Forest study - foliage with sea sponge

This forest study is a bit larger (14x10 inches) than my usual small studies, and it is mainly practice of foliage texture with a sea sponge.

Imaginary seascapes - monochrome studies

These were done while demoing the monochrome power (value studies) at the workshop I do at the Community Center for seniors (beginners). It is something they like very much, because there are no strict rules to follows, just play with water (mostly) on the paper, and then just add a bit more of the same color here and there, and some picture will appear with out much effort. A few more details on the dry paper, and here we are:

Summer mood - ACEO seascape studies

With all this hot weather and our visits at various seaside locations, I had to paint some seascapes: waves, sand beaches, and some tropical palm trees. Although imaginary, they are kind of ideal places for my vacation!
Here are the three little ACEOs (3.5x2.5 inches):

Two still life studies

These are also done without any pencil drawing, just studying some still life.  The first is a big pot we have at the village house, and usually has a little olive tree planted. When it gets too big, we move it in the garden and plant a new little one - we just had it ready for the new one. In the second there are some fresh strawberries I got from the market. Both sketches are 5x7 inches in size.

Catching up - a few outdoor little sketches

These are some little sketches (5x7 inches), which I did outdoor with free brush (no preliminary pencil drawing) just as exercises. Although they don't have any real value as paintings, every time I do one I learn a bit of "do and don't", and I think this is what they count for.

Another floral watercolor - Cone Flowers

In "spring mood" I did one more floral watercolor, with my PV19 pigments. They give beautiful pink colors which are really lightfast (I tested them myself) or purples when combined with a bit of blue. The painting is 10x7 inches in size, and it is done on Fabriano Artistico 90 lb CP paper.

More spring inspired: Pink Water Lily

Previous week at the watercolor workshop I teach at Community Center of Patras city I handled to the ladies quite a few reference photos of various pink and purple flowers: roses, anemones, cone flowers, fuchsia, water lily, orchids, and many more. Although the main scope was to test some new PV19 pigment-based watercolor paints,  they were so happy to work with these, after a couple of weeks working on perspective issues!!! And I was happy too, so after the workshop at home I started to work a few of the photos (by the way, most of them were from the WetCanvas reference image library, which is copyright free for all artists).
Here is the first of them, a Pink Water Lily, done with my usual palette on Fabriano Artistico 90 lb CP paper (size 10x7 inches)

In the spirit of ...

This is one of those time I saw a reference photo, shared by Mary (our host for March 4, 2016 WDE on WetCanvas), I like it and went for it, but then was disappointed with the result. I need to give it another go to this one, and re-work the entire concept. The title for this one was supposed to be "In between", with the meaning of the river between the two mountains, the time in between seasons (one part covered with snow, the other spring green). Now I am between keeping it (for a while) or directly send it to paper recycling. However, in the spirit of the WDE I had to scan it and share it with my friends.

China vase and orange lanterns

Previous week Mary hosted the WDE challenge on WetCanvas, and she shared quite a few beautiful photos. This still life arrangement, with a white porcelain vase (chinese style) and the orange lanterns (not sure if these are the flowers or the fruits of the plant... hm, need to check on this issue), was the first one I stopped, although I saved a few more photos for future references. The painting is 10x7 inches, and it is done with my usual paints on Fabriano Artistico 90 lb CP paper.

Butterflyfish ACEOs

Just in case you missed these little fishes, I have a couple more for today. Both are ACEO size (3.5x2.5 inches).

Tree Portrait

Few weeks ago we did a short excursion at about 100 km away from Patras, in the mountain area, near a village called Vlasia. The area is beautiful, with lots of green (pine trees) and snow during winter months, especially on the north facing areas. Our target was the snow, for the little one to have some fun (and not only), but we also stop to a place that started already look like spring, and I saw this tall tree standing out. It was like not fitting there, because all the rest around were much smaller. This is my second study (the first one was a 5x7 inch one), and I think soon I will go for a third one. Although I like it better, I feel like I haven't fully captured the grandeur of this tree. I need to go back to my reference photos.

Plain air studies - Achaia Beach

On Saturday we had a short walk on one of the beaches near the Patras city, Achaia Beach, and I had the time to do two small and quick studies. Actually I started for the two twisted trees, but while sitting down I noticed near me some small purple flowers with interesting leaves. And, of course, any wild flower fast get my attention. Both studies are 7x5 inches.

