Illustration – Page 24 – Carolina Russo |Sa'Reyah

Art, Doodlewash, Drawings, Illustration, My Paintings, National Days, Nature, Sketch Book, Uncategorized, Watercolors

Happy Earth Day!

April 22, 2016April 22, 2016 Carolina Russo | Sa’Reyah

Yellow Flower – Original Watercolor ©Carolina Russo

Happy Earth Day!!!

Today I am celebrating this day thinking about how important it is to preserve our Earth, respect the Nature and environment.

I painted these flowers with pure colors from Nature without using the classic watercolor pans.

I wrote a post explaining all the interesting details about my experiment painting with Nature and I will link it here for you to read “Watercolors from Nature”

National Earth Day is observed each year on April 22.

National Earth Day is held to demonstrate support for environmental protection. Every year around the world, Earth Day organizers promote green campaigns to save the Earth.

Details about my doodlewash:
I painted with colors that I experimented using straight from Nature. The yellow is Turmeric powder mixed with water, the Pink is juice from the Dragon fruit straight from the fruit and Pigma Micron black Ink pen #005 and #05 over a watercolor paper pad cold press 140 lb by Strathmore.

With this Celebration, I am also join Charlie at doodlewash celebrating a National or International Day with a doodlewash! You are welcome to join with your doodlewash! Tag your image#doodlewashaday.

#doodlewashaday #EarthDay

Happy doodles and have a great weekend!

©Carolina Russo

©Copyright Carolina Russo – yesterdayafter.com

Art, Doodlewash, Drawings, Illustration, Sketch Book, Uncategorized, Watercolors

National Pineapple Upside Down Cake Day

April 21, 2016 Carolina Russo | Sa’Reyah

Today for April month celebrations I celebrate a (bit late) National Pineapple Upside Down Cake Day!
I am surprised that there are so many unofficial National Days and some of them are very inspiring and great prompts for my doodlewash motivation!

This cake has a fascinating history
It was invented because several other convenience items were developed that gave the housewife time to make a cake pretty as well as delicious.

The idea of cooking a cake upside down, is an old technique that started centuries ago when cakes were cooked in cast iron skillets. It was easy for cook to add fruit and sugar in the bottom of the pan and a simple cake batter on top and put it over the fire to cook.
Then flipping it over onto a plate was a natural way to show the pretty fruit and let it run into the cake as well.

The idea of the pineapple soon after 1911 when one of James Dole’s engineer had invented a machine to cut his pineapples into nice rings. Soon the convenient and pretty rings were used in this age old technique of the skillet cake. The invention of the maraschino cherry added the necessary color needed to make this cake stunning.
(Source: kitchenproject.com)

This old-fashioned cake is truly delicious I made it several times and it is always a joy to eat!
I couldn’t find my own recipe but I found one here that looks similar and pretty good to me I will link it in case you like to try and if you do it let me know how turned out! <3
Pineapple Upside Down Cake – Recipe

Details about my doodlewash:
watercolor with brown ink finish. I used one of my favorite French Artists Watercolors Sennelier l’Aguarelle 12 demi-godets half-pans travel metal box and Pigma Micron Brown Ink pen #01 over a Mixed Media Sketchbook!

With this Celebration of National Pineapple Upside Down Cake Day, I am also join Charlie at doodlewash celebrating a National or International Day with a doodlewash! You are welcome to join with your doodlewash! Tag your image#doodlewashaday.

#doodlewashaday #PineappleUpsideDownCakeDay

Happy doodles and have a great day or evening!

©Carolina Russo

©Copyright Carolina Russo – yesterdayafter.com

Art, Doodlewash, Drawings, Illustration, Indie, National Days, Sketch Book, Uncategorized, Watercolors

National Amaretto Day!

April 19, 2016 Carolina Russo | Sa’Reyah

Today for April month celebrations I celebrate National Amaretto Day!

I didn’t know until today that was existing an unofficial National holiday dedicated to the Amaretto liqueur and absolutely couldn’t miss this one since the Amaretto antique origins are from my beautiful native country Italy! Ciao mia Bella Italia!!!

