#393 Monet's Spot no.2 8x10"

9am softer more diffused light than the 8am painting with rapidly moving water sparkle. Not putting in too much detail like windows, just suggesting them.

#392 'Morning Sun, Monet's Spot no.1' 10x12"

8am - Strong tonal contrast with the sun peeping over the building. Warm sky and cool water colours.
Blocking in and simplifying the tonal shapes with a yellow glowing sky.

beginning stages with water sparkle

See next post for 9am....

#391 'Afternoon Reflections, Venice' 10x12"

I see this view every day I leave the house and always stop to have a look! I have 4 paintings on the go of this subject and just this one finished! I'm planning a series on it.

I studied the shadow colours and I wanted to make the light colours pop.
I painted the windows in first and the colour in around them.

#390 'Early Sun, The Grand Canal' 10x12"

My favourite spot from the Academia Bridge! I don't get tired of this view. The sun coming up and just peeping over the buildings creating a lovely warm glow, contrasted with the cooler water.

#389 'Early Morning, San Marco Square' 11x14"

I convinced my family to come with to San Marco at 6am sunrise no people just pigeons. It has a magical quality at this time, they really enjoyed it. I wanted to paint a bigger more of a statement piece of this square. Not easy to get the drawing and perspective right. I was lucky to put the Giorgio Maggiore in from the start as within half an it had disappeared just white mist! Its a very tonal painting with a hint of warm colour.

#388 'Sunrise 3, San Giorgio Maggiore' 8x10"

The final sunrise painting in a series of 3. I was pleased the sun was near enough to paint a portrait format with the San Giorgio next to it. I am happy with the glow I managed to get from the light of the sun, not easy!

This week I have had my family staying with me in Venice. It's been a treat to show them the sites and also to accompany me on my painting outings.
Here is my Mum who experienced the sunrise with me :-)

#387 'Sunrise 1 & 2, San Giorgio Maggiore' 6x12" & 20x50cm

The first in a series of 3 paintings I did of sunrise one after the other.
This stage is when the light is low and the colours rich. A small quick sketch to capture the moment. Then I changed to a bigger board:

The sun just peeping over the horizon, with very light water and darker sky.
See next post for the final painting...

#386 'Sunset, Campo Barnaba' 9x12"

I stood on a small bridge thinking I'll do it in the evening when its not so busy. But I didn't know it was the first night of the glass week, with much street celebrating and fizz popping! Quite a bustle and lots of people were stopping to chat and look at my painting. A tricky subject easier at dusk when the shapes are more merged together. Looking at big tonal areas instead of al the details!

#385 'Dawn, Maria Della Salute' 8x14"

I tired a portrait format, which I was surprised at how well it works. With a limited palette and harmonious colours.

#384 'Venice, Early Evening' x2 paintings

I wanted to get some movement in the water and variation in the sky.

I did a very quick one while the sun was going down.

#383 'Early Mist St Marks Basilica' 9x12"

Very misty at some points the Basilica almost disappeared! The tonal values were so close together, I had to make sure the darkest darks were quite light. Also not putting into much definition or hard lines - a suggestion of shapes.
I couldn't resist putting the white Nun in scurrying across the square!

#382 'Mist St Marks Square' 20x50cm

An atmospheric morning, I wanted to capture a bigger area of it so tried this shape board.
Very quiet but a lot of brides having their photo taken this morning!!

#381 '10am Maria Della Salute' 8x10"

Painted without drawing out first as I know the shape now.
Risked painting in the day hoping I wouldn't be moved on by the police!
Not too many colours to keep it harmonious. Painted the sparkle first before it moved out of my painting view.

#380 'Late Afternoon, The Grand Canal' x2

I painted the one below first as it was above the San Giorgio Maggiore and a huge sparkle 
on the water. 

and then as the sun went around it was above Maria Della Salute which is the main picture.
I had started this one the other way up see pic. But thought the composition would be stronger if I turned the board to portrait!

#379 'Sunrise, San Giorgio Maggiore' 20x50cm

I did this one straight after the previous painting. The sun just popping up over the horizon.
A longer format to get the sun and building in.
Soft misty light not so much colour as pre dawn.

#378 'Early Morning, San Giorgio Maggiore' 6x12"

Early morning rich colours strong silhouetted shape
Iridescent water
Before the sun came up.

#377 'Hazy Light, Maria Della Salute' 8x10"

The scene got better as the light came around the buildings and sparkles on the water!

#376 Time Lapse Video - 'Dawn, San Giorgio Maggiore' 8x10"

I faffed with the set up for the video getting it all my easel in and the subject behind it.

The painting took 40mins the video is 37 seconds...

I was there first at 6am and then there were  5 photographers, a meditation sitter, tourist with selfie stick and a flying drone all in a very small space!

I used a platte knife to apply the paint but it broke half through the sky, back to a brush but at least I got lots of paint on the board.

Once the sun is up above the horizon line you cant continue to paint its way too bright!

So pleased the time lapse video worked and on such a location!!

