Sunday, 2 December 2012

Venice - The Misty Middle Days

The four of us were on our own for the first 2 days but after that the others began to appear.  At one point there were pochade boxes on tripods all round St Mark's square.  The weather was extremely foggy - a favourite situation for some but I can take only so much of it.  On 24 November we started in the Piazza:

Corner of St Mark's 12x8ins

San Marco Facade 12x10ins

The Haidee, Valerie and I went up to see what Campo Santa Maria Formosa offered: in the mist not much but it cleared a little at one point so we had a go:

Campo Santa Maria Formosa 10x13ins
I still regard this picture as 'unfinished business' and will maybe take it back next year for another try.

On 25 November the weather was till very foggy but, full of hope,  we still started early and pitched at the West end of the Rialto Bridge.  Each of us chose a different view.

Fondamenta Del Vin 10x7ins

We decided to go our separate ways for the rest of the day, to save time waiting for each other to finish.  I followed the girls into and excellent coffee shop near the fish market and then caught them in paint as they went across to Ca D'Oro on the traghetto gondola:

San Sofia Traghetto 10x6ins

I caught a vaporetto down to Ca Rezzonico and walked into St Barnaba square to paint two gondolieri waiting for custom:

'Gondola, Gondola', San Barnaba 10x6ins
For some reason the gondolieri are midgets - must correct them to their proper size!
I then walked to the Dorsoduro side of the Accademia Bridge and crossed into Campo San Stefano.  By this time the light was going but I thought I would have one last fling:

 Campo San Stefano 10x6ins
This took me 30 minutes and I suppose it shows but the lights were coming on and I had to break off or try a nocturne.  That would make me late for our first eating extravaganza with all the others so