AmarettoSketch — Amaretto Italy – Original Watercolor ©Carolina Russo

The word Amaretto means “little bitter” is created infusing almonds or apricots seeds or both together in brandy or pure alcohol obtaining a delicious almond a little bitter natural flavored liqueur mostly served after dinner in a pretty old-fashioned glass it pair very well, served with holiday foods and desserts, that have nutty and warm spice undertones of cinnamon, clove and nutmeg. Amaretto it is also used as base to prepare a variety of cold and hot cocktails. Also well-known are the Amaretto cookies.

Amaretto is a very antique liqueur there is an old Italian legend saying that was created from a woman living in the Italian city of Saronno in the 1525 she prepared the Amaretto in appreciation giving it as modest gift to a Church commissioned Artist one of Leonardo da Vinci’s pupils that had to paint the Sanctuary frescoes. The woman was the muse that inspired the Artist when he had to paint the Virgin Mary.

My watercolor shows the bottle of a well-known Italian Amaretto brand but for creativity I wanted to write “Amaretto Italy” I haven’t written the brands name I just left that out to the imagination! LOL
A nice old-fashioned glass and some good Amaretto cookies!
It was fun to doodle this I hope that you enjoy!

Details about my doodlewash:
watercolor with black ink finish. I used one of my favorite French Artists Watercolors Sennelier l’Aguarelle 12 demi-godets half-pans travel metal box and Pigma Micron black Ink pen #005 and #05 over a Mixed Media Sketchbook!

With this Celebration of National Amaretto Day, I am also join Charlie at doodlewash celebrating a National or International Day with a doodlewash! You are welcome to join with your doodlewash! Tag your image#doodlewashaday.

#doodlewashaday, #NationalAmarettoDay

Happy doodles and have a great day or evening!

©Carolina Russo

©Copyright Carolina Russo – yesterdayafter.com

Art, Doodlewash, Illustration, Indie, Life, Nature, Sketch Book, Watercolors

National Dolphin Day!

April 15, 2016April 17, 2016 Carolina Russo | Sa’Reyah

I am a little bit late on this one!

My day was busy, I had very little time to create my watercolor but I did it! This is a late night post of my doodlewash dedicated to a beautiful animal that I adore!!! The Dolphin, I couldn’t miss to celebrate National Dolphin Day! <3 this wonderful and sweet ocean creature. One of my wish is that I would love to swim with one of them ;-) for now I only had the opportunity to see them far away from the beach on the California Coast.

My watercolor shows two happy dolphins because that’s the way I see them. I made it in about 15 minutes.

Details about my doodlewash:
it is a watercolor with ink finish. I used one of my favorite French Artists Watercolors Sennelier l’Aguarelle 12 demi-godets half-pans travel metal box and Pigma Micron black Ink pen #2 over a Mixed Media Sketchbook!

With this Celebration of National Dolphin Day, I am also join Charlie at doodlewash celebrating a National or International Day with a doodlewash! You are welcome to join with your doodlewash! Tag your image #doodlewashaday.

©Carolina Russo

©Copyright Carolina Russo – yesterdayafter.com

Challenge, Emotions, Life, Nature, Photography, Seasons

April Celebration! #FindaRainbowDay

April 3, 2016April 3, 2016 Carolina Russo | Sa’Reyah

The Month of April is filled with interesting National and International Celebrating Days!

I am participating to the “Celebration” choosing some of the days that are inspiring to me and post some of my work like my own photos, watercolors, sketches, poetry. I got inspired to do this from my dear Doodlewasher friend Charlie O’Shields at Doodlewash I will join him some days during this month with my watercolors and tag my image #doodlewashaday if anyone that love doodlewash wants to join please visit his post here it would be fun!

