Month: May 2015

Studio 365: Day 143

Day 143 iii

Siena study I 23.5.15

Day 143 ii

Journal  13.VII.99

Memories of the warm stones of the Piazza del Campo that July evening, after a day spent seeing the glorious treasures of this historic medieval Italian city, come flooding back, and especially that “magnificent sandwich” of Parma ham, cheese and pesto from Antica Pizzicheria.

Studio 365: Day 142

Day 142 iv

Venice study I 22.5.15

Painting this watercolour and ink sketch in the studio this afternoon allowed me to re-visit our magical trip to Venice in July 1999, a visit documented in a precious journal that I kept throughout our Italian travels that year.

Venice ii

Over the next few days I think I’ll continue with the Italian theme that I’ve started as it is reviving such happy memories, and re-visit a few more special places together with their associated journal entries. I hope you’ll come with me.

Journal

Ciao!

Peonies from Heaven

enveloped peonies iii

Enveloped by darkness these peonies come to life with the magic of light painting.

Studio 365: Day139

Manarola

Manarola, Cinque Terra

No studio time today but instead a painting from a few years back after our visit to magical Cinque Terra on the Italian Riviera. After taking the train to Riomaggiore we walked along the Via dell’ Amore to Manarola where we spent the night. Sitting on the terrace that evening under the awning of the restaurant you can see on the quayside I shall never forget having the best Pasta al Pesto in the world.

via amore

Day 138 ii

A Hill in Umbria 18.5.15

No canyons today; this week Studio 365 will be in Italy, only figuratively speaking unfortunately, to re-visit memorable Tuscan and Umbrian landscapes with villas on hills surrounded by cypress trees and olive groves or the colourful houses of Cinque Terra perched on the rugged cliffs of the Italian Riviera. Aaaah! Bella Italia.

Studio 365: Day 136

ix

As these glorious deep purple petals fall away revealing the pistils, styles and stamens that have been enveloped so protectively and majestically in the flowers core, these tulips seem to have taken on a renewed beauty in their final hour.