#375 'Maria Della Saluete 7am' 9x14"

Another gorgeous dawn paint plus a quick painting thrown in too!

I spoke to artist ken Howard as he was on the bridge he saw my finished painting and made a positive remark about it. (I went home smiling!) He also said the Italian police are now being kind to artists after the bad press they got a couple of weeks ago. (big yay!)

It was nice to try a different format other than the trusty 8x10" I had been working on.

#374 'Morning Light, San Giorgio Maggiore' 8x10"

I took a risk and included the foreground wooden structure, I wasn't sure whether it would work until I had done it. 
Using a limited colour palette of warm and cools and limited tones too.

Bringing colour sin from the sky and the building into the water also allowing the brush marks to be visible.
I put in the sparkles on the sea quite quickly as they disappear out of view. Also how the light effects the buildings where it hits and if they are very silhouetted.
Making sure the closest structure was darkest in tone.

Remnant sparkles on the bottom right corner.

#373 'Venice Nocturne' no.1 10x10"

Two paintings in a day and then do a nocturne I was exhausted! But making the most of having artistic company and so it was a loose, lively interpretation.

Before I left the house I mixed my palette of colours, yellows, oranges violets and a black. Because even with a light its difficult to see the colours when in the dark. As its hard to see the colours. Also to make sure I had a good range of tone from very light to very dark. 

The light I used was a orchestra style double pronged head one lit the painting the other the palette. Unfortunately the oil paint sheen was lit and I couldn't see the surface very well. So you couldn't paint tight even if you wanted to!

I want to do more as this is a warm up and good start... :-)

#372 'Venetian Alleyway' 6x12"

I felt inspired to try a sky-hole painting and this alley is right on our doorstep in the Dorsoduro area. It's afternoon light on a very narrow long alley leading to the Grand Canal at the end. The light at the end was so bright you couldn't see any details. 
Incredibly difficult to get the drawing right as the perspective tricks your eye and you put the distant buildings in bigger than they are! 

Artist, Maria Rose was painting in front of me and our front door is just on the right!

#371 'Painting St Marks Square, Venice' no.2

The second quick painting I did in St Marks Square with wonderful apricot light. 

#370 'Painting St Marks Square, Venice' no.1

We were a little worried about being moved on by the police - as there was a big whoha about it recently with artist Ken Howard being moved on, so we went at sunrise and did two quick paintings of the Basilica and The Square.

Beautiful light and worth getting there early. No police or tourists just pigeons! Although it did feel reassuring to have four of us painting together, safety in numbers! 

This gives an idea of the scale of the square - HUGE!

Not easy subject ornate and close tonal values as it was in low light. But also lovely sunrise colours. The red brick tower I decided not to include as the base of it is ugly!!

#369 'Afternoon Light, Maria Della Salute' 8x10"

I am finding it difficult to keep up this blog and do the intensive painting! As some times I'm managing to do 4 paintings in a day.

So I will still keep posting but write less as the writing part takes so long to do! Better that than not posting at all....

Monet & the famous Ken Howard paint this view.  Not an easy subject and I wanted it loose, brushy and rich colours..... 

I painted with the artist Julia Hawkins always good to see how someone else tackles it!

Julia & my easel, what a setting!

#368 'First Light, Maria Della Salute' 8x10"

Did painting no.367 then immediately wanted to paint the scene again as the light was gorgeous! I moved off the bridge but just next to it in a cafe space. 

I'd just started mapping in when the guy said you have 30 minutes until you need to move...So I painted like billio and this is the result! It shows it can be done a painting in half an hour. It's sketchy but spontaneous and hopefully has the essence of the moment. 
Fairly limited palette and checking the tones - the sky was darker than the water ...

#367 'Pre-Dawn Maria Della Salute' 8x10"

This was so fun to paint!! Although a little daunting too as many artists over the years have painted this subject standing on Academia Bridge from Monet to Ken Howard...

We are very lucky as this bridge is a few minutes walk from our house. It's a dream subject for me, wonderful shapes within sky and water setting, and it changes every day and hour! So I hope you can bear with me for painting it several times while I'm here :-)

The buildings make such a great skyline shape but the actual body of the buildings its deciding how much detail to put in. The low light means you can't see much and it's quite far away. But I felt it needed some suggestion of windows and things. As I paint this scene more I think I will experiment with how much to include.

#366 'First Oil Sketch of Venice 2018' 8x10"

When I arrive in a new location I just want to get the first painting under my belt! Start it off and get into the flow, I also just feel itchy to do it!

So this was it, feeling my way with the colours, shapes and the strong bouncing light of Venice. 
Decided to do a limited palette of Red (Scarlet Lake with a little white & Yellow Ochre), White (Titanium) & Black (mixed with Burnt Sienna and Ultramarine) helps create a more harmonious painting and easier to start with. 

Painted at about 4pm in very strong afternoon light, it's off the Campo Barnaba, just a few minutes from where we are staying in the Dorsoduro area.

Also did some sketching...The bridge right outside the house we are staying in!