Water View of Amalfi

Took a long break in October but did a lot of painting.  This is the last of my watercolor paintings from my time in Italy this summer.  We took a water taxi from Amalfi to our hotel.  The view from the water is very different than from the road.  I did this painting on Arches 140 lb paper that is glued to board.  No wrinkling and painting on paper is soooo much better than fabric or clayboard.  I am interested to see how it holds up.

Morning Light in Italy

I sketched this Italian scene with a flood of morning light coming down the street between buildings. It was in a hilltop town in Tuscany.  Many people were up and the coffee bar was busy.  The cast shadow from the two tourists was magnified giving them gigantic proportions.  My quick sketch didn't note any of the colors, so, when painting, I chose a group of earthen colors that would be in harmony and typical of the village.

I feel right back in Italy as I work on these sketches and paintings.  Accompanied with music from the Italian tenors, all that is missing is the magnificent food.

Rainy day painting

Went to Portefino, Italy during some travels several years ago and did a number of sketches and photos.  I have painted some of the scenes before, but this time wanted a more unified look to the buildings.   Windows, awnings and boats were too much in previous attempts.  This came out with bright hue.  It was a good effort and brought me back to the beauty of Portefino.  I once read that it was Liz Taylor's favorite vacation spot.  It is a busy spot with many luxury yachts with crews in uniform.  That was a first for me.