Venice Anyone?

Venezia I, 11"x14"

Watercolor on board

Venezia II, 11"x14"

Watercolor on board

These are a few of my newest paintings from our recent trip to Venice - we spent several days wandering the city and exploring all the narrow streets and walkways over and around the canals.  Of course, the bridges of Venice are among the most interesting features of this floating city.  Rich in history and abundant in colorful water views, who wouldn't be inspired by this amazingly unique part of Italy - one of the most visited places in the world!

Ponte Vecchio, Florence

"Ponte Vecchio, Florence", watercolor on canvas, 12"x36"

Sometimes the creative process is spontaneous and sometimes, as in the case of this piece, it takes place over years.

We were revisiting Florence a few years back and were at the Uffizi Museum. One of the upstairs galleries has several large windows that look out at the Arno river with this view of the Ponte (Bridge) Vecchio. It's a wonderful ancient bridge , built in 1354, that used to house the workshops of butchers and tanners until the late 1500's. These days it is filled with jewelry shops and plenty of tourists. I took a series of photos from the windows of the museum and knew that it would make a great painting.

Upon my return to the studio, I came up with this composition and quickly completed the drawing on a canvas. As with many good intentions, this piece was set aside for other priorities - commissions with quick turnarounds, life's obligations and show preparations. Sadly, I forgot all about it.

Last month, we were spending some time in Venice, and I was captivated by the many bridges (stay tuned for a series on these...) and remembered that I had this piece set aside in the studio. I came back with renewed energy and completed the piece in just a few days - almost two and a half years later!

"Tuscany in the Spring"
One of my favorite times to visit Italy is in the Spring. It seems that all the colors have been waiting all winter to come out and they present themselves in bright, bold rich hues.

Nothing makes me stop and take note more than a field of poppies in full bloom. It makes for a challenging trip when we have to stop the car every couple of kilometers to take photos of the next field! This scene is one of my favorites and takes me immediately back to our last trip through the Tuscan countryside. All I need is a bowl of pasta and a glass of Chianti and the experience is complete!

"Tuscany in the Spring" 22"x30" original watercolor on paper

"St. Tropez Harbor"

This new work is from our trip to the Cote d'Azur, France last Fall. It is the first piece I have done from St. Tropez - one of our very favorite spots of the trip. Look for many more pieces from this beautiful town in the future. We also visited the towns of Port Vendres, Le Lavandou, Marseilles - lots of new material to work from now that my shoulder seems to be healing!

original watercolor on canvas, 18" x 18"