http://www.bjdecastro.com/artgallery/main.php Inquires on original paintings available for sale, commissions and custom prints: Contact Bj. above.
Licensing: Contact Janet Hicks, Director of Permissions, ARS, 536 Broadway, Fifth Floor, New York, NY 10012, (P) 1.212.420.9160, info@arsny.com

*Please be patient while we finish updating the file names and add descriptions to all of the paintings. This will be a slow, on-going process as we digitize and catalog 35 years of art by decastro.]]> en-us Bj. deCastro Gallery 2 RSS Module, version 1.1.8 Thu, 17 May 2012 06:01:05 -0700 120 http://www.bjdecastro.com/artgallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=72 http://www.bjdecastro.com/artgallery/main.php http://www.bjdecastro.com/artgallery/v/TheCouple.jpg.html http://www.bjdecastro.com/artgallery/v/TheCouple.jpg.html
Every morning and evening, this pair landed on my hotel balcony-just for a moment. After saying hello, they would fly off over the ocean. Every year on my visit to Hawaii, they come to greet me. And with every visit, I find myself looking forward to it...hoping they are still together.

Original watercolor on paper.
Plein-air sketch, 1999.
12" x 9" - $475.00
Signed and Dated.
Custom Framed/Matted.
In album deCastro Studios Gallery]]> Bj. deCastro photo Tue, 15 May 2012 14:45:18 -0700 http://www.bjdecastro.com/artgallery/v/onelastswim600w.jpg.html http://www.bjdecastro.com/artgallery/v/onelastswim600w.jpg.html
The strange perspective in this watercolor sketch is due to my hotel balcony view, where I spent many hours quickly sketching the activity below me on the beach. As the palm tree shadows grew longer, this woman ran out for one last evening swim.

Original watercolor on paper
Plein-air work, 2001
12" x 9" - $400
Signed and dated
In album deCastro Studios Gallery]]> Bj. deCastro photo Tue, 15 May 2012 14:25:37 -0700 http://www.bjdecastro.com/artgallery/v/nowaves600w.jpg.html http://www.bjdecastro.com/artgallery/v/nowaves600w.jpg.html
At six in the morning and at six in the evening, I loved to sit and watch from my hotel balcony as the surfers made their way out to the waves. Very dedicated, they were. So much so, that often there were no waves to be found, yet there they would all be...floating and waiting.

Original watercolor on paper.
Plein-air sketch, 2001.
12" x 9" - $375.00
Signed and Dated
Framed/Matted
In album deCastro Studios Gallery]]> Bj. deCastro photo Tue, 15 May 2012 14:15:53 -0700 http://www.bjdecastro.com/artgallery/v/NCAA+Champion.jpg.html http://www.bjdecastro.com/artgallery/v/NCAA+Champion.jpg.html
This gentleman commissioned me to do this piece for him, when I mainly worked in charcoal. Wanting to take advantage of the extreme horizontal position of the subject, I painted two-to portrait one. The effect is that of looking through a window into the world of an accomplished gymnast.
I learned a lesson soon after delivering this piece, and that was...don't forget to take photos of your work! Since I lost contact with him years ago, these drafting table and post-framing shots are the only memories I have of a piece that I was quite proud of. Now, I take progressive shots of all my work, through all the stages of completion.

Original charcoal on paper.
Studio work, 198? .
18"x24" (2)- SOLD, commission.
Signed and Dated.
Framed and matted.
In album deCastro Studios Gallery]]> Bj. deCastro photo Tue, 15 May 2012 14:04:55 -0700 http://www.bjdecastro.com/artgallery/v/whiteflowers600w.jpg.html http://www.bjdecastro.com/artgallery/v/whiteflowers600w.jpg.html
These are some beautiful flowers that I walked by each day. True story...I spent my last week there trying to find out the flower's name. A friend of mine that lives there was kind enough to email me the name. Mystery has been solved! Thanks, Mitch.

