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.

Open Air Painting of Neptune Fountain on the Paseo del Prado in Madrid, Spain August 2016

Posted on August 12, 2016 by victoria A. Olson

I’ve done two watercolors of this fountain from opposite stand points. This is the first one. It was a really hot day. When I say hot, I mean hot.

First two and a half hours

I was standing in a sliver of shade next to the bus shelter. painting Neptune Fountain. I had the perfect spot but it was really hot. I stopped painting after two and a half hours and went back to finish the next day.

The second day Painting

I was painting there again the next day for almost three more hours.

Here it is finished.

I went back to the Paseo del Prado last week and painted the same fountain from the other side of the fountain, but from a street view.

Someone from Florida took this picture

He also sent me this picture of me painting.

Someone from Florida took this picture

Again I had a perfect place in the Ritz parking lot. The space was so small, only a mini, mini car would fit.

A street view of the Paseo del Prado in August 2016

This is the second watercolor of Neptune Fountain. It was a lot of fun painting there. I’m glad someone showed me and took me to this spot to paint. It’s not easy finding a good place to paint in the middle of a fast-moving busy city.

Open Air Watercolor Painting – Paseo del Prado Madrid, August 2016

Posted on August 5, 2016 by victoria A. Olson

I had been thinking about painting in the City Center for a while now, but …all that traffic. It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.

Starting out with a quick drawing; trying to block everything in.

Light colors ’cause I’m not sure about anything yet.

As soon as I think I know where everything goes, I start using final colors and shapes.

Here it’s finished.

Paseo del Prado August Madrid, Spain 2016

Open Air Painting in Olmeda de las Fuentes June, 2016

Posted on July 12, 2016 by victoria A. Olson

The Agrupaciòn Española de Acuarelistas (Spanish Watercolor Society) in Madrid went to the beautiful village called Olmeda de las Fuentes to do some open air watercolor painting. There were more than 40 of us painting out doors in this small pueblo.

A view at the edge of town

The morning was overcast. I walked to the top of the hill with two others, a couple, and looked for a nice shady place, ready for a hot day.

Afternoon

The morning was overcast, no shadows. I waited til the sun came out to paint the cast shadows on the ground.

When I got to this point in the painting, a man who lives in the village pulled up in his car… It was obvious that I was in his parking place; the only shady place left :).

He was so nice. Before I could say anything he said that I didn’t have to move.

Hazy June Morning in Olmeda de las Fuentes 2016

He Parked his car in the sun and asked us if it would bother us. ‘If it would bother us?’ I mean how nice can you get.

Any way, this is how this painting called ‘Hazy June Morning in Olmeda de las Fuentes’ turned out. We all got together for lunch.

Lunch Time

The food was delicious.

We showed each other our drawings.

Argentina with her watercolor

Argentina found a beautiful little corner to paint in the village.

Jose Maria Ysmer

Jose Maria Ysmer always picks the perfect place to paint and his watercolors turn out so picturesque and painterly.

Olmeda de las Fuentes 2016

After lunch, we painted for another three hours and then returned to Madrid. It was a lot of fun, just like in April. We all went to Trillo to paint outdoors.

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.

Wild Flowers in Pickle Jar May 2nd 2015

Posted on July 21, 2015 by victoria A. Olson

Not only do I like the way these wild flowers liven up the city landscape of Madrid with bright colors and interesting shapes, I also like the way they announce the coming of long summer warm days of light after a long cold winter.

Wild Flowers in Pickle Jar May 2nd 2015

Here is how I started out

In Process

I started with a grid and a light line drawing. Then started in with watercolor working around the paper. My intention is to end with harmony. I try to paint on all areas of the paper before getting into specific detail.

establishing the dark and light areas

This is what is starts to look like when I start to lay in the color. Sometimes I want to put in the color and shape in one shot and in other areas I work lightly so I can go back in again.

