MORE PLEIN AIRE ITALY

We were waiting for our boat to take us back to Stresa, Italy. People were mingling and moving so a quick impulse of each figure was all I could pencil in on the paper before adding paint.

Painting small like this, as well as painting in a looser style, does not come naturally to me. I love the look, though, so the challenge was on.

One of my cousins selected this painting to take home with her. Her older son, Reid, is a budding artist, and when they were here a couple of years ago, he'd head to the studio to paint as soon as he woke up each morning. His artistic talent was obvious even at that young age.

"THE TOUR" Transparent Watercolor on 140CP Fabriano Artistico, 5 x 7" COLLECTED

ARCHIVES

This simple still life was painted within that first year that I began taking watercolor lessons in Kokomo, Indiana. Shirley Quakenbush painted a wonderful demo showing how she glazed many layers of color to build up a glow and depth in her beautiful work, then we had to come up with our own painting.

I'd rushed from work to get to class on time and had brought a couple of apples along with some cheese and a knife to make my 'supper.' They made up a great still life after I peeled and devoured the golden delicious. I left out the cheese - probably ate it since it's one of my favorite foods.

My husband grew apples in our mini orchard behind our nursery business, and I think these came from the orchard. I'm posting them today because it's his birthday, and he grew up helping his grandparents on their apple orchard. Happy birthday, honey. And Happy Birthday to LYNNE, too. Isn't it great to be archived?

"ONE FOR THE ROAD" Transparent Watercolor on 140#CP Arches 9 x 9"

NORTHERN LAKES - ITALY

An older Italian gentleman selected this painting along with another after he stopped to see what I was doing. We did our best to discuss what the painting was about, using mostly hand signals and some broken Italian and English. He gave the other painting to his friend who was with him.

Painting small, postcard sized pictures is fairly easy to do in a small space, if the wind's not blowing. Soon I'll post a picture of the great travel palette I used.

See the Italian gentleman's thumb in the corner? Once he'd picked up the picture, he didn't want to put it down for me to take a photo. I'm glad he liked the paintings.

"LAKE REGION, ITALY" Transparent Watercolor on 140#CP Fabriano Artistico, 7 x 5" COLLECTED

PLEIN AIRE ITALY

Varenna, Italy is a small Italian village located on Lake Como, and the six of us spent almost a week there in a beautiful golden villa on the lake. It's a perfect place to paint plein aire because inspiration is everywhere.

While sitting on a stone bench along the promenade that winds along the lake, I began painting this one afternoon and completed it the next morning. A Canadian couple took it home with them.

An early evening picnic on the villa's veranda made the day completely wonderful. Cheeses, breads, fruit, tomatoes, wild boar sausage, proscuitto, wine, art friends.....

"ROMANTIC VARENNA" Transparent Watercolor on 140CP Arches 9 x 12" COLLECTED