Home Finally and a Bridge View

We are finally home...arrived home about 2 hrs ago. I am trying to stay up until a normal hour here even though it is nearly 3:30 am Venice time. It seems to make it easier to return to NY time that way.

I still have a few posts left from Venice. One day it was sunny...so I headed back up to the area I had done a few sepia sketches and did the whole scene as a sketch with watercolors. Of course the weather changed by the afternoon and I got wet in the rain again. lol I swear out of the month that we were there it must have rained at some time during at least 17 of them!

I did start visiting blogs instead of unpacking. lol I promise to get over to yours soon. Also the giant posts that I was getting her annoyed me so I am slowly resizing the photos so they aren't under the side panel.

Doorway and View to the Canal

I just love the doorways  here in Venice...the older and mire rustic the better. I liked the aged wood in this one.

The second sketch was done looking thru a sotoportego toward the canal. A sotoportego is a covered part of a street. They have been coming in very handy with all the rain we’ve had because I can sit under them and be pretty dry.. True to firm, just before I finished this I heard thunder and just got myself and my materials underneath before it started to pour. I bought an umbrella at the first shop I came to that was selling them on the walk to the vaporetto but I was soaked by the time I got home. Siri, us definitely too rainy here.

Sepia Ink Sketches

I think I had already mentioned that I bought a fancy dip pen and some sepia ink. The other day I was sitting at lunch outside a restaurant with a great view. I pulled out my sketchbook while I was waiting and drew a bit directly in ink. There were some kids at the table next to me that were fascinated to watch me sketch with the ink.  

Then today I decided to do some ink sketches in the square by our apartment...just little bits of what was around. I had watched a few videos the other night featuring using lettering on journal pages and thought I would give it a try. Here is the result.

Once again I have to apologize for not getting to visit your blogs. At home it is so easy to do from my list of blogs that I visit. I can’t do that here on the iPad. We are heading home in Wednesday and I promise I will catch up!

Since the sketches below are repeats I will post this newer one. There were a whole bunch of people sitting along the canal. Thus couple looked so sweet sitting there. It would have been nice if the whole painting was finished before they got up to leave. Lol I only had them drawn at that point.

Nearby

The first sketch was done in one if our many wet days. I found a spot with shelter which worked until the wind started blowing the rain under the portico.

I would swear I posted the other two sketches but maybe not. Both of these were done in the next square over from where we are staying.

View From the Bridge

You really can’t go far without finding a bridge here in Venice. This one that I sat on this morning is just one street away from us. 

Rainy Venezia

Today was a rainy, wet, dreary day here in Venice. I went out for a while before lunch and found a mostly sheltered spot to sketch. It was fine until it really started to pour. I packed Up and went inside what is supposed to be the smallest church in Venice. It was really lovely with nice artwork and about 8 pews for 4/people. It also had displays of some stringed instruments dating back to the 1600s. I was impressed...but no photos were allowed.

I am also posting a page of mostly sepia sketches. I bought a bottle of ink here and finally got a dip pen to do some quick sketches. Hope your day is dry!

Nearby Scenes

Yesterday I sketched pretty close to the apartment. I think pretty much every bridge or canal is a painting.

Near the Rialto

First of all let me wish those of you who are celebrating either a Happy Easter or a Happy Passover.

Both of these were done near the Rialto Mercado. The first one is of the fish market which is always crazy busy. Even when the fis market closes at about one it is crazy because the seagulls gather for all the leftover scraps from the day. There is a lot of squawking and fighting among them until every morsel is gone.

The second sketch is a hotel on the other side of the canal. I love the striped awnings.

Visit to Burano

There are too any sketching distractions here and I am forgetting to post here.

I think Burani has to be one if the mist colorful places I have ever seen. All the buildings look like crayons colors! I just love them. Wouldn’t you want to live in ‘‘tis orange building with the blue shutters? Or would you prefer the ‘Big Bird” yellow one? There was a purple one with wisteria hanging in it which was my favorite...but there was too much purple to paint. Lol Burano Is in the Venetian lagoon about a 30 minute vaporetto ride away.

Near Accademia

Somehow I missed posting these yesterday. I was wandering around the area near Accademia. It is the area we had our apartment the last time we were in Venice. These windows with the wisteria caught my eye. I liked the contrast of the rough bricks and the soft blossoms.

Later in the afternoon I did a view of the Grand Canal with the Accademia Bridge.