Painting in a horizontal position

I point my paper in the direction of what I’m painting to keep all the lines parallel

Detail

Here is a detail of the painting.

Red Poppies – The Watercolor Art Making Process

Posted on April 26, 2015 by victoria A. Olson

Spanish Poppies are one of my favorite wild flowers. They are of a deep saturated cadmium red in the shade and bright orange in the transparency of the light. The wind blows the fragile petals back and forth, contrasting bright orange with ruby-red, flickering so vividly beautiful under the sun.

Red Poppies in Blue Vase April 2015 – Watercolor on Arches 300 GSM – 15 in x 11 in – 38 cm x 28 cm

First I started with the tallest area and measured the rest of the poppies to that one.

I estimate the distance between the flowers and paint the color, shape and tone directly as a finished stroke of the paintbrush. Painting into them again will make the flowers hard looking.

Once I paint the poppies in a direct manner, this conditions me to do the same with the vase. In watercolor, I try to treat everything in the same way from start to finish.

I don’t forget about the background, that’s just as important as the foreground. I also estimate where everything goes on the picture plane and try to get it in one shot.

I’m only painting in areas where I haven’t painted yet, covering the white of the paper and respecting the light colors.

Glass Bottles on top of Antique Closet 2015

Bottles on top of the Closet

Posted on February 8, 2015 by victoria A. Olson

My favorite Bottles

This is part of a series of twelve watercolors that I’m making in different parts of the house. Today they are on top of the closet. In the winter, the light changes quickly, so it took three days to finish it.

When I have the board on the easel, I check to make sure it’s level, I don’t want the vertical lines to slant.

Today, I made a light drawing of the bottles. First I estimated where the tops of the bottles go to make sure they all fit. Then I developed one of the bottles more than the rest to use it as a measure; I used the bottle on the corner and built around that.

I followed the drawing with a watercolor outline, but only where I saw dark values.

I started with the red bottle in the middle because I’m using this as a measure for the other values and colors. I start to build around this bottle.

Working all around the bottles as well as the foreground. At the moment. I don’t need to work on the background because it’s almost white. I’m not finished yet. The light changed, so I had to stop.

To make a fine line, this long hair brush is perfect. It’s for letter making.

Here I’m looking at the colors and shapes. Trying to catch the reflections before the light changes.

The light changed, so I have to stop til tomorrow.

Last night,I noticed that one of the red bottle was not wide enough on the left side, so I made a correction.

I started painting from the corner outwards to the edge of the paper.

I continued to paint outwardly from the corner on both sides.

Glass Bottles on top of Antique Closet 2015
Watercolor on Arches 640 GSM – 15 in x 22 in – 38 cm x 56 cm

Bottles in the Rain

Posted on February 5, 2015 by victoria A. Olson

Bottles in the Rain

I am working on a series called ‘My Favorite Bottles’. Every time I paint them, I put them in a different place in the house so I can study the light, colors and reflections. It was raining and I thought that this was the perfect opportunity to paint reflections of the bottles on a wet floor.

Bottles in the Rain

This is my set up.

Here is a full sheet of Arches 300 GSM rough grain. 22 in x 30 in. I only want a half sheet, so I tear it in half. To do this, you fold it over and over again until it is easy to rip. Put it on the table and start at the corner by putting your thumb on the corner. It should start ripping without difficulty. If not, you need to start the folding again.

Now I have two half sheets of 11 in x 15 in.

Tape the paper down to a board. Make sure the edges of the paper is parallel to the board.

I didn’t start with a drawing because I wet the whole paper first by brushing on water. Then I put in the forms with the colors, but lightly in case I need to move something.

Start building up the color and shaping always trying to get the exact color and form. When you put down the color and shape, leave it there and go to another area of the paper so you don’t build any one object too much.

Respect the light areas in the objects and the background and always work around the paper for harmony. You can darken some areas when you are sure that that’s where they belong on the picture plane.