Spring fever - phalaenopsis orchid

About 2 weeks ago I got a pot with phalaenopsis orchids in bloom, which have this beautiful pink color, perfect to test some PV19 pigments. Here are two small (7x5 inches) studies:

Tree and Morning Fog

After quite some time I looked to the reference images of the WDEs on WetCanvas. I just finished this strange tree at morning for the February 19, 2016. Thank you Li for the beautiful photos, I have saved some more for the future.
The painting has size of 10x7 inches, and it is done with my usual watercolor palette on Fabriano Artistico 90lb CP paper.

Rose bud study

I did this Rose study as a demonstration at the Community Center, for the beginners' group, to show them the how to mix and glaze greens, and how to paint some of the details. It has small size, 5x7 inches, and it is done with Camel watercolors on Saunders Waterford 90 lb CP.

One more Mandarin Oranges study

I did it quite some time ago, but only today I managed to scan. It is a life study done without any preliminary drawing, trying to get better control of my brushes.
Watercolor on Saunders Waterford 90 lb paper, 7x5 inches.

Clownfish ACEOs

I had quite some time to do any little fishes, and I missed them. This time I choose this funny colorful species, the Clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris), or else called anemonefish! Their main color varies between yellow and orange-red, and they have these characteristic white patches on their body. I did a bunch of them, all on Saunders Waterford paper, with my usual watercolor paints. And, as the title says, they are all ACEO size (3.5x2.5 inches).

Another wild flower from Kampi village, Zakynthos

Spring is approaching and I am getting into the "flower-ing" mood :)
But I actually did this one about one month ago, just never get to post it.
It is a kind of a wild iris flower, not sure about the species - I need to do the homework on that part.
The painting is again a small watercolor study, of only 5x7 inches, done with my usual watercolor paints (a mixture of Winsor & Newton, Daniel Smith and American Journey).

My card for Twitter Art Exhibit 2016 is on the way!

I sent my first card to Twitter Art Exhibit in 2014, and it was just about the time to send one this year too. I selected one of the paintings I had already done on such small size (size limit for the Twitter Art Exhibit is 16x12 cm), and it should reach the Trygve Lie Gallery (NYC) the following days. This year, the international exhibition of original postcard art is benefiting Foster Pride’s “Handmade” Program, in which young women in foster care learn to create and market a unique line of goods. Here is my card for Twitter Art Exhibit 2016:

I hope it sells, to contribute to the funds for the benefiting organization!
If you are an artist and you haven't sent yet your card, there is still time to do it!

Mandarin Oranges studies

Yesterday evening while I was considering having some fruits for dinner, while looking at a bag with mandarin oranges they were also "asking" to be painted. So, I just put some of them in front of me and worked directly with the brush on paper, with no preliminary drawing. And it was fun to do! I started first with very light washes to establish the main shapes and, after a few layers of paints, here are the results:

7x5 inches, Saunders Waterford 90 lb CP paper, Mandarin Oranges 01

5x7 inches, Arches 140 lb HP paper, Mandarin Oranges 02

Red Pea (Lathyrus cicera) study

While in the village for the winter holidays, the weather was so nice, almost like spring! During my walks I was continuously looking around for little flowers, and kind of disappointed not to see any yet - usually they start to appear by the end of January. Thus I run to my reference photos taken during previous spring, and here it comes another Red Pea (Lathyrus cicera) study. Painting size is ~7x5 inches, and it is done with my usual watercolor palette (a mixture of Winsor & Newton, Daniel Smith and American Journey) on Saunders Waterford 90 lb CP paper.

p.s. This is the 3rd study I do of this little wildflower, and most probable is I won't stop here...

Tomatoes on Plate

This is a painting I finished in November 2015, but I didn't manage to scan it all this time. It is from a photo I took some time ago (I also post it on WetCanvas for one of the WDE I hosted, but I don't remember which one), and I use it as a reference for one of the workshop sessions for the advanced group at the Community Center. The painting is approximately 10x14 inches, and it is done with my regular palette on Arches 90 lb CP paper.

Pear shapes

I painted this one from an older photo I took of some pears I got from the market. The real fruits had a ochre-brownish color and were placed on white background, but I wanted to have fun with this one and try to get some strong contrasts. Just that it goes away from the real thing :)
Anyway, the painting is ~10x7 inches, and it is done with acrylics on paper.