Original watercolor on paper.
Plein-air Sketch, 2001.
12" x 9" - $375.00 SOLD to Cathie for Pat and David.
Signed and Dated.
Custom Framed/Matted.
In album deCastro Studios Gallery]]> Bj. deCastro photo Tue, 15 May 2012 13:59:29 -0700 http://www.bjdecastro.com/artgallery/v/Vizcaya.JPG.html http://www.bjdecastro.com/artgallery/v/Vizcaya.JPG.html
The Miami residence of the late James Deering, of International Harvester Co., where he spent his winters, until his death in 1925. Now, it is a museum of European decorative arts. This is the yacht landing behind the villa with Biscayne Bay in the background. So beautiful, on 5-17-91, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh held a garden party there, and President Ronald Reagan and Pope John Paul II met there to address the world from the Mount, on 9-10-87.  It's a shame that binary doesn't do justice to the beautiful transparency of watercolors.  Florida has stunning blue waters, and in the 'real-thing', the twenty layers of wash  that I laid, truly depicts this tropical quality. 
Original watercolor on paper.
Studio work, 1998.
24" x 18" - ($3,950 value) NFS, Collection the artist.
Signed and Dated.
Framed and matted.
In album deCastro Studios Gallery]]> Bj. deCastro photo Tue, 15 May 2012 13:52:17 -0700 http://www.bjdecastro.com/artgallery/v/sadie-chihuahua-dog.jpg.html http://www.bjdecastro.com/artgallery/v/sadie-chihuahua-dog.jpg.html
This was a commissioned painting for Wendy LeGate of her cherished and aging Sadie, a Chihuahua. We actually started the compositional work in 2005, however shortly after, my husband suffered a serious illness and Wendy was very patient as I took the time I needed to nurse my husband back to health. I completed the painting in 2007. Sadie's coat is a challenging combination of a silvery blue and warm sienna. To accomplish the feel and glisten I wanted, I used many layers of built up translucent colors.

Oil on canvas
Studio work, 2007
12" x 9", $1,150 - SOLD
In album deCastro Studios Gallery]]> Bj. deCastro photo Tue, 15 May 2012 13:45:20 -0700 http://www.bjdecastro.com/artgallery/v/pei-pyramid-louvre-paris.jpg.html http://www.bjdecastro.com/artgallery/v/pei-pyramid-louvre-paris.jpg.html
It is a true indication of one's art appreciation, if they say, they 'did the Louvre in a day'. (LOL) Impossible! This monumental 'ode to art takes-at least, three full days and a good pair of tennis shoes. After I finished painting the building-itself, in the background, I then over-washed it with the transparent, architectural art of Mr. Pei. This painting tells a story in a story...the construction period, 1984-1988 (which is the fencing you see), from reference photos taken during a trip my husband took with his children, and my first-visit-there photos taken in 1992.

Original watercolor on paper.
Studio work, 1993.
18" x 12" - ($4,150 value) NFS, Collection the artist.
Signed and Dated.
Framed and matted.
In album deCastro Studios Gallery]]> Bj. deCastro photo Tue, 15 May 2012 13:28:09 -0700 http://www.bjdecastro.com/artgallery/v/Oak--Morgan-Stance.jpg.html http://www.bjdecastro.com/artgallery/v/Oak--Morgan-Stance.jpg.html
This piece is a Commission for Wendy LeGate, owner of OGO Old Growth Oak Morgans. She purchased many pieces from me with the first being, "Capriole, Vienna", the Lippizan horse Limited Edition print, before she approached with me the proposal of painting something that she could use as a logo for her Morgan horse ranch. It was a real pleasure working with a patron whose passion for what she does with Morgan horses matched my passion for what I do with paint. In fact, she sent me so many reference photos of these absolutely beautiful animals she works with, that it took quite a few composite sketches just to decide which beautiful horse and interesting oak to choose for the final painting.
OGO is in San Jose, California area and we wanted to incorporate the magnificent oak trees that make up the landscape and decorate her property. This painting was a one year process-almost to date, from conception to completion with progress photos being emailed to Wendy all along the way. I must compliment her on her trust, as many of the photos probably did not make sense to her, because of the painting style and technique, in which I work. Many transparent layers are laid over and over again. Each layer must be allowed to completely dry, before the next wash of color is applied. Often times, the initial colors are not what a viewer would associate with the subject or item being painted. On top of it, you have the technical aspect of portraying perspective and saving the final details for last. This is often when my paintings 'come alive'.

Oil on canvas
Studio work, 2004
24" x 18", $5,250 - SOLD
In album deCastro Studios Gallery]]> Bj. deCastro photo Tue, 15 May 2012 13:12:16 -0700 http://www.bjdecastro.com/artgallery/v/night-waves.jpg.html http://www.bjdecastro.com/artgallery/v/night-waves.jpg.html
This was a lesson painting out of a book from one of the most cheery and loveable teachers, Bob Ross. Bob has since passed and we miss his "Paint Happy Happy Happy" tv show lessons. If you are curious about his teachings, please buy one of his books. I did when I decided to try oil paints after years of watercolor. A retired artist recommended it, since I already knew how to be an artist. Bob specialized in teaching you how to move oil paint around with happy freedom. This is my interpretation of his lesson.

Oil on canvas
Studio Work, 1996
In album deCastro Studios Gallery]]> Bj. deCastro photo Tue, 15 May 2012 13:03:50 -0700