Plein Air Painting in Madrid

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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

Watercolor of a day in the Retiro Park with a band playing and a couple dancing.

And the Lovers Danced to La Orquesta Atipica Del Retrio with the Sound of the Newly Trickling Waterfall of the Artichoke Fountain in the Retiro Park One Early June Afternoon.

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I was so stoked to see water falling from the fountain dishes in the first week of June. They had been off for a full year and counting as well as the drinking fountains that are all over Madrid.

I was lucky enough to hear the Orquesta Atipica Del Retrio while I was painting the Artichoke Fountain. It was a lot of fun to paint them too.

This young couple started dancing to the tune of the band and it was so sweet. It only lasted a few moments until they were off to something else.

Here is a little Video of the ambience with the quint playing at the Retiro Park. Click on the photo above or Click here.

Here is a size reference photograph of the line and wash called “A Beautiful Day in June 2021” in full sunlight.

It was such of a beautiful day in June; I painted this line and wash too. The artificial lake with the blue row boats is called Lago Estanque. The monument that you can see in the background with the equestrian statue is called Monumento a Alfonso XII.

Here is a size reference photograph of the line and wash called “El Estanque en Junio 2021” in full sunlight.

It was a really special day here in the Retiro Park in Madrid, Spain. Thank you for reading my little story, enjoy the sunny weather.

Victoria

A large watercolor of a popular street in Madrid in Plaza del Conde de Barajas.

2º concurso de pintura rápida al aire libre Taller Abierto, en pleno Madrid de los Austrias En la Plaza del Conde de Barajas.

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Now this is a rapid painting competition, in Plaza del Conde de Barajas also called Plaza de los Pintores in Madrid, Spain. I’ve always had my eye on this plaza.

A photograph of me with a pen and ink drawing on an easel in Madrid's Plaza del Conde de Barajas.

Plaza del Conde de Barajas,

I’ve been doing line and wash lately so I thought I would try it here at the fast painting competition sponsored by Taller Abierto; really nice people by the way.

A photo of a woman painting a street in Madrid on site.

Line and Wash

After about three hours the light completely changed.

A woman standing next to an easel with the start of a watercolor.

The light creeping in.

And the sun started creeping in until I had to leave.

Woman standing in front of easel with started watercolor wearing watercolor gear, hat, scarf and long sleeve white shirt and tinted glasses.

2º concurso de pintura rápida al aire libre Taller Abierto

Here in Madrid the Sun is hot, really hot. You got to be careful and always try to stay in the shade to avoid heat related mishaps. You don’t want one of those.

Two people looking into the camera lense with a smile.

Emilio and I

This is Emilio, he took all the pictures. Thanks Emilio!

The next day I went back and finished the painting as best I could.

A large watercolor of a popular street in Madrid in Plaza del Conde de Barajas.

Plaza Del Conde de Barajas July 1st 2018

This watercolor is going to be in Semana de Arte en la Calle street exhibition at Plaza del Conde de Barajas every Sunday of July. 10-13:00.  Come visit us if you are in Madrid this summer.