Visiting Burano

We finally had a warm, sunny day. I decided to head over to the island of Burano which is in the Venetian lagoon.  It was about a twenty minute walk to the other side if the island and then the boat ride took about 40 minutes. They are famous for two things, their lace and their colorful buildings. I had time to do paintings of two buildings. The orange one had a shop downstairs. I think Big Bird would disappear if he stood by the yellow one. Lol

Near San Marcuola

I like riding the vaporetto (Venice water bus) to a stop I don’t usually get off and seeing what is there. When I saw this blue door I knew I had to sketch it. Luckily I was under an overhang because it did drizzle a bit.

I was cold so I decided to go indoors and sit and have lunch. These two ladies were doing the same thing.

After lunch I spotted these windows...no how could I resist?

More Wisteria

I am so happy to be finding some wisteria in bloom here. Tucked away behind walls there are sometimes some small, lovely gardens. 

People and Visitors

Yesterday my friend, Celia Blanco and her daughter. Louisa took the train from Rome, where they live to spend the day here with me. It was a rainy day but we made the most of it. Her daughter had never been to Venice and really enjoyed it. I met them at the train station here so I got to sketch some people for the 100 people challenge while I waited for their train to arrive and then again when they left. Most of these people were standing around by the big departure board.

Hotel Flora

There are lots of narrow streets here in Venice with wonderful surprises at the end like this hotel.

I somehow missed posting this yesterday...I don’t know how. I did more sketches for the 100 People challenge too.

Near the Canal

Every time I pass this spot on the vaporetto I want to get off and paint the wisteria that is blooming there. The only place to sit and paint there is to actually sit on the vaporetto loading dock. It wasn’t raining this morning so I tucked myself by the railing of the ramp, hoping I would be out of the way. 

While I was painting another artist stopped to chat. She wanted to know if I was with a group. I did tell her about Urban Sketchers which she hadn’t heard of. She us from Paris and I know they have a group. We exchanged cards. Maybe I will see her in Paris the next time I go. Of course while I was digging around in my bag I nearly dropped my brush in the canal.

The second painting was done in a spot about a half block away. It looked like such s typical Venetian spot with walls that lead to a covered passageway.

Machelleria and 1 Week 100 People

It was another rainy day in Venice. I found a spot by the Rialto Market where I was able to sit under the canopy of a vegetable stand that wasn’t open today. I had a good view of the Machelleria Equina until the guy closed up for the day and put his metal shades down. I am not going to question what a machelleria equina sells but the horse heads on the front window make me suspicious.

Today also begins the Ine Week 100 People challenge. These were sketched near the Rialto Market and the bridge...any pkace I could hide from the showers.

I have been able to see your supportive comments but can’t reply to them...sorry. Also I have given up trying to resize my photos for my posts. 

Canal View

I live the canal views here in Venice. This particular spot was near a gondola station so there were constantly gondolas passing by...sometimes with music. Unfortunately I was sitting in a spot that had a cold wind blowing on my back and I ended up getting too cold, so I only did one painting today. But this one was bigger..about 6 x 10. The others were 5 x 7s.

Near San Marco

My apologies for not commenting on anyone’s blog. The program I used to use to view them on the iPad is no longer supported by Apple. Some if you I do see on Facebook and Instagram so that will have to do for now.

I also couldn’t get the images to resize to a smaller size yesterday. That seems to be hit or miss, but at least they are posting.

This morning I went with my my husband to listen to the orchestra play some of his music in San Marco Square. What a treat!!! I posted one if his songs on Facebook if you want to check it out. I started a sketch of the orchestra but I didn’t finish the last two musicians....maybe tomorrow.

I did sketch in the San Marco district today. Today was a partly sunny day...the first since we have been here. Please enjoy my Venice.

Venice Window and Calle

This morning started with rain that changed to a light mist by the time I headed out. I found a covered portico and sketched these windows across the canal. While I was working it stopped misting and stayed dry the rest of my day.

Thursday in Venice

Apparently April is a rainy month in Venice. It rained late in the afternoon and mist of last night. It was mostly cloudy and rain was forecast again for today, so I wet out fairly early to get some sketching done. The Rialto Mercado is one of my favorite areas...who can resist the colorful veggies? I parked my stool just inside one of the arches by the Rialto Fish  Market facing a vegetable stand. The workers all came over to take a look.

After lunch I sat in a nearby square with a fountain and a lot of teens sitting around. They must be on school trips. I couldn’t sketch them spall but I did sketch some of them.

At the Airport

Can an Urban Sketcher go to the airport and not do an obligatory sketch of an airplane? I then to sketch at the bar first (if I am with my husband) and then at the gate. We had dinner and drinks at the Palm Cafe at JFK and then sat at the Delta gate.