Venice 2024 - Part 8 - Arched View, Squero di San Trovaso, Ferrovia

 There are a lot of views hidden at the end of meandering streets like this one.

While I was in Venice I tried my best to post to creativespark.art and do the scavenger hunts. 

This sketch was done for one of the hunts. It is the stove in our apartment and was done on my iPad with Procreate.

The next sketch is one of my favorite places in Venice. It is the Squero di San Trovaso, a landmark 17th century boatyard that builds and services wooden gondolas. There is usually some activity going on that is fun to watch. Of course the gondola I started to sketch first (the prominent one nearly in the center) was finished. The work had been done and they carefully put in into the canal and it was gone! Luckily I had enough of the details and a photo to help me finish that gondola.

A few days before we were leaving I went over to Ferrovia (the train station) to get our tickets for the trip back from Venice to Milan. After booking the tickets I came outside and was attracted to the view across the Grand Canal and the people sitting and standing on the steps of the train station. One lady must have been really tired from her commute. She was leaning against her suitcase resting her head.

Venice 2024 - Part 7 - Basilica delle Frari, Gondolas, More Gondolas, Orange Building

We had another rainy day in Venice. I headed over to the Basilica delle Frari which was about a 15 minute walk from us. The churches provide a lovely, dry place to visit. The Basilica delle Frari is a beautiful church with several lovely altars and off to the side a small room with a chapel and a wall sculpture by Toscano called the "Monumento a Frederico Corner." I used watercolor pencils, graphite, watercolors and ink in this sketch.

Later in the afternoon I went down to the Grand Canal near the Rialto Bridge. I sketched this mostly in a continuous line, and then added a bit of watercolor wash.

I like sketching gondolas. Most of the ones that are parked are covered so you really can't see the intricate detail on the inside of the boats where the passengers sit. The uncovered ones usually have passengers and they don't stay put in one spot. I was sitting on one of the aqua alta platforms near the vaporetto stop. It was a little more comfortable than my stool and I had a place to rest my painting supplies.

Another day I went to the Accademia stop on the vaporetto. I headed for the Arcobaleno Pigmenti shop that I have stopped at on several of my trips to Venice. They have beautiful natural pigments that they sell to make paints from. In addition they have journals and sketchbooks, sealing wax, paintbrushes, and assorted other beautiful things. I always feel good when I stop there. I bought a new watercolor brush in a larger size that is the same brand that I bought there last year.

After shopping I walked a bit and found a wide piazza along the canal. I started this painting but only got about halfway done before it started raining again. I put it in my backpack, headed home, and then went back the next day to finish it.

Venice 2024 - Part 4 - Doorways, Cistern, Piazzale Roma Restaurant, Rialto Fish Market

I love the colors of the doorways in Venice. This one I found in a small courtyard. I just followed the street to see what was there and it appeared in front of me. 

By our apartment in Campo San Polo there was what I believe was a water cistern. In present time it is mostly used by people to sit on or in the case of the bambini, to climb on. While I was sketching this there were two boys of school age who had been chasing each other. They came over to look at what I was doing and I got the "bella" approval. They kept coming to check on the sketch.

One morning I headed up near the Piazzale Roma, or bus terminal. I found a spot with a nice view of a cafe. I believe the woman and her son on the right were actually sketching too. They both had either brushes, pens, or markers in their hands and they kept looking up and then down to what they were working on. I was barely balanced with my materials on my stool so I couldn't get up to check. They left before I finished.

Quite a few mornings I headed up to the Rialto Fish Market to buy something for lunch or dinner. It was always fun to watch the customers select their fish and have the men wrap it or cut it. I liked the big fish that was in the bin on the left. I did this in my tiny Stillman & Birn sketchbook. It was hard to stand and sketch holding onto my backpack and my fish purchases.

Venice 2024 - Part 2 - Bridge to Cross, Gondolas, Cafe in Campo San Polo, Trattoria Dona Onesta

Sketching in Venice is always fun. There is a new view every time you turn around...like this one. 

The afternoon I painted this was iffy...it had been sprinkling earlier so I wanted to be in a covered area. I found a spot just at the edge of the Rialto Fish Market. It was empty because the fish market closes by 1:00. I was under the structure so all I had to worry about was putting my materials and backpack on the wet ground. There was this wonderful view of these gondolas that actually were near the stop for the traghetti, the gondolas that go straight from one side of the Grand Canal to the other side for a quick way to get across.

This cafe is located in Campo San Polo where our apartment was located. It is a good place to have capuccino in the morning, but these ladies were there for lunch and were having something a bit stronger than coffee. When they were leaving I showed them the sketch and thanked them for being such good models. They loved the sketch and asked if they could take a photo of it.

Sometimes when I'm walking around I pass something so colorful that I have to stop, like this trattoria with all the signs hanging on the wall. My Daniel Smith transparent pyrrol orange paint came in very handy on this trip.

I'm Back!

 Yes, I am finally back from my trip to Venice. I don't know why I couldn't post from there, and I tried a variety of ways but it just wasn't happening.

Although the trip itself was good, I got really sad news when I returned. My brother, Joe, passed away last Friday as he and his wife were flying home from Greece. He was always very healthy and was taken far too soon. I hadn't seen him in 5 years and I regret that. They were taking a cruise that departed from Venice while we were there so we planned a day together before they left. We had a great time together and that is my last memory of him, so it is very special to me. Here are two photos I took while we were together.

