Belinda Del Pesco Fine Art Blog

Watercolor: Central California High Noon

bdelpesco@mac.com (Belinda Del Pesco) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 03:21:00 +0000

Central California High Noon 15 x 11.5 Watercolor on Arches Hot Press
Available for sale here.
This was painted during the San Diego Artwalk in April (in process on my easel below), based on a photo my step dad TC sent me of an abandoned farm in Cayucos, CA. I've listed it on Ebay and will be posting more work there, and in my Etsy shop, each day this week, so check back to see what's available.

Painting & talking all weekend in San Diego.

Watercolor: Summer Sunday

bdelpesco@mac.com (Belinda Del Pesco) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 01:44:00 +0000

Summer Sunday 6 x 7.5 Watercolor on BFK Rives paper
Painted today from a photo taken on a breezy summer afternoon in the back yard. DC was reading a magazine and dozed off (though he'd deny this), so I grabbed the camera and started plotting a watercolor themed after reading and napping; two of my favorite subjects. (And apparently - his favorite subjects too.)

Watercolor: Independence Day

bdelpesco@mac.com (Belinda Del Pesco) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 00:02:00 +0000

Independence Day 5.5 x 9 Watercolor on Strathmore Bristol paper
Available for sale here.
Painted from a borrowed flickr photo over the July 4th weekend as a study for a larger painting with another figure added to the scene. She's on the cusp of young adulthood, so I'll have to imagine a narrative about leaving the nest before I add the other figure in the final piece.

Collograph: Back Yard Cat Bath

bdelpesco@mac.com (Belinda Del Pesco) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 14:25:00 +0000

Back Yard Cat Bath, 6.75 x 8.5 Collograph [#1 of 5] with Watercolor and Colored pencil
Available for sale here.
Process shots begin at the bottom of this post.

While visiting my friend JMC, I used some of her water-based inks on the plate, and a sheet of soaked & blotted Arches cover paper to pull two prints (one in black, and another with a little color added a la poupee') on her little Dick Blick baby press. I'll be curious to see how this prints with oil based etching inks, but I wanted to avoid the fumes in the house, so that will wait till another day. For now, the first print (above) is ready for some watercolor & colored pencil.
I've cut the first layer of mat board away to become an ink-holding reservoir in the stripes of the towel wrapped around the cat to give it cat-shaped volume, and after brushing a diluted layer of gloss Medium & varnish on areas I'd like to print dark, I've sprinkled carborundum, and then sealed it the next day with two more layers of the same varnish.
I've used Scotch Quick-Dry Adhesive glue for linear elements; facial features, limbs, hedges and architectural outlines. The cat is made from pieces of cotton balls, the hair on the figures is kitchen twine, and their clothing is kleenex tissues. The ground texture is saran wrap... I was winging this, and the kitchen was my best source for scrap materials. :o)
With a reference photo close by, I'm using a piece of mat board as a plate, and building texture with tissue, cellophane, string and glue. Each item is adhered to the plate with Liquitex Gloss Medium & Varnish.

I've listed some new art in my Ebay Store. You can browse here.

Watercolor: Mermaid Intern

bdelpesco@mac.com (Belinda Del Pesco) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 01:35:00 +0000

Mermaid Intern 4.75 x 6 Watercolor on Fabriano Artistico paper
Sold
It's hot and windy in the desert today, so I'm painting swimmers.

Watercolor: Sour Green Apples & Wine

bdelpesco@mac.com (Belinda Del Pesco) — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 22:56:00 +0000

7 x 9.25 Watercolor on paper
Available for sale here.

Monotype: Early Retirement

bdelpesco@mac.com (Belinda Del Pesco) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 05:45:00 +0000

Early Retirement 6.8 x 8.8 Light Field Monotype & Watercolor on paper
Process shots begin at the bottom of this post.
Another post on light field monotypes using mylar is here, in case you want to try one.

In this shot, I'm pulling the print. It came off lighter than I wanted, but it's still salvageable with the addition of some watercolors later. There are all sorts of interesting textures from the print process that unfortunately aren't visible in the shot above, even underneath the watercolor. Lots of mottled textures I couldn't duplicate if I tried - examples of sweet surprises from printmaking.

The mylar sheet is laid on a piece of matboard (cut to the same size) on the press bed, and then it's pressed against a sheet of soaked & blotted Arches Cover paper.

With a reference photo of Mister Magoo nearby, and Caran D'Ache water-soluble crayons, water and a bristle brush, I'm painting and drawing - in combination - on a mylar sheet (.005 Matte Draft Film).

Collograph: The Written Word

bdelpesco@mac.com (Belinda Del Pesco) — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 02:27:00 +0000

The Written Word (A/P) 9.75 x 7 Collograph with watercolor
Sold
So, let's say you want to make a print, but you only have matboard and an exacto knife. The process starts at the bottom of this post.

