Vera's Art-Paintings with a European Touch: watercolors

Showing posts with label watercolors. Show all posts

Tuesday, February 11, 2020

February 2020

On a cold, rainy, winter day in Texas, I am writing to wish you a Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Cats, 22 x 28", watercolor

River Friends, 11 x 14", watercolor

Rosa and Pedro of the Rose Window at Mission San Jose, 9 x 12", watercolor

Starting on a Magical Journey Together, 11 x 14", watercolor

Starting on a Magical Journey is my newest whimsical cat creation. Both cats are in front of one of my favorite doors in San Antonio, the door of Mission Espada. Now the door is really gray and brown, which gives me such a good excuse to play with colors!

River Friends was inspired by a friendly neighborhood cat and a dog wearing a blue fleece coat at the Society for Animal Rescue and Adoption or SARA Sanctuary. Since the cat has such beautiful markings already, I chose the dog's plain jacket to decorate. Both are on a virtual visit to the Riverwalk in San Antonio, TX.

Happy Cats are in Hemisphere park, where the once flourishing Schulze's House (in the painting like it looked eight years ago) is in bad need of repair these days, while Rosa and Pedro are of course at Mission San Jose, where their story is told daily to tourists from all over the world.

Have an amazing Valentine's Day!

For those of you in San Antonio, TX and surrounding area, Kapej Gallery invites you to the reception of artist, Tamara Slavinska, on Friday February 21st from 6 till 9 pm.
Parking is free at the meters at that time. Tamara's art will be on display from Feb 18th till March 6th.
Join us if you can!

Tamara with Daily Grind

Kapej Gallery and Cafe is located at:
415, Camden Street
San Antonio, TX 78215
210-838-8681
regular hours are Mon-Thu 8am -6pm
(Friday 11-5 Monterrey style tacos by Mexico Magico pop-up 210-214-4636)

Monday, November 27, 2017

November 2017

I hope my American friends and family had a Happy Thanksgiving!

My Thanksgiving news is that my friend, poet, fellow watercolorist, Linda Simone, did interview me about my tree paintings and that the interview is going to be published in the Nov-Dec 2017 issue of the Indiana Voice Journal. The journal is online at:

https:www.indianavoicejournal.com//
IVJ is on Facebook as Indiana Voice

As of this event, I am putting the tree paintings on my website (www.verasart.com). My portrait paintings were also in my mind when I was answering Linda's questions. Thank you, Linda! Thank you, Indiana Voice Journal, this is a huge encouragement!

Gloria's Garden is a watercolor, I just finished. It was a piece I had fun painting.

Gloria's Garden, watercolor, 9x12"

These pen drawings are of trees in New Zealand. The trees in Albert Park were just awesome. Together with the mountains, hills and lakes of the South Island, these trees were my favorite part of New Zealand.

Snake Tree in Albert Park, pen, 6x8"

Miracle Trees, Albert Park, Auckland, NZ, pen, 6x7"

Rosalie's Mother, Oil on canvas, 18x24"

Rosalie's mother's portrait was a commission for artist, Rosalie Laxton, who was a true patron for me giving me four portraits to paint. Rosalie was an artist herself and a woman I admired for her great attitude and courage. She passed away this fall.

Rosalie, Oil on canvas, 18x24", 2014 started by Rosalie L. and finished by Vera Smith

I am grateful to have had Rosalie in my life as well as the other very dear friends who left this year.

Sunday, November 30, 2014

November 2014, home again

Boris, HB graphite pencil on paper

I certainly had a wonderful trip. Thank you, friends and family! Now I am back home and ready to work. In addition to studying art in museums, I did a few watercolors and drawings in Europe. Here they are. The portraits are all from life not from photographs. The same is true of the watercolors.