Zdenka , work in progress

12x12 inches

Today I started the portrait of one of my dearest friends here in California, Zdenka.
This is the underpainting, I will go then on top with more colors once this first layer has completely dried.

I need to make a beautiful work here, she deserves the best!!:)

A Rainy day...with A LOT of paint

8x10 inches oil on card board

Hello again :)

Since I was unhappy with yesterday landscape first thing on my to-do-list of today was painting something I would be happy with.

Last March when in London I took a very nice (complimenting my self here!!) picture , here it is:

I have been thinking about painting this one for a long time, but I was always putting on a side thinking it would be too difficult to render the rainy effect.
Then yesterday a lady in my landscape class had a similar picture ( she actually made quite an amazing job out of it!) and I GOT INSPIRED :)

Today I rendered the rainy -wet effect with a lot of paint and by using the palette knife, here is a detail,

tomorrow I think I ll do it again experimenting a different technique....maybe(!)

have a good evening everyone!!

Poppies field

Hello !!

Is evening here now, outside is still warm from the day, the birds are singing (too many of them!!), the dinner is cooking in the oven, Mona is quite and asleep, the husband is working...I am enjoying this moment:)

Yesterday afternoon I went to my usual Tuesday landscape class, unfortunately I dint have any picture with me to paint and I borrowed one from a lady in the class . ( very disappointed with myself!!) I have millions of beautiful pictures and I should not go around asking ther people photos!!

The painting came very close to the original picture, but actually I am not very happy with it.... :( I am disappointed with the house...

8x10inches oil on canvas board

Down here the original picture with the painting in progress :

Portrait

I cannot see my self getting tired of drawing faces....I just can NOT!!! I do not know why, I just love it!
When I love something or someone repetition never bores me .
I am happy to wake up everyday next to the same man (!), I could eat pizza every day, I love my daily run and the idea of drawing a face is always exciting and appealing....

Anyway!!!!
This was today s' portrait.
Hope you like it!

Oranges, lemon and BLUE

Hello!
I am posting today a small painting from last week...I know ! I am cheating!!!:)
Today it was a pretty busy day, not time to paint!
I will definitely paint tomorrow :)

Here is real still life I set up in the garden, the weather last week was amazing, this week not so much :(

 

6x6 inches oil on canvas

Sunset and rocks, landscape quick study

Today for my landscape quick study class I picked a difficult subject, an ocean sunset view.

I really need to practice painting water, adding this to my to-do list!!

And here is my painting next to the original picture:

It was a full day this one!
Running, drawing, swimming (!), painting...but I think I ll paint some more before dinner!!:)
ciaooo!

Tuesday portrait

I love drawing portraits, I can paint still life, paint landscape, paint people...still my favorite thing EVER is drawing people from life.
Today model was a bit of challenge, I had problem with her eye (I had only one to do since I went for a profile!)

It was half closed, half open, puffy on top...tough! But I am happy with the result!

Rainy and cold today! just back from a short walk with Mona, is freezing ( for the California-february standard of course! Not for the Italian or New Yorkish ones!!)

Have a nice evening everyone!

Mimi

5x5 inches oil on canvas

As much as I am a dog person, crazy in love with my doggie! My mom is a cat person :)
I tried to get her a dog too...but Nope!!! Her cat would not agree, so no dog! The cat is the princess in my parent's home.
Here she is: Mimi.

Is my first time painting a cat, plenty of room for improvement of course! Still, I am happy with the result:)

Hope you like it!
Have a nice evening everyone!

I am mine

Hello everyone!
Hope you had a good Saturday :) we had a lazy one over here,  short run with Mona this morning. She was still tired from yesterday! We had 3 amazing hours at the beach, Mona running in every possible directions and I took as many pict as possible till the sunset. What a beautiful day:)

Today's little painting is ME from the back , 7x9 inches oil on canvas board.

I had this tattoo done (long time ago!!!since I need to think hard to remember WHEN!) in 2008 back in Italy, when I was living in Milan.

There are plenty of reasons behind it but the one I believed in most at the time and now is that I AM MINE, no matter what and especially no matter WHO.
A reminder of my freedom, and my self-sufficiency.

And as the Pearl Jam song goes:

"...I know I was born
And I know that I'll die
The in between is mine
I am mine ..."

A cup of tea for my Valentine

Happy Friday!
Early wake up today, just got back from SF.
I love driving so early in the morning, the colors everywhere are beautiful, the air is fresh....I am sure it will be a good day!
I am posting my painting from yesterday,  Valentine themed:)

8x10 inches oil on canvas board

The weather was amazing yesterday (today should be even warmer!!) so I set up my still life outside and started painting.

