Venice commission

After commissioning three paintings of a WW2 theme, including one of his grandfather’s advance into Sicily, a buyer asked for two large paintings of Venice. He sent reference images of an overall theme plus photos of the wall space they were to occupy. I worked out a suitable size and proceeded with the composition. This began with two small paintings then, from a roll of Arches paper (the 1m x 0.5m size was larger than full standard sheet), I created the two final pieces. Working on a larger scale in watercolour poses unique challenges, mainly keeping the paper wet and the paint live. Arches paper, made in Southern France, is presumably designed for a warmer climate than we have in England, and retains moisture longer than the Saunders Waterford I normally use.