New Inspiration

me and Sarah Kidner in Spoleto, Italy

back street in Todi

the Umbrian countryside

I have just returned from Italy.  My friend and painting colleague, Sarah Kidner, generously offered to take me to visit the Umbrian countryside, along with it's charming and numerous villages.  I've dreamed of going to Italy for many years and this was my opportunity....how could I say no? The country, the company, the FOOD,  were all wonderful.

You know how when you build up in your head what a place is like when you actually arrive it can be a disappointment?  Well this most definately was not.  We had decided not to take our paint boxes this trip as we were going to be covering a lot of territory and didn't want to spend too long in any one spot, so we went armed with cameras.

In addition to Umbria, we travelled over to the Adriatic sea and spent several days in Rome at the end of our trip.  We viewed the Sistene Chapel, Vatican Museum, caught a Vermeer show....wow, what a whirlwind.  Raphael, Michaelangelo....my cup runneth over.

I arrived home two days ago feeling a little over stimulated,  but also curious to see how I might do at painting some of the streets in Rome, or the village scapes of Umbria.  So, over the winter I am going to work on some of these and see what I can learn.  Paintings that involve straight lines are nothing that I have ever spent time doing, but drawing is drawing, and painting is painting;  all shapes, values and colors, nothing more, nothing less.

I shall post some of my efforts as I complete them, and I welcome your comments.  Be gentle ;).

Happy painting, and happy Thanksgiving!
Gaye


UPCOMING WORKSHOPS

October 27th and 28th - "Color Mixing - it Ain't Rocket Science"  New Westminster, BC
click here  for information

November 23-26 (four days) "Skill Building Essentials for the Representational Painter" Sorrento, BC - see sidebar of this blog for information.

January 2013 -  Santa Barbara, CA " The Joy of Plein Air" details TBA, contact gayeadams@telus.net