Costa Brava II

Costa Brava II
 9 x 12 Oil Painting
by Pat Fiorello
$425

Another study of rocks and water from the Mediterranean Sea, Costa Brava , Spain.

Costa Brava I

Costa Brava I
9 x 12 Oil Painting
by Pat Fiorello
$425

 Back from the fun workshop I taught in Spain. We started in Barcelona and then went up north about 1 & 1/2 hours to the coast, Costa Brava to paint.  I painted this today inspired by memories of the refreshing water and beautiful colors of the Mediterranean Sea. Below are some steps in the progression from start to finish.

     

Started by blocking in dark mass of rocks

Next added a variety of transparent blues for the water

Lifted out some of the lighter shapes on the rocks and water

Started adding thicker opaque paint for rocks, and next water to complete the painting shown at the top of this post. 

Classic White

Classic White
16 x 20 Oil Painting by Pat Fiorello

After doing some studies of simple all white subjects a few weeks back, I decided to set up a still life made up of mostly white objects.  I included the green stems and leaves so technically it's not purely all white, but it's a start in that direction.

I had set up the still life in my studio and got about 80% done with the painting before I left town for several weeks. I prefer to complete things all in one session or for larger more complex pieces over the course of several sequential days, but had no choice here. Of course, the flowers were long gone so I had to improvise a bit. At this point I'm declaring it complete, but I would like to continue to do some exploration of all white subjects, both with indoor and outdoor lighting.

Spanish Garden

Spanish Garden
8 x 10 Oil Painting
by Pat Fiorello
N/A

 If you have been following my Facebook page or newsletter,  then you know I just got back from teaching a fun workshop in Spain. I met my students in Barcelona , then we drove about 1 & 1/2 hours north to a small town on the Costa Brava, Calella de Palafrugell. The village is a beautiful and overlooks the Meditteranean Sea.

 On one of our field trips we painted at the Jardins de Cap Roig, a nearby botanical garden. This was originally the home and haven of a couple, a Russian colonel and an English Decorator. They built their dream home (a.k.a. castle) and created these lush 17 hectacre gardens overlooking the sea.  It's a very peaceful place with great views of the lush foliage, looking out over the Mediterranean.






While there, I did a demo of Spanish Garden painting above. It was done with water based oils, which I had never used before, but one of my students was using that so she let me borrow her materials so I could show her the demo in her own medium.

I loved the rich pink flowers set against the dark background of the bush casting a shadow from above so did a close up  of just a portion of this plant aiming to keep it loose, fresh and impressionistic.

Below are some other photos of the wonderful views from this garden.

If you'd like to join me on a future painting adventure, the next one coming up is in Tuscany September 24- October 1, 2016. More information can be found on this flyer. Click here.

Happy Anniversary!

Happy Anniversary!
16 x 16 Oil Painting
by Pat Fiorello
SOLD

A beautiful and challenging bridal bouquet to paint. Commissioned by a young husband in San Francisco as a special gift for his wife on their first wedding anniversary!  It's a pleasure and an honor to be a part of creating something meaningful to be given as an expression of love.

Here's what he had to say: "My wife absolutely loved it! It turned out even more beautiful than expected. Thank you again for all your help".

Jake L., San Francisco