It was fun!And I also got a suntan on my left side !!!

Taking the doggie out for a run now and possibly we ll be heading to half moon bay for a painting afternoon.
Have a great day everyone!

Green and pink tulips

8x10 inches oil on card board
Green and pink tulips.

I don t usually post my blog in the morning, is nice for a change!
I painted this quick study last Sunday, the flowers were given to me the night before from some friends at the party.
I love tulips but they have such a short life is kind of annoying! Is the reason I rarely buy them :(
They are dying already, and is only Thursday!!!

Anyway the sun is shining and Mona is ready! Let's go for a run !
Enjoy your day everyone!
HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

Solo

Another busy day...sometimes I wish my day had 36 hours ... :) maybe then I would have time for all the things I want to do!!

Sunny, warm, beautiful .... perfect.
I love days like this one. And the amazing thing is that here almost every day is like this !!! I LOVE CALIFORNIA :)

Today small painting is a pink carnation.
We have the house full of flower right now and I am taking advantage of it!
 ( I got plenty of flowers for my birthday! and I would love to paint them all before they die!!)
This was part of a;larger bouquet, but I like it on his own, SOLO.

6x8 inches oil on canvas board

Tuscany landscape, quick study

For today quick painting I choose a picture with a landscape from Tuscany, Italy.
Here is the underpainting done in the first 20 min

and the color on top in the other 20 min

8x10 oil on canvas board! hope you like it!

happy birthday...to ME!!:)

Hello everyone!
I havent been posting for a few days, sorry!!
I was very busy cleaning, cooking and cleaning!
We had a carnival party here at our place over the weekend, it was fab!A lot of work before and after...but now the ART is back :)
happy happy happy time!!
and today is my birthday too, so super happy time!
I am actually very pleased with my self with all the things I managed to do today,  run with hubby and Mona in the morning, then off to portrait class (I like my portrait of today!), then swimming at lunch time and back to school for a quick study landscape class, ( I loved this one painting of today!).
Waiting to go out for a pizza with friends now...I am tired though! I have to admit that!, I am not that young anymore!!!:)

here is the portrait!

Skinny jeans and red shoes...feeling sexy!

Hello everyone!

The rain was back today, but just in the morning, sunny for the rest of the day.
One week after my bad fall I went back running. Hubby, Mona and me and it felt so good!
I busied my self with one painting this morning, then I cooked for the rest of the day, getting ready for Saturday Carnival party at our place:).

The picture I painted today is another I found browsing Etsy.
Is from a shoe shop in Greece...ho w cool is that!! The world is sooo small !

7x9 inches
oil on canvas board

Bride in black and white

Hello!
A beautiful Wednesday this one :)
Sunny day and almost totally healthy again!
We had a friend of mine staying with us for 5 days.  Gaby, amazing girl ! But she brought a stomach bug with her which of course I caught immediately (!) and it  put me out of order for the whole time Gaby was here. We had a great relaxing time though, catching up and watching LOADS of tv ;)

I have discovered Etsy some time ago, it is an amazing website, you can find new, strange, lovely, different things and idea from all over the world. It makes you feel connected to people everywhere in the world....and it makes you believe that at the end the world is a small place!
While browsing I discovered the page of Monique, a  girl from Phoenix , AZ, she creates beautiful dresses.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/ouma
(above the link to her shop ! check it out!)
 
Every single time I see the picture of one of her dresses I feel the need to make a painting out of it! They are so romantic and poetic! I love them!
Maybe one day I ll buy one ;)
So here is my painting, down the original picture.
Have a great evening everyone!
ciao!!

12x16 oil on canvas board
CURIOSITY!
to make the black I didn't use a single drop of black color, but instead I mixed green and red :)

Afternoon at the beach with Mona and my brushes...

With the sun shining  and 70 F me and Mona decided to spend the afternoon at the beach yesterday.
B E A U T I F U L
With my knee still not okay it was also the only way to give her some exercise outside! :)
I always find excuse not take my painting brushes with me whenever I go places, but for once I overcame my fear and I packed everything for a painting afternoon, even too much!! The bag was too heavy .

Anyway picture time:

Mona making sure my easel was safe!

First mini study, the thing is that nice view is not always an interesting painting!! :)

the other side..., 30 min each



then we went for a walk, Mona was super bored of sitting!

and on the way to the car we stopped again for a 30min painting

and back to the car...beautiful sunset !