Beyond Italy

Posted on | June 4, 2009 | 3 Comments

Now that I’ve caught you up on my Italy trip, it’s time for me to share some of the artwork I’ve been doing since we’ve been home. Before our trip, I would stare at my easel longingly. I was just post-surgery and my goal was to make sure my energy levels were high for Italy. It worked, but I was itching to paint with my acrylics when I got home.

In Flight - WIP

Last week, I returned to a canvas that I started back in December. It sat for a while. I just really doodled with the color. I wasn’t sure where it was going and I was working completely intuitively. Unfortunately, for all the time it sat there, I cannot find a photo of it before I revisited it. So, you’ll just have to believe me when I say it changed significantly. Like I often do, I worked intuitively, with an idea in mind, but not making myself focus on that. If something else developed then I’d help that to happen. And that is what happened in this case.

What did it turn into? Well, to me, it looks like someone flying over the darkness. It was over a desert at one point. I’m not sure it’s done yet. I think the face needs some detail, but maybe not. I’m planning to let it sit for a few weeks to see what I think when I step away from it for a while.

Como sketch based on a photo from our trip to Italy

And, while I was working through all the photos to create the posts about Italy, I thought it was time to use those photos for my art. I started to sketch from the photos. I created the sketch to the right from one of the photos. It’s done with watercolor and pen and ink. I tried out some new things, since that’s what I do in my journals. It was good practice for what I decided to do next.

Yesterday, I met Dave for lunch at his office. I think I’ve mentioned before that the majority of my art goes into his office or into our home’s decor. In this case, I had visited him and he needed something with more color. This time, he didn’t want medical art, just something with color. I love it when he asks for things like that. It gives me a chance to just do whatever! I immediately came home and pulled out two 10″ x 10″ canvases.

Menaggio alleyway - WIP - first day

I planned to just use my acrylic paints but I had no direction from there. I decided to try something different for me. Using photos as inspiration, I started sketching out an image of a Menaggio alleyway. The way the buildings were all connected and created the streets in Menaggio was charming. So, I started with a rough sketch that ended as you see on the left. I let it sit and moved on to the next canvas.

Verrano Ferry Station - Day 1

I sketched an awning that is the entrance to the Verrano ferry station. I didn’t want it to be literal, but I wanted to start with the idea of it. I created some buildings behind it based upon the different buildings I saw when we were there. It ended like the image to the right last night.

Menaggio alleyway - WIP - second day

So, this morning, I was all excited to get back to work on these canvases. I started with the Mennaggio alleyway and grabbed a black watercolor pencil to create some detail, including the delineation between buildings, adding a door and adding in some windows. I’m not sure about the placement of the door. I might need to push it back further into the painting for balance, but we’ll see. It’s not finished yet, but it’s done for today. I’ll likely pick it up tomorrow again for the third pass.

Verrano Ferry Station - day 2

In between allowing the layers on this to dry, I worked on the Verrano painting. It has changed drastically since yesterday. I lightened the center building, added more depth to the awning and changed some of the colors there. I even added some definition in the trees and balanced out the blue that is on the left with some blue tone in the building on the right. Like the other one, it’s not done yet. I still need to add in some details and it will be going through a third pass, as well.

I’m really enjoying these paintings. I’m trying hard to keep a balance between the inspiration and some abstraction. It’s a change for me from completely abstract or drawing from life – sort of a hybrid, but I’m glad I’m trying it.

More tomorrow!

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