adventure

Wildflowers. Red Thistle and Madrid. Still life and urban sketching. Part 2.

Artist, ArtTravel, Uncategorized, Urban sketching

Red thistle flower and my absolute favorite city in Spain, Madrid—basically my love letter in plant form. Because apparently when I want to express passion, strength, energy, and fearlessness, I paint spiky flowers. Revolutionary, I know.

Madrid called. I answered in watercolor.

Madrid. A city with more sides to it than a geometry textbook—aristocratic, bohemian, and commercial all rolled into one impossibly stylish package. The moment you land there, something magical happens: the city whispers, “Hey, you look like you belong here,” and suddenly you feel like you actually do. Your city. Your home. The place where you’re meant to thrive (or at least enjoy really good tapas while pretending you belong).

Naming just a handful of Madrid’s masterpieces would be like choosing a favorite child—borderline impossible and slightly offensive to everyone involved. But here goes: Plaza Mayor (where people-watching reaches Olympic standards), Puerto del Sol (it’s basically Grand Central Station but cooler), the Prado Museum (where you can contemplate art for hours and feel intellectually superior), the Royal Palace (proving that “bigger” sometimes actually is better), Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum of Art (for when the Prado wasn’t quite enough art for your art-hungry brain), and Retiro Park (nature’s masterpiece to balance out all the human-made masterpieces). We’ve been there more times than we’d like to admit, and it’s absolutely penciled in for our next rendezvous. Or three. :)

I got so inspired that I created an entire series of watercolor and ink paintings featuring vibrant red and warm peach-colored thistles, all dedicated to one of my favorite cities in Europe. Because nothing says “I love you, Madrid” quite like painting prickly flowers obsessively.

This particular thistle features petals in tomato and red cabbage tones, paired with an indigo background because apparently I’m all about dramatic color combinations and life choices.

Tomato red meets indigo. Fancy.

Here we have a thistle sporting pomegranate and scarlet petals against a lemon and coffee-colored backdrop—basically proving that flowers have better color sense than most interior designers I know.

Pomegranate. Scarlet. Basically a salad, but make it art.

A watercolor masterpiece featuring thistle with shades of raspberry and blueberry swirling together with dark blue, crowned with celery-green leaves. Bright, bold, and absolutely gorgeous. (I’m biased, but also right.)

Raspberry, blueberry, dark blue — someone was hungry while painting.

The sunny thistle: a wildflower sporting cocoa-colored petals with artistic flourishes of cognac and a moody bluish background—basically the sophisticated cousin of all the other thistles.

Cocoa and cognac. The only acceptable breakfast palette.

And finally, a thistle with amethyst and salmon-hued petals floating against creamy, tender-feeling colors. This one’s basically the introvert of the collection—softer, dreamier, and slightly less inclined to poke you.

Amethyst and salmon walk into a painting…

If you ask me, Madrid is the red color personified. The land of gazpacho, bullfighting, and flamenco basically *is* red. Passionate, vibrant, unapologetically bold. And I’m absolutely here for it. :)

Madrid in the wild. No filter needed (okay, maybe one).

All paintings belong to yours truly (aka me). No image shall be copied without permission, or the color-mixing gods will have words with you.

Bon voyage! Until our next travel adventure (and probably another painting series). Stay healthy, stay curious, and keep your eyes open for wildflowers. You never know when one might inspire your next masterpiece.

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5 reasons to visit Paris’ Luxembourg park in summer, or the top things to do in Luxemburg garden. Part 5

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Step-by-Step Guide to Vibrant Sea Landscapes

Art workshops, Artist, ArtTravel, sea, Spain

✦ This is Part 2 of the Vibrant Sea Landscapes series. In Part 1 I shared the story behind this painting — the inspiration, the color palette, and the Charleston connection. Here you’ll find the full step-by-step workshop. Grab your paints!

For my artist colleagues. Workshops. Holidays spirit for creative community. Paint your world.

I documented the main stages of the painting—from sketching to layering colors. Hope you appreciate seeing the evolution of a piece. I have a simple algorithm of 10 steps. Let’s warm up first:) I feel like a child, surrounded by bright colors in my studio and at the beach:)

Step 1. Color palette

I am using a limited palette, a mixture of cobalt, ultramarine, and orange.

