6/4/08

ITALY

Staying on Lake Como in the delightful village of Varenna was my favorite part of the first trip I took to Europe. This painting is from one of over five hundred photos I took in Varenna, and the scene was near our hotel, Olivedo, right on the lake.

In September, seven of my friends and I will be there painting, laughing, eating, and totally enjoying the beauty of this well kept but ancient little town. I can't wait to hear the school kids gather after school and break into beautiful, impromptu melodies like they did when we were there two years ago.

It's an artist's paradise, and we will be painting outdoors some of the time. Varenna's built on the side of a mountain, and all the steps lead down to spectacular Lake Como. I wonder how many thousands of well worn steps are in Varenna.....

This painting actually has a vibrant orange color on the spire, but the color doesn't read very well in this post. I used my masking tape technique to create the painting and have another one done on YUPO of the same scene that I'll post next.

We'll see you in a few months, Laura! CIAO!

"STEPS & SPIRES" Transparent Watercolor on 140#HP Arches 14 x 21" COLLECTED

4 comments:

sandy said...

OMG this is gorgeous and your trip sounds wonderful!!! I'm envious... Oops envy is not good...let me put it another way.

....I wanna be there!! whine.

hj said...

great artwork, I like your style very much!
Looks like picture "à contre jour" (in english??? ) or dusk ! Bravo!

Dawn said...

this is lovely and to think you are going back? how exciting!

RH Carpenter said...

What a big difference from this one and the yupo painting, Sandy. I think you were working towards your more warm palette but not quite there on this one. Beautiful work on both of them but I know your heart really sings when you paint on yupo :)