I laid the blotted paper on top of the inked plate, and covered the back of the paper with a sheet of wax paper so I could rub with the baren and the wooden spoon without marring the still-wet paper. After lots of rubbing and checking, I'm pulling the print. After it dried, I added watercolors (above). I'm looking forward to using oil based inks and a press for this one, to pull a small edition for adding other mediums later (colored pencil, gouache, inks, etc.)

I've coated the plate with Daniel Smith Water-based inks, using a bristle brush, and here I'm wiping areas with newsprint. I've got a sheet of paper soaking in water, and a towel ready to blot it just before I print (the inks dry fast on the plate, so you have to move quickly).

This is the back of a piece of matboard, with a pencil sketch and a coat of Liquitex Gloss Medium & Varnish on the front and back. After drying overnight, I incised areas with an exacto knife where I want ink to settle into line work. In other places, I've outlined shapes and peeled them away to create tiny wells to hold ink. I re-coated the plate with gloss medium three times during the cutting to hold things down if the cuts were close together, or when I got overzealous with tearing away shapes.

Watercolor: Printmaker at Work

bdelpesco@mac.com (Belinda Del Pesco) — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 20:27:00 +0000

Printmaker at Work 5 x 6.5 Watercolor on BFK Rives paper

Watercolor: Early Bird Breakfast

bdelpesco@mac.com (Belinda Del Pesco) — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 01:35:00 +0000

Early Bird Breakfast 17 x 20 Watercolor on paper
Sold

Collograph: Reader

bdelpesco@mac.com (Belinda Del Pesco) — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 01:36:00 +0000

Reader 6.8 x 6.3 Collograph with watercolor
This is the same printmaking and plate-building process I described in this post. The process shots begin at the bottom.
Available for sale here.

The plate was inked with Daniel Smith water-based black, and printed on my friend JMC's Blick mini-press. The result is in black & white in the above photo, and then painted with watercolor at the top of this post. The print has wonderful texture from all the different ink-holding patterns glued to the plate's surface. The plate was inked & printed again à la poupée with color (print not shown), which is why you can see leftover color on the plate in the photo.

You can see the various textures if the items I've adhered to the plate in this close up. The first layer of matboard has been cut & peeled away in the spaces of the t-shirt, the book binding and the hair on the figure to hold more ink in those recesses.

I'm using a piece of scrap matboard, with a pencil drawing of a figure reading, sealed front and back with a thin coat of Liquitex Gloss Medium & Varnish. In this photo, I'm attaching (with the same Gloss Medium & Varnish) random things from around the house trimmed into the shapes where I want various textures on the plate.

Watercolor: Printmaker Adjusting the Press

bdelpesco@mac.com (Belinda Del Pesco) — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 02:31:00 +0000

Printmaker Adjusting the Press 5 x 6.8 Watercolor on Bristol paper
I've been sorting through my reference photo library, preparing another series on interiors (windows, genre scenes), but I thought a mini series of paintings, based on printmakers at work, would be a nice little side theme. Singular focus has always been challenging for me, so I'm padding my plan.

Watercolor: Vacation Rental

bdelpesco@mac.com (Belinda Del Pesco) — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 15:23:00 +0000

Vacation Rental 10 x 6.59 Watercolor on Bristol paper

Inspired by a reference photo I knew I wanted to paint when I snapped it ten years ago in Florence, Italy. Old world charm, wrapped around a relaxed array of books, maps and tangerines from the market downstairs, all polished with a wash of Italian light. I think I've loved window light in rooms like this since I was a child, and I so enjoy painting them today - for the challenge of trying to really see & render the values and temperatures that convey such a relaxed, invitational atmosphere.

First washes in the early stages of the watercolor.

Watercolor: Sabino Fish & Plums

bdelpesco@mac.com (Belinda Del Pesco) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 01:31:00 +0000

Sabino Fish & Plums 6 x 8 Watercolor on paper
This is the 18th time I've painted something on the tiles in front of my kitchen window. I've got a whole list of ideas for more of them - in a variety of sizes. This was a pleasure to get lost in. My Great Uncle Nick collected Sabino Art Glass, and gave me the art deco fish tucked between the rose and the bowl of plumbs.

Watercolor: Apples & Roses

bdelpesco@mac.com (Belinda Del Pesco) — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 02:30:00 +0000

Apples & Roses 10 x 14 Watercolor
Sold

Watercolor: Glendale

bdelpesco@mac.com (Belinda Del Pesco) — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 01:13:00 +0000

Glendale 7 x 9 Watercolor on paper
My first home after re-locating from the East Coast in 1991 was a nondescript apartment in Glendale. The Southern California light more than made up for what the space lacked in character, and trying to capture it here in watercolor was challenging and full of memories.

Watercolor: Carpinteria Street

bdelpesco@mac.com (Belinda Del Pesco) — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 20:17:00 +0000

Carpinteria Street 10.5 x 7 Watercolor on Bristol paper
Lots of watercolor glazing on this one; sheer washes of transparent color applied in layers with a very soft touch. The reference photo was taken in Santa Barbara in 1984 on Carpinteria Street, and I've painted from it several times. An artists' reference library is no further away than those family photo albums on the shelves.

