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I was exploring a new surface for my watercolors: Watercolor Canvas. Before, I tried watercolor board and thought to try a canvas this time. The board surprised me with the fact that it was practically impossible to place the layers. When I tried to place second layer on it, my first layer would mix with wet surface and simply disappear. From my experience, watercolor canvas has better fluidity than a board; you can make a good wash if working fast and knowing what colors will go in what place (does not allow reapplying though); and, the canvas allows to place a second layer yet it should be darker than the previous one.
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And I was surprised how my hands were adjusting to the quality of the surface this time. Feeling that the colors will not flow like on 100% Cotton Watercolor Paper, my hands started applying paint in kind of pointing style (e.g. instead of sweeping my brush across I was "pocking" dots all over the surface with different colors or just making very short strokes). Quite interesting experience! My style changed completely in just a few minutes since I started painting. The surface dictated the technique. At some point I thought about Monet and his Water Lilies; how did he paint them? What did he feel? Although, yes he used oil paint; I guess I got the oil paint thinking then :)
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The advantage of the watercolor on canvas is that if you want you can place it on a wall without framing (though you will need to use fixative of course). Yet, lately I am experimenting with watercolor board (with stretched Cotton Paper) that also will not need frame except a cradle board. I've noticed that some of my clients would like to have watercolor paintings without frames in there collections. I was researching how to do that too. And I'll share this experience with you in the future.
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9"x12" Fredrix Watercolor Canvas, Winsor & Newton Watercolor, Aqarell-Fixativ by Schmincke & Co

Lately I am painting a lot of kids from ages between 6 and 12. And it is the great thing. I guess the Universe heard me saying: "I wish to practice painting more kids' faces" and Vu-O-la, I've got it all. I've even got a very interesting commission the other day to paint a Black-&-White paining of two kids. It is in process right now.
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On the first painting you can see a sister and brother hiding behind the Agapanthus bush. One day we were walking with our niece and nephew in the neighborhood and found that flower-less bush (which is pretty difficult in California, everything is blooming!). We told kids to hide behind the bush and pretend that they are flowers. They did a good job, they were just happily glowing like a real flowers :)
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Next painting of a cute blue-eyes blond is the girl that lives in Holland. I was talking with my friend through Skype and she sent me a picture of her family. At that time I was under serious commission and was pretty stiff with all the details. I needed to loosen up and I decided to paint the little cutie. Needless to say, when I sent the image to my friend, the sister of the girl was kind of jealous that I had not painted her. I had no choice but do it ;), And I enjoyed it so much.
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Descriptions of the Artworks:
Peekaboo (Flowers) - 8"x10" Fabriano 140 Cold Pressed
Both Girls are on 8"x10" Canson 140 Cold Pressed (yet the different techniques have been used: Blond is done pretty much in dry brush, the Curly Lock was made mixing Wet-On-Wet, Wet-on-Dry)

It’s not a secret that Eiffel Tower is one of the most wanted and visited places in Paris and I am more than sure lots of Artists painted her in the last 122 years.
This painting is the beginning of the series “My Paris”. I’ve visited Paris twice and took tons of pictures just to realize recently that I’ve lost most of them. Not a problem: this will give me a great excuse to go to Paris one more time, won’t it! Just need to dream hard enough J
It is just a beginning! And like all beginnings evolve this image also will transform so many times. The image is of Evening Paris with dramatic skies. And this time I’ve placed a young lady in the left bottom corner as the symbol of Romantic Paris Spirit and the Tower. The red scarf drives the attention from monochromatic painting; yet the center composition still belongs to the Eiffel Lady herself.
9”x12” Watercolor Painting on 140lb Cold Pressed Paper
Here are some interesting facts about Eiffel Tower (courtesy of http://www.rphs.devisland.net/zach/funfacts.htm)

· Completed in 1889 for the Paris world exhibition, it was built in two years by 132 workers and 50 engineers.
· The Eiffel Tower was the tallest building in the world when it was completed in 1889 (that was the case until 1930).
· It took a team of 25 painters to paint the Eiffel Tower.
· Protecting the Eiffel Tower from rust requires the application of 50 tons of paint every seven years.
· The Eiffel Tower shrinks 6 inches in winter
· Solar heating can causes the Eiffel Tower to expand up to 3.25 in.
· Strong winds can sway Eiffel Tower slightly. During the storm of 1999, it moved approximately 13 centimeters from its initial position
· In 1925, a con artist sold the Eiffel Tower for scrap - twice! But, this never happened.