Three watercolor paint pans labeled Ultramarine, Transparent Orange, and Cobalt, shown from above with wet, glossy pigment. Below, a handwritten color mixing chart on watercolor paper showing combinations of Transparent Orange (Winsor), Yellow Ochre, and Cobalt Cotman, with painted swatches demonstrating each mix.

I’m drawing inspiration from the colors of berries and fruits. Expect vibrant hues that bring these sea landscapes to life. Let’s mix it up! Would love to hear your thoughts:)

Interestingly, in English, “orange” refers to both a fruit and a color, while other languages have separate words for each. I refer to this color as the fruit orange. “Orange sunset” sounds tasty, doesn’t it? :)

Step 2. Draft of birds

Primarily I was drawing seagulls in motion, soaring through the sky to convey a sense of freedom and movement. And occasionally I featured a hawk known as the Osprey, or sea hawk, which is known for catching fish. Never heard about this bird before… Painting is relaxing fun, always something new to learn:) Love to hear your funny stories during the painting process!

Step 3. Draft of boats

So on my photo reference the yacht is tranquil and a little bit boring. Not a problem, I added wind to my painting and voila— the yacht is moving towards distant shores.

Where is my yacht headed, and who is aboard?

draft boats

Step 4. Soundtrack Inspiration

How about playing music while painting? Do you like it? I love it.

It captures the essence of sea and any imaginary story’s sounds, for this art is Charleston music! :) This rhythm can influence your brushwork and composition.

Similarly, there are some emotions linked with both the sea and the dance. How does the sight of the waves in motion resonate with you? Does it evoke joy or a sense of freedom? Maybe nostalgia?

Likewise, both are forms of expression that echo life’s rhythms. This serves as a metaphor. It merges the fluidity of sea waves with the rhythm of dance in the jazz age. Paint it like a lively Charleston—dynamic, energetic, and full of life!:)

Just listen to any Charleston music and your brush will do various brush techniques—including swirling, dabbing, and stippling—enhanced the illusion of movement in the wave paintings :)

At the end of the post, I will share my favorite list of Charleston compositions that you can find on YouTube.

Step 5. Color of yacht

Then adding color to the yacht. I chose vibrant bright orange, making it stand out against the sunset backdrop. The shadows of the yacht were painted in a mixture of ultramarine and orange.

Step 6. The 1st layer of sea, foam and waves

The foam shadow was painted with hints of a mixture of all three colors—cobalt, ultramarine, and orange—to capture the sunlight. I also left some white paper on top of the foam for contrast. Love catching the essence of the sea through art.

Step 7. The 1st layer of sky and clouds

Similarly, adding color to the sky. I was using a wet technique and adding a horizontal line. I left white spots on paper to give the clouds volume.

Step 8. The 2nd layer for sky, sea, foams and reflections

I used a gradient of warm hues for the sunset. The gradient starts with orange and lighter tones. I added blues as I moved upwards toward the sky.

For the sea, I incorporated a rich palette of blues, mixing ultramarine and cobalt to show the sea colors.

Step 9. Details for sea, yacht and birds

The main idea was to show the movement of the water. I employed swirling brush strokes to capture the water’s restless energy. The reflections in the water depict how the colors of the sunset and the yacht are mirrored beneath the waves.

Waves roll and splash joyfully. To add a bright spot, I painted an orange yacht sailing away in the strong wind.

I also added some color for seagulls circling above, their bodies glowing orange against the cloudy sky.

Step 10. Cool down

Adding some details for birds, decide what the name will be for the artwork and put the signature. Voila:)

I am capturing the essence of the sea upon my watercolor paper. Its waves are crashing gracefully. Meanwhile, an orange yacht sails onward toward the horizon of distant lands. What tale does this scene whisper?

It depicts an enchanting couple aboard the yacht. They are lost in a lively dance of the Charleston. Their laughter mingles with the sound of the waves. Who can truly say? This is my story. Can you tell me your story?:)

Every wave tells a story. Catch yours on paper! Keep an eye out for updates, sneak peeks, and finished pieces as we celebrate summer through sea landscapes.

