#445 'First Light Venice' 40x50cm

One for my exhibition, an idea taken from a small 8x10 plein air did in Venice September last year. I loved the building on the right with the light shining on it. I took a risk with the wooden poles, quite dominant structures but it gives depth and a sense of place.

I painted from a cafe area on the side of the water. I had to be fast as the waiter said you have 30 mins before I set up. Enough to get an impression!

#435 'Sunrise, The Grand Canal' 50x50cm

A studio painting developed from a plein air piece. I painted this subject over 15 times, so I know it well and felt comfortable painting it bigger. One for my solo show in May in London!

Plein air study

Sketch book drawing on location (later in the day with more traffic on the water)

Venice Summary!

Home from Venice and my studio line up, I can't fit them all in! 

I do feel pleased and proud with what I achieved in a month. 

I felt sad leaving such a wonderful & inspiring place. I am already planning a trip to go back next year! I enjoyed painting with the other artists and having my family to stay. 

What an amazing trip!!

I am planning a solo show in London next year 

with many of these Venice paintings and the title is:

'London, Venice, Coast & Country'

Watch this space!!

'Maria Della Salute'

My favourite subject while in Venice I must have painted it over 15 times! 

Here are 9 of them in chronological order bottom right to top left...

A short video of my studio and Venice paintings!

#401 'My Last Sunrise in Venice!' 10x12"

The morning we left Venice I got up at 5am and did one more paint, and it was this.
A fleeting sunrise where the sun just peeped until it went behind the cloud. I used a slightly bigger board in portrait format to capture the light and movement on the water. 
My next Venice post I will do tomorrow and will show a summary of all my work :-)

#400 'Morning Boat Ride' 10x12"

I experimented with putting the glow around the building next to the sun to give a sense of strong sunlight. There's not much water activity early on but I managed to paint the Vaporetto water bus as it was moving across the Grand Canal! By around 8-9am its teaming with boats, nice early as you still get water reflections and light.

The Maria Della Salute (dome building) is white where the 'window' is but painting it white in this light wouldn't work so I put a warmer colour in than the dome and slightly lighter in tone to differentiated the two.

#399 '4pm, Maria Della Salute Venice' 8x10"

Braved the afternoon crowds on the Academia Bridge, it can be so hectic on there, I had been put off doing it the whole trip, also the risk of being moved on by the police, they have been known to move artists on from prominent tourists spots.

Anyway I love the afternoon colours on the Grand Canal, so rich and vibrant. The water was tricky with lots of different shades and tones with the strong shadows and the light from the sky.
Decided to keep the buildings loose and not overworked - hard to do this as you want to make them just right and 'perfect!' 
You can see more in your subject when the sun is behind you and lights your subject, instead of contra jour when the sun is in your face and its behind the subject. So knowing how much detail to include is key, being a small panel I didn't put much in, looked wrong when I tried, I put more interest in the foreground left. 
I hope to do a bigger studio painting from the subject.

#397 'Gondola Ride, The Grand Canal' 8x14"

We went back to this spot to do it again! With a wider format board and looked at the aerial perspective, there is a lot of sky colour put in the distant buildings.  The colours of the sparkle are tricky to see, but they start warmer yellow/warm colour and go to a lighter whiter colour in the middle.

Perched on the end of a jetty, Sally my painting buddy had a one paint brush casualty over the edge!

#395 'Evening Sparkle, The Grand Canal' 8x10"

A great spot at the end of a jetty close to the Maria Della Salute for a wonderful sky line and also near the gondola action! The sparkle was a so bright on the eyes!

#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.

#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.

#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.

#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!!

#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.

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

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

#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!