¿Dónde está el baño?

NYC rooftops, WIP – oil painting value study.  Approx 8″ x 11″

Green tulips – watercolor practice on Strathmore paper

The Husband and I are taking beginner Spanish classes.  Again.  We’ve tried this once or twice but don’t keep up with it and forget everything.  This time we say we will stick with it.  We’ll see.

Last week a student in class asked the teacher what the difference was between “usted” which is formal, singular “you”, and “ustedes” which is formal, plural “you”.

The teacher explained it this way:  “Usted” is “you”.  “Ustedes” is “Y’all”.

Only in the South….  🙂

I’m still struggling with oil painting so I’m staying with using only one color and white and doing value studies.  One of these days I’ll graduate to color.  The above oil is of some of the rooftops and water towers in NYC.  The next is a fun little watercolor of some tulips for #worldwatercolormonth.

Hasta luego, Y’all.  Thanks for visiting.

 

It’s a New Year…now what?

Cherry Esplanade – Brooklyn Botanic Gardens – watercolor on 140# Arches coldpress

Now, I’m not one to complain but…oh wait, I AM one to complain.  So let me begin.  It’s a new year and after we’ve finished wishing each other a happy, healthy and prosperous new year it’s now the middle of January and really, what’s changed?  I work. It’s cold. It’s dark. I haven’t lost the 8 lbs I gained over the holidays.  I’m tired.  Everyone one the subway seems to be sick and breathing on me.  But,  looking on the bright side, the days are actually getting longer.  Yay!

I’ve been working on a few paintings and finishing up other ones. Since it’s been so cold, nothing says Spring to me but cherry blossom trees.  So I decided to paint some.   This is of the Cherry Esplanade in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.

I also decided to do a painting from a Charles Reid book for practice. It’s a wine bottle with an orange and lemon.  Charles Reid is always fun to study from.  For fun I changed the writing on the label.

I finished FATE on the Gowanus Canal and the Red Tulips.

Hope you are all hanging in there! Stay warm.  Stay healthy.  Spring will be here soon.