I invite you to join me on this creative adventure. Together, let us create a series that celebrates the beauty of the sea. Let’s foster connection. We can inspire others to cherish the natural world around us. We’ll blend art and relaxation. Grab your paints; we’re about to make waves!

Thank you for reading the post. Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe. These actions will bring you more captivating content about the history of art, nature and architecture. 

Below is Soundtrack Inspiration. The list of compositions shows how the rhythm of the waves mimics the upbeat tempo of the Charleston music. Both evoke a sense of joy and liberation.

1. “Let’s twist again”-Chubby Checker California Jubilee

2. “Sway Dancing”-Rita Hayworth

3. “Hit the Road Jack”- Ray Charles

4. “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)” – Duke Ellington  

5. “Take the ‘A’ Train” – Duke Ellington  

6. “Cheek to Cheek” – Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong 

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Oranges and its trees, Spain, part 2.

ArtTravel

Urban sketching and Still life. Travel and Art.

Do you like the smell of oranges as I like it? Sweetish, light, slightly tart and such a sunny smell of orange peel.

Still life with oranges. The oranges were not harmed. The painting took forever.

Oranges remind me about the sunny summer days and New Year’s eve at the same time—which is a bit confusing if you think about it. My mom used to put these little bright balls on the Christmas trees as additional decorations. Later we ate the oranges (because what else would you do with fruit on a Christmas tree?), and the smell was the mixture of summer’s aroma and pine needles’ smell. It was like someone blended vacation and holidays into one delicious, contradictory scent. Such a holiday feeling from these fruits—honestly, oranges deserve a marketing team.

More oranges. Yes, there’s a theme.

This spring we are on hold for travelling (thanks for that, world). I continue “flying” through our family images via my paintings—which is a fancy way of saying I’ve become a professional procrastinator with a paintbrush. My paintings are the versions of some summer photos in Spain, because apparently traveling through a screen is the new normal. Spanish cities have whole alleys of orange trees. I mean, entire streets of them. It’s like someone took a nature documentary and just… paved over it.

Spain called. It smelled like citrus.

Orange paradises with the smell of flowering orange trees are in the cities and their gardens: Barcelona, Cordoba, Madrid, Seville… If you’re looking for a reason to visit Spain besides the architecture, paella, and charming people, well, here it is—an entire country that smells like a delightful citrus dream. Seriously, they should bottle this and sell it as an air freshener. “Spanish Orange Bliss: Guaranteed to make your commute more bearable.”

Painted in Spain. Eaten shortly after.
Cordoba: where the streets are paved with orange trees and good decisions.

There are many interesting legends associated with the orange. One of them claims that it was not an apple, but an orange, that was the forbidden fruit that served as the reason for the expulsion of our ancestors from paradise. Think about it—if Adam and Eve had just been offered an apple like the biblical told us, fine. But an orange? That’s oddly specific. And honestly? If I were Eve, I probably would have eaten it too. Have you tasted an orange? They’re incredible.

The forbidden fruit, allegedly. Worth every consequence.

According to the legend, Eve was succumbing to the temptation of the snake tempter and tasted the fruit of an orange from the tree of knowledge—because apparently tempters have taste. She offered it to Adam, and the archangels blew their trumpets and showered her head with the snow-white, fragrant flowers of an orange tree (orange blossom). It was a moment of divine appreciation, honestly—even the angels were like, “Yeah, okay, that orange move was pretty good, but here are the consequences anyway.” Classic biblical irony. After this delicious episode, Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden. So basically, we all owe our suffering to oranges. You’re welcome, humanity.

Orange still life
Last orange. For now. (It wasn’t the last orange.)


Bon voyage! Until the next travel :) if you find yourself in Spain, send me orange blossom perfume back, would you?)

Tools used for my painting: Watercolour brands Van Gogh and Cotman (because apparently orange fruit deserves fancy art supplies). Paper Canson Mix Media album 28×35 cm (11×14 in.) and Canson Watercolour album 25×35 cm (11×15 in.)—basically, I bought a lot of paper to paint the same fruit in different ways. It’s called commitment. Or obsession. Probably both.

All paintings belong to the author. No image is to be copied without permission. (Yes, I’m talking to you—put that orange painting down!).