Arco de los Cuchilleros

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This watercolor depicts Arco de Cuchilleros. This very tall arch is a Madrilenian icon. Before I painted this interesting facade, I painted the same arch from the Plaza Mayor.

This is a view of the Arch from Plaza Mayor

This is how the painting turned out.

When I finished these two paintings, I showed them at the Plaza de los Pintores.

My Art Stand is located in the heart of Madrid.

This really nice guy, S, came by and chose Arco de Cuchilleros to add to his travel collection.

I was so happy to get a photo of the framed watercolor showing off in its new home with S. It looks so nice in a frame. 🙂

Thank you for supporting the Arts!

Victoria

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

XVIII Certamen Nacional de Pintura Rápida de El Capricho en Otoño 2022

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Capricho park in Madrid is a gorgeous historic park. I signed up for this fast-painting competition because I like to paint in the parks here in Madrid and this one is fabulous.

I set up in front of a fountain. Painting fountains are my favorite subject matter in the park. I like to hear the water trickling and try to capture the look of it as it falls. The water sparkles and glitters as it falls and this is what I like. Here is a picture of the fountain. It’s a simple, yet beautiful fountain.

The photograph doesn’t even come close to the stunning variety of green colors.

The painting competition was from 9 to 2. Usually, I can never finish a painting in such a short time. I tried really hard to finish this time or a least to make it look finished. Below is a photo of my painting.

I turned in the painting on time and although I didn’t win any prizes, I am happy to say that my painting was selected for the exhibition.

I was number 40.

Here it is hanging on the wall at Cultural Center Gloria Fuertes in Madrid. It will be hanging there until the 25th of November 2022.

Here is a little clip so you can see the ambiance of the Capricho Park Fast Painting Competition.

Thank you for reading my little story.

Painting the Crystal Palace of Madrid, Plein Air -Landscape of Light – World Heritage Autumn 2021

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I started the pencil drawing on the 18th of September 2021.

I returned the next day on the 19th of September and added a little color in the sky.

I returned again September 26th. It had been raining in between sessions and the landscape became more beautiful.

September 28th

October 7th

Thanks for the photo Nuria
Thanks for the photos, everybody.

It was a lot of fun painting the Crystal Palace. I met a lot of nice people.

Thanks for the photos Equipo Ardilla

The Crystal Palace was granted World Heritage on the 25th of July 2021.

Thank you for reading my little story,

Victoria

Painting Palacio de Cristal in Retiro Park of Madrid, Spain

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Palacio de Cristal Septiember 25 2021

I have a lot of fun painting the Crystal Palace. I paint it often. In July it was granted World Heritage status. I am really happy about that.

Palacio de Cristal Septiember 25 2021

This is a small format. Small format is great because I can finish in one session.

Pintando Palacio de Cristal en Situ 25 de Septiembre 2021

Here is my set up. I got this picture thanks to someone who sent me the picture. Thank you Javier!

Pintando in Situ 25 de Septiembre 2021 Pan

I try to paint in the shade, since I am standing in the same spot for three or four hours. It’s either shade or wear a hat. I brushed off a few spiders from my shoulder that were dropping down from the shady tree.

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

An Egyptian Temple in Madrid Spain, A cloudy colorful sky ond orange leaves on the trees. A winter day

El Templo de Dobod Plein Air Watercolor

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The Temple of Debod is an ancient building constructed in the early 2nd century BC dedicated to the goddess Isis. This is one of the few works of ancient Egyptian architecture that can be seen outside Egypt and one of its kind in Spain.  

This is a picture of a person painting a watercolor of the Temple of Debod. You can see the hand painting and the model which is Debod Temple.

El Templo de Debod plein air painting

It is located in the Parque del Oeste in Madrid, Spain. It was donated to Spain in 1968 by Egypt as a sign of gratitude for the help provided by Spain in saving the temples of Abu Simbel. Temples which were going to be lost forever due to the construction of the Great Dam of built across the Nile River.

An Egyptian Temple in Madrid Spain, A cloudy colorful sky ond orange leaves on the trees. A winter day

Templo de Debod, Madrid Spain 2014

 

A small watercolor of the Royal Palace with evergreens on each side flanking a pool with three square fountains in the middle. A big blue sky and bright green grass.

Sabatini Gardens Madrid, Spain

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Plein Air Painting in the Sabatini Gardens

These are the Sabatini Gardens in Madrid, Spain. Click on picture to see a short clip of the Gardens.

A photo of the Royal Palace from the Sabatini Gardens. Can see the Royal Palace with a little dome on top and tall evergreens in the foreground, four trees are visible. The pond has three square fountains with water shooting up.

Sabatini Gardens Madrid, Spain June 2018

This is a little ink & Pen of the Palace from the Sabatini Gardens.

A photo of a white paper taped down with a pen and ink drawing.

Pen and Ink of Royal Palace from the Sabatini Gardens 2018

 

When I finish the pen and ink, I put a watercolor wash over it and paint a bit more.

A small watercolor of the Royal Palace with evergreens on each side flanking a pool with three square fountains in the middle. A big blue sky and bright green grass.

The Royal Palace seen from the Sabatini Gardens 2018

I want to go back to this spot and look at other views of the Sabatini Gardens.

A photograph of me sitting on the edge of the Narciso fountain with a watercolor of the fountain in my hand.

Fuente de Narciso in Parque del Príncipe. A small watercolor in Aranjuez, Spain.

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La Fuente de Narciso in Aranjuez is a beautiful fountain hidden away in the Parque del Príncipe.  I’ve been there many times to paint on site.

A watercolor of the Fuente de Narciso in Aranjuez, Spain. The fountain is of mythological motif. Four figures of Atlas holds up the dish. On top of the dish is a statue of Narciso. He is looking down at the pond below. In the pond are creatures like frogs and crocodile heads that are not clear in the watercolor. The fountain is dry. There are trees in the background against a clear blue sky.

Fuente de Narciso June 2018 Small watercolor 14x19cm 5.5×7.5 in

Mythology:   Narciso was a very attractive young man who had all the attention of all the girls, but he ignored them all.  One, The nimph Eco, came out of the forest with her open arms, he cruelly shunned her so she hid away in a cave until all that was left of her was the eco of her voice.

The goddess of vengeance,  Nemesis, punished Narciso by making him fall in love with his own image reflecting in a fountain.  Unable to separate from his reflection, he threw himself  into the water.  And from the very place he fell a beautiful flower grew to honor him.

The watercolor of Fuente de Narciso held in my hand to see the size.

Here you can see the size. It’s a small watercolor.

Yes, indeed, this fountain is amazing to paint.  That day the fountain was off. It’s even more amazing when it’s on.