Today is April 3rd and is “Find a Rainbow Day”

I am celebrating this special National Day with my Photography posting two lovely photos of double rainbows that I was lucky enough to be at the right time at the right spot when the beautiful rainbows appeared in the sky. The first photo was taken in 2013 I like how clear the colors of the main rainbow are sadly the second rainbow is very light to see in both photos but is there.

The second photo was taken on November 2nd 2015 is a photo very dear to me because this beautiful double rainbow appeared about 30 minutes after my dog Mojo died exactly 5 months ago yesterday! That day I felt like the rainbow was a sign from above from Mojo saying that she was happy. I wanted to capture that moment and I took the photo with my phone.

April is also Poetry Month and the 17th is National Hiku Poetry Day let’s get inspired and celebrate!

The following two sites are great resources for the “official” days that people are celebrating somewhere in the world: National Day Calendar and Days of the Year. If you like to celebrate in the way that best inspire you just choose a date National or International and let your creativity flow! ;-)

Have a wonderful and colorful National Rainbow Day!

-CR

Art, Digital Art, Emotions, Haiku, Illustration, Life, Nature, Poetry

Haiku – Breathe

February 1, 2016February 17, 2016 Carolina Russo | Sa’Reyah

Breathe

Cold wind is blowing

I am breathing freedom

looking into your eyes

-CR

Art, Illustration, Life, Watercolors

Illustration – Friends

August 21, 2015August 21, 2015 Carolina Russo | Sa’Reyah

Yesterday I wanted to use my new French Sennelier Watercolor!

So I needed to create something!

I love Illustration, and sometimes I like drawing cute characters a little bit out of my ordinary watercolor paintings and sketches. Creativity it is something that there are no words to describe it! Inspiration can come from anything and often start with something to ends with something totally different from what was inside your mind it is a very fascinating and abstract process, that’s how I call it! While I was thinking what to begin with to start my drawing, the word “Friends” came up to my mind I don’t know why, at the same time I was on my Pinterest pinning things for my boards and I came across some cute dolls. I was captured by their nice faces and big eyes and instantly I felt the wish to draw them. I quickly made my sketch, when the word “Friends” came back to mind again and that was it!!! It was perfect for my new illustration. I am going to dedicate this drawing to all the amazing Bloggers Friends I found here on WP community. :-)

Some technical details: I quickly sketched first with a pencil #2 HB few light lines just to give me an idea to the two figures and the flower. For this Illustration I was excited to use my new Sennelier watercolor. I love Sennellier their watercolors are beautiful and very pigmented rich and luminous honey-based. I purchased this metal travel box on Amazon it is small and easy to carry almost the size of an iPhone it can fit anywhere.

This Watercolor set is inspired by the bright and lively palette of Southern France. Each set contains 12 half pans of top quality French Artists Watercolor and two built-in palettes within a compact and sturdy metal case. Reformulated with an increased honey content gives each watercolor incomparable brilliance and luminosity while acting as a preservative to extend the paints longevity.
I love the fluidity of the colors a little goes a long way. I am very happy how my illustration turned out. I gave the finish touch going over with a black ink Pigma Micron pen 0.3 to finish and shade.

Art, Life, Seasons, Sketch Book, Watercolors

Drawing Summer in my Sketch Book…

July 28, 2015 Carolina Russo | Sa’Reyah

One afternoon during this week, I was in the drawing mode!

So I decided that since we are in the middle of Summer, I should be drawing something in my Sketch Book in regard to this beautiful and loved Season…bringing up happy feelings, relaxing time and lovely days on the beach…
This Sketch show I think pretty much what Summer can give us…the beautiful ocean, colorful flowers, sands and palms trees especially here where I am in California there are lots of palm trees not really on the beach but all over around!

To go a bit into the details, I quickly sketched first with a pencil few very light lines just to give me an idea. I rarely sketch anything when I work on my watercolor paintings. In this sketch I used watercolor pencils and then blended with Aqua Flow water brushes, the result turned out pretty nice! I went over with a black ink Pigma Micron pen 0.3 to finish.

I hope that you enjoyed this and I wish you all a wonderful and magic SUMMER!

-CR