Italy

We all love Italy, don't we. I returned to a cool and very damp England on Saturday having spent two hot weeks enjoying so much of what Piedmont has to offer. I managed to get about 25 paintings and a small chunk of the sketchbook filled during the two week visit, not sure what the family thought but they seemed to like me gone for hours at a time. One of the main challenges for me was creating the feeling of heat in the paintings. The first few looked more like Scotland, with my mind still thinking cooler British hues and soft tones. Once I'd warmed up, higher contrast, reds and ochres came to play and all was well. Another challenge was keeping the painting wet, as even in the shade it was over 30˚C, but luckily no wind, which really dries off the paint. I painted at all times of the day including the stark light of 11am - 4pm but preferring the golden hour where the light creates that magic we all know so well.