim Belton and Illustrated by Victoria Olson.

Posted on December 25, 2016 by victoria A. Olson

Dante’s Inferno Canto II (55) Beatriz Summons Virgil in Limbo 2012

“I was among those who are suspended in Limbo, when a Lady called me. She was so blessed and beautiful that I asked her to command me. Her eyes were more luminous than the stars, and she began to speak to me sweetly and quietly, with an angelic voice, in her own tongue.”

Jim Belton’s modern language version of Canto II by Dante Alighieri. Click here to read Canto II.

Figurative Mixed Media Painting Process of Canto IV, an Illustration of Limbo inspired by Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy

Posted on November 19, 2016 by victoria A. Olson

I start with stretcher bars.

73 cm x 100 cm or 28.74 in x 39.37 in

I’m using duck cloth. It’s heavy, plain woven cotton fabric.

duck cloth

I mounted the material on the stretcher bars, gave it a thin coat of rabbit skin glue (let it dry) and then I primed it. Primer: Mix equal amounts of zinc oxide, calcium sulfate and rabbit skin glue. Pour the rabbit skin glue into the zinc oxide and calcium sulfate little by little mixing with a brush.

Primer

Here is the primed canvas on the easel.

Primed Canvas

Egg tempera emulsion is made by mixing an egg, oil, varnish and water together in a tall flask of equal proportions, shaking after each ingredient in that respective order.

Mixing the Emulsion

I started off using these earth colors: blanco de España, zinc oxide, verde Veronese, transparent gold ocher and vine black.

Dry Pigment with Emulsion and Spatula for mixing

This is what the pigments look like when mixed with the emulsion. This is a water based medium.

Pigment mixed with emulsion and water container

Egg tempera can be watered down as thinly as you like, but not always as thick as you like.

Session 1 egg tempera under painting in process

I start adding color and still painting thinly.

Session 2 egg tempera under painting

This is the under painting.

Session 3 egg tempera under painting

Canto IV describes a castle emanating a fire-like-light in limbo within a dark forest void of light.

Session 4 egg tempera under painting

I used gold leaf to represent the light.

Gold leaf

I paint the area where I want to put the gold leaf on because the canvas has to be sealed or the gold leaf won’t stick.

Session 5 gold leaf

Here, I’ve just started to use oil color. I mixed dry pigment with poppy seed oil. When mixed, the paint should stand up like butter.

Session 6 oil painting

Resin oil is a mixture of stand oil, thickened linseed oil and venetian turpentine.

Session 7 resin oil

With wet resin oil, you can paint hair-line brush strokes into it with egg tempera and switch back and forth with tempera and oil. This is a mixed media. You must always follow the rule of fat over lean.

Canto IV, Limbo Session 8

I’m waiting for this painting to dry completely so I can decide whether I want to stop or continue.

Figurative Painting Process – Canto IV -The Divine Comedy.

Posted on November 1, 2016 by victoria A. Olson

Session 4

I’m putting the imagery together and keeping my rough draft in mind.

Canto 4 Session 5

According to the poem. There is a luminous castle in Limbo.

Canto 4 Session 6

So, this is the under-painting with gold leaf, egg tempera and oils.

Canto 4 Session 8

This is where I left off today.

Rough Draft Watercolor, Tempera & Resin-Oil (Mixed Media)

Posted on August 18, 2015 by victoria A. Olson

Starting with a rough draft in watercolor from a thought is the way I sometimes begin a painting; continuing with tempera and finishing with Resin-oil is how I might finish a painting.

draft 1

I usually do some small rough drafts before starting a painting. These first five drafts are watercolors.

Draft 2

So anyway, this is just what I did. I started with five or six small rough drafts in watercolor. I picked one and started a 80 cm x 100 cm canvas painting of the watercolor in egg tempera technique. After copying the watercolor as best I could, I continued building up the idea and the paint. I finished with resin-oil which gives the finish a candied look.

I like big formats, so I try to have a clear idea. I like large but not too large sizes like 80 cm x 100 cm and 150 cm x 100 cm.

draft 3

Tempera is great for under-painting or you can leave it as is – unvarnished. It’s so quick and changeable and accepts oil over-painting perfectly well as a finished painting.

draft 4

The thought is that I’m interested in robotics in the sense of West World and Artificial Intelligence; two emotionally impacting movies I saw that surprised me.

draft 5

I’ve been looking at some of the latest robots in you tube as well as other things and fiction is becoming reality as usual.

Draft 1

My painting is about how fiction and reality are closely knit.

There is something about robots; I’m sure you’ve noticed too.

Tempera underpainting

Unrequited_desire 80cm x 100 cm

Resin Oil on Canvas – In Process