Watercolor: Freesia, Pitcher & Lemons

bdelpesco@mac.com (Belinda Del Pesco) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 22:01:00 +0000

Freesia, Pitcher & Lemons 6 x 8 Watercolor on Strathmore Bristol Plate Finish paper
Painted while flying between LA and Orlando, so the pigment is applied in pretty heavy layers. I can't blame too much time on my hands & my less than ideal set up on the plane, but this one was a challenge. Next time, I'll bring multiple drawings to fill the time, and I'll prep them just a bit more petite in size. (Unless I get upgraded from coach.) :)

Linocut & Watercolor: Corona

bdelpesco@mac.com (Belinda Del Pesco) — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 15:08:00 +0000

Corona 2 x 3 Linocut & Watercolor
This petite linocut based on the likeness of Frida Kahlo will be exhibited for sale - along with four watercolors below - October 3rd at the Ryman Affair of the Art 20th Anniversary fund raising event. The Ryman Arts program gives selected teens an opportunity to practice studio arts on Saturdays for free, instructed by working artists, with a goal of getting the kids into college - and the arts as a profession. It's an honor to participate in this show every year. There's a preview of the art for sale and ticket details on the web site.

(Watercolors are - top left, clockwise: Glendale 7 x 9, Mermaid Intern 4.75 x 6, Three Tenors 5 x 6.75, Alaska Slough 7 x 9)

Watercolor: Persimmon on the Sill

bdelpesco@mac.com (Belinda Del Pesco) — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 17:14:00 +0000

Persimmon on the Sill 8.75 x 10.75 Watercolor on Strathmore Bristol
As a kid, my grandparents had a sun porch which served as a back-lit sunbeam for displayed glass in their dining room. I've been fond of sunlight on glass for as long as I can remember. The photo used for this watercolor was taken many years ago, in the squinty Fall light in Massachusetts when I was in college. Now that it's officially Fall, it seemed appropriate to paint that light again.

I've delivered the two pieces below to the Brand Library Gallery in Glendale, CA for Brand 38: Works on Paper. The theme of the show is 'Beginnings', and I'm so pleased to be included in the exhibit. I *hope* to attend the opening on Oct 3rd, which is the same night as the Disney-Ryman exhibit mentioned in yesterday's post. With good luck and great stamina, I'll be zig-zagging through Los Angeles that night, looking at inspiring & lovely art.

(Top: Charles, Painting, 7.5 x 5.5 Trace Monotype with Watercolor. Bottom: Adolescence, 4.25 x 5.5 Dry Brush Watercolor on paper)

Watercolor: Propagation

bdelpesco@mac.com (Belinda Del Pesco) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 20:58:00 +0000

Propagation 14 x 10 Watercolor on paper
There's something that's both neatly geometric and artist-messy in the composition of the photo I used as a reference for this piece. I snapped the image while visiting one of my best friends in Massachusetts nearly 30 years ago. The title is in reference to the potted plants sprouting on the ledge, and the potential of paper, notebooks and pens. There are bits of text on the sheet of paper beneath the apples; an excerpt from an E. B. White poem titled Window Ledge in the Atom Age:
I love this day, this hour, this room,
This motionless narcissus,
I love the stillness of the home,
I love the missus.
(She grows in pebbles in my sun
And she is like a star.)

Yesterday, the two pieces below were shipped to Arizona for the Tubac Center of the Arts "Human Element" Exhibition, Oct 16 - Nov 14. I'll miss attending in person, but if you're in the area, be sure to see the exhibit. The juror was Ruth Weisberg, and I bet it's going to be an exciting show.

Top: Window Seat 11.5 x 17 Watercolor Bottom: Dreaming About Tomorrow 6 x 9 Monotype with Watercolor & Colored Pencil

Watercolor: Little Couch Nap

bdelpesco@mac.com (Belinda Del Pesco) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 00:24:00 +0000

Little Couch Nap 5x5 Watercolor on paper

Watercolor: Watson

bdelpesco@mac.com (Belinda Del Pesco) — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 21:33:00 +0000

Watson 5x5 Watercolor on plate bristol

Watercolor: California Quail

bdelpesco@mac.com (Belinda Del Pesco) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 16:18:00 +0000

California Quail 4.5 x 5 Watercolor on BFK Rives paper
There is a cute little family of quail in my neighborhood - a male & female with about 8 babies. I see them scampering along the cap of the block wall in my yard early in the morning - single file - like first graders on a field trip.

ArtFest of Scottsdale Nov 21 & 22

bdelpesco@mac.com (Belinda Del Pesco) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:39:00 +0000

I'll be at the ArtFest of Scottsdale in Arizona next weekend, November 21 & 22, in booth #132. If you're in the area, please stop by.