Venice, Italy
On our trip to Italy, we went to Venice and well, although the buildings are dilapidated and in need of paint, but the ambiance of the city took my breath away. Let me tell you ladies, if you like fit men, those gondoliers are FIT...it takes muscles and stamina to push those boats down the canals!
This painting looks finished doesn't it? Well, it isn't. (Besides the lack of a signature, what else is it missing?) An oar! Haha! I didn't realize I forgot to put it in until I took the photo of it! So here it is, with the oar in the painting.
All goes to show a few things...everybody forgets things...and well, we all make mistakes...but funny thing is, the painting works with or without it. I think because as a viewer, you know it's Venice, and you know he's steering the boat with an oar, you don't necessarily need to see it. That's quite cool.
I didn't use many colors for this painting, I used Permalba's White and Black, Cerulean Blue, and Cadmium Yellow Light...that's it. Well, I take that back, I did use some original formula Titanium white as well because it was needed when I did the reflections.
Here is how I painted it. I started with a general sketch. I went in with cerulean blue mixed with Permalba white, using a flat brush for good coverage. Then, after cleaning my brush, I mixed Cadmium Yellow Light with the Permalba White. I wanted a greenish flash experience where the two meet in the sky, and it certainly wasn't hard to accomplish, it nearly made itself! The setting sun was made with a real pale yellow, painted on real thin. That's one place I got out the original formula Titanium white...I did a process called, "Fat over lean" which means, I put down a thin layer and topped it with a fat layer of paint. I added in some gray clouds, and I mean, I simply dabbed it on, not really giving it much thought...and then went in with BOTH whites, one gives great coverage (the original) and one gives it flow (Permalba). I mixed the two using my trusty "Hake" brush. I love that thing to blend clouds, I use them in oils and acrylics, although I will be the first to admit, it's far easier in oils.
I went onto the water, looking for patterns, where the colors lied...and to get in that bright white of a reflection, I took out the original formula and applied a thick layer of it with a palette knife. To use the palette knife, I only load a think "roll" of paint along the edge of the palette knife. I learned that from TV art, not in school. So yes, it's good to watch old PBS artists, you never know what you're going to pick up!
Then I did the black with an angular shader. I purchased a new angular shader, it was a red sable, which it's said that it's one of the better brushes to use...well, I didn't see any difference from my el-cheapo synthetic brushes...so don't waste your money. When I got to the part of painting the gondolier, I used a small round to get the head shape and body.
I finished it off (or so I thought I finished it off), with some dark gray put into the buildings to look like the sun was hitting it. All along forgetting to put in the oar.
Not until I started writing this blog did I think of the oar...and that was after I posted the photo.
Such an amateur...haha!
If I was teaching a class, this is one I'd do to show color mixing, what to do first, second, and so on. It's one, if I had the ability to, I'd make it into a video. Of course, I'd need an editing crew!
One thing about those TV artists is they seem to get the painting done in a half hour...no...no, no, they don't! It's edited. The same way the renovations on the Home and Garden Channel aren't done in an hour! Think!
Here's the original photo I took. I only took it with my iPhone...if you can imagine that. We were going out to dinner and we were going to walk to the restaurant (no, we weren't going to walk on water). There happens to be a great walking system set up between the canals! And the concierge at the front desk said, "We can taxi you there." (In Venice, that means a boat...a taxi is a boat.) So we took them up on their offer. (Pay those prices they should!) It wasn't a gondola though, it was a regular boat and I was standing on the boat leaning on the cabin to take the photo...it was so stunning, I just love Venice...and yes, I'd go back.
By the way ladies...if you ever get to Europe, don't take a lot of bags, take one small purse, and of course one large canvas throw-away tote for your plane carry-on, because when you get to Venice, well, ANY city in Europe, but especially Venice...you're going to be amazed at all the purses, and the prices are more than reasonable. My husband purchased a lot of glass. I got purses. When we were packing to leave he asked me, "Do you know how many purses you got while you were here?" I said, "Oh, I guess three or four." He said, "NINE dear, NINE!" But my nine purses weren't as much as his glass...so there! And yes, all the glass was shipped home which cost (the purses all fit in my luggage, I'm an expert at packing and stuffing a suitcase), so I came out ahead.
Would I ever go back? MOST DEFINITELY...it would make a great girls vacation. After all, we could check out all the gondola drivers!
This oil painting is 6" X 6" gallery wrap painted black on the sides. $30 plus shipping.
I must wait for the paint to dry before I can ship it out.
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