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!