Four Lions in the Fountain

It's always exciting on these virtual jaunts to round a corner and come across something awe inspiring. It makes me so grateful to be painting again.

Gargoyle

In Arles, France this month with Bill Guffey's Virtual Paintout, I came across this gargoyle (?), one of two over an ornate door on a side street. I have always been fascinated with the artisan works on buildings but it's difficult to get a decent vantage point to photograph them. Google's street view has the advantage of raising the viewpoint to nearly eye level.

Windowsill Still Life

The first frost is upon us so I picked the last of the summer tomatoes today to ripen on the windowsill. The little ceramic birds who normally perch there alone seemed a tad disgruntled with their new neighbor.

Monk

Spotted this delightful monk going about his business in picturesque Cagliari, Sardinia. I thought this garb came from the imaginations of movie costumers but it seems to be the real deal.

Abandoned

This apparently abandoned structure sits above a lake near Oschiri Olbia-Tempio, Italy.

Tennies on the Line

There are so many things to paint in Sardinia this month and with time running short, I'm going to try line drawing with watercolor washes to paint as much as I can. It's such a beautiful place, the temptation for me is just to cruise around looking rather than painting. Sketching should help with that problem a little! Really loved this process--sketching is not something I normally do for a finished product.

On the Line

This month's virtual paintout is in Sardinia. Every time I "travel" to a new country, I fall in love and this location was no exception. There are so many charming sights to see, and I particularly enjoyed the colorful clothespins on the clotheslines hanging from balconies.

Tropical Isle, Bourbon Street

This painting not only looks a little spooky but it came to life in a spooky way too. My intention was to do a line and wash sketch of this New Orleans bar in daylight, as it was in the photograph. I truly don't know how it happened, but as the afternoon progressed, it turned into a full-blown nocturne, a style of painting I have no experience with at all! This one may become a part of my Halloween decorations.

Pulling in the Line

The sea has pulled out, leaving the boats in the harbor high and dry. The fisherman is pulling up the moorage line that has been buried in the sand as the water receded. Dry sand mixed with wet sand and standing water made this scene especially interesting to paint.

Statue on the Square

I am so inspired by the Island of Jersey! I loved the feel of this plaza scene, with some people sitting and chatting in the sunshine while other shoppers bustled by, and the modernistic statue adding its flair. It has an energy that feels very French, or as I imagine French energy would feel. :)

Above the Jersey Shore

No, not that Jersey Shore--a Channel Island off the coast of France, where the Virtual Paintout has trekked to this month. What a gorgeous island it is! If I can only scrounge the time, I hope to paint several scenes there before the month is over.

Window Shopping in Antibes

Spying on window shoppers has become a favorite activity of mine. I found these two older ladies on a side street in Antibes on the French Riviera and couldn't resist painting them. I love the way the light casts shadows from the unseen buildings across the narrow street, making the viewer feel their closeness.

Outdoor Cafe

In my "paradise" days, I remember thinking, a little too smugly, that watercolor was easy but I'm not finding that true now. It's a struggle, but it's so much fun to splash around and watch the color flow. This busy plaza scene was in Nice, France.

On the Promenade

While cruising down the Promenade du Soleil on the French Riviera, virtually via Google Street View, I spotted these ladies enjoying a drink under the shade of a straw umbrella. What I wouldn't give....

Meet and Greet

These two aunties were an island of calm in an otherwise busy Japanese marketplace, catching up on the latest news.

Light At the End of the Tunnel

This walkway led to what I assume is a Buddhist temple in Japan, as seen on Google's street view. As I painted, my thoughts were with the people there and my heartfelt prayer is that they will soon see the light at the end of their dark and difficult journey.

On the Rocks

I traveled, virtually, via Google's street view, to Cape Town, South Africa, for this month's virtual paintout. It was great to escape the last rains of the winter to paint by the sunny South African shore. You can view the scene on street view by clicking here.

Almost Flying

As usual, I'm flying into the home stretch at the very end of the monthly Virtual Paintout challenge. I wish there was more month ahead so I could paint more of beautiful Romania but oh well, there are other countries to learn about and paint. This is the first horse I have painted and the first time I have picked up my watercolor paints in many months. Wow, was it fun! The original scene had a rider on the back of the horse but what fascinated me was the horse who only had one foot touching the pavement as he flew down the street.

Coming Home

Back in the day, I used to paint with pastels quite a bit, primarily to paint models in life drawing sessions. Then the watercolor bug bit me and I put them away for a very long time. Yesterday I dusted them off and painted this scene for the virtual paintout challenge in Romania. It was like coming home again.