Me, my brother, Joe, my sister-in-law, Joan, and Jerry

Joe & Joan enjoying Venice.

Tomorrow I will do a post and start sharing my sketches and stories of the trip.

Venetian Windows

 I intended to do a page in my sketchbook of Venetian windows, but didn't get to complete it. Here are the few that I did from inside our apartment.

Across the Bridge to St Mark's Square

 I found some sketches of Venice that weren't loose but were in a sketchbook that I had with me.  This sketch is of a back calle behind St Mark's Square. If you go up the steps and through the arches you will find yourself in the middle of the wide-open St Mark's Square.

Antica Trattoria Poste Vecie

 This restaurant, Antica Trattoria Poste Vecie catches my attention every time I see it. It is right by the Rialto Fish Market so I have passed it, and photographed it many times. I think this was the first time I sketched it. When I posted it on FB my brother (who was in Venice in Sept) posted his photo of it under my sketch. lol To make things more amusing, right before I left for Venice there had been a Hallmark movie about a woman in Venice and in the story her friend's family owns this restaurant and they show it in the movie. lol It just keeps popping up.

One of the items I needed to sketch for the scavenger hunt I was doing at the end of the trip was a child. Most of the time kids don't stay still long enough to sketch them. I was on the vaporetto sketching this scene when a woman happened to come inside carrying her child. There was still a little room on the page so I squeezed the baby in on the right side of the page (and part of the woman too).

Textures Everywhere

 It was a damp, drizzly day so I hid under one of the sotoportegos, which are passageways that go underneath a building in Venice. The lighting wasn't too good and the view wasn't the best...but I wasn't getting wet. lol Over the far wall you could glimpse a canopy of some sort. I wonder what it was for.

While I was away I was dabbling a little in Procreate. Most of what I sketched that way was for the Scavenger Hunts on creativespark.art. I did a few things...

like this feather...

and a bit of the living room at the apartment. I don't know why this chair (and its matching partner) were so short. There were several seats that were much smaller than normal.

On the plane from Rome to JFK I pulled out my iPad to sketch. There were two people sitting one row ahead of me and across the aisle. I figured we were on a plane and I had a captive model. I started sketching this guy, but at some point he got up and moved to a different empty seat in front of me, so the sketch never got finished. I'll share it anyway.

This sketch below was for the last scavenger hunt...fruit and a leaf, done after I came home.

Happy Hour in Venezia

 I think Happy Hour in Venice lasts most of the day. There are usually people hanging around these bars and restaurants having drinks and enjoying it.

Flags Flying

 I believe the flag on the left is the Venetian flag, the one in the middle is the Italian flag, and I believe the one on the right is the European Union flag. This hotel was proudly displaying all of them. 

Open to the Canal

 Jerry and I were actually flying on Halloween. We went from Venice to Rome and then Rome to JFK. It was a long day. We were up at 5AM Venice time and arrived at home at 11:00PM NY time, which means we were up for nearly 24 hours. So this sketch is being posted a little late.

Give me some laundry on the line and a few shutters and I am a happy girl.

Venice with Procreate

 I worked on this for several days one section at a time. I am slowly getting the hang of some of it. This is the view from the small second bedroom.

By the Canal

 I was walking along Rio San Trovaso and came across these three ladies. When I first started they were all enjoying gelato but that was gone quickly. I’m glad they stayed in place.

Short Doors

 I’m not sure what this entrance was used for. It didn’t look like that door were tall enough for a normal person to enter. I did like the texture and brickwork.

Flower Shop (Negozio di Fiori)

 Near the Accademia Bridge I came across this lovely flower shop. I did a very nice business. I looked fit the name of the shop but didn’t find it.

My apologies to those of you who have been posting comments, but Blogger isn’t letting me respond to comments. That is so annoying!

La Salute & More

 My thanks to Tina Koyama for noticing that the sketch of La Salute was missing in yesterday’s post. I guess I got too caught up in the story. Here is the image.

This is a sketch of the Albergo Internazionale which is right along one of the smaller canals. While I was sitting across from it I noticed how narrow the canal was. There were many gondolas coming through and barely enough room for them to pass the waiting gondolas. Twice water taxis came to pick up hotel guests and their luggage. The water taxis couldn’t wait for long since they were on the gondola route. It made for some interesting moments. I loved the bright red and green striped poles.

Rainy Day Sketching

 We have some nice views out our windows. I sketched this the other day and added color yesterday when it was raining out. Staying in for part of the day gave me time to work on this.

I had gone out in the morning to the market and brought home something yummy. There was a nice, colorful plate to use too.

In the afternoon around 4:00 I noticed the rain had stopped. Things were still very wet so my plan was to sketch inside the Basillica di Santa Maria Della Salute. It was built in the 1600s to thank the Blessed Mother for allowing Venice to survive the plague. The center of the Basillica is roped off and there are no pews in the center. Instead services are held in smaller chapels around the perimeter. While I was sketching there was a Mass taking place across the way. I focused on the Altare Dell’ Assunta. The painting, The Assumption of the Virgin Mary over the altar was done by Luca Giordano in 1667.

Il Nuovo Trionto

 Sometimes I come across something unusual in a location I am visiting. I took the vaporetto down to the La Salute stop and walked a little. I came across il Nuovo Trionto, a  95 year old sailing vessel. It is being restored thru donations and volunteers here in Venice. I felt like I was back at the Maritime Museum at home, but the background was a little different.

Canal View

 There are so many views of the  canals down the smaller streets. Love the windows here.