Church of Santa Margarita, fountain portal

Created in 2015 using watercolor on Arches paper, this luminous work pays tribute to the historic architecture and tranquility of Mirambel—a town in the Alto Maestrazgo region of Teruel where the painter lived for twenty-seven years. The high quality of the Arches paper allows for a delicate, expressive handling of color, where the transparency and fluidity characteristic of watercolor create an atmosphere that is fresh, airy, and full of life.

The composition is structured through a rhythmic interplay of volumes and chiaroscuro:





Foreground: The sturdy stone wall and historic gateway form the base of the scene, rendered with soft washes of sienna, gray, and violet tones that recreate the texture—weathered by centuries—under the sunlight.



Middle ground and architecture: The ecclesiastical complex and the traditional tiled roofs of the village rise up in warm shades of ochre, reddish-brown, and burnt earth. At the focal point, the church’s slender bell tower emerges majestically, featuring stone walls and a vaulted top bathed in the sun's radiance. To the right, the brushstroke of a small lime-green tree provides a vibrant botanical contrast.



Background and sky: Behind the town's skyline, the Maestrazgo mountain ranges are outlined in soft shades of blue and violet, employing a clean atmospheric perspective that fades into a vast, brilliantly luminous blue sky.

This piece is a prime example of Impressionism applied to rural and urban landscapes, reflecting Penya-Roja’s technical mastery in capturing mountain light and the memory of a cherished setting. In the bottom left corner, the signature "Penya-Roja" completes the work, resting atop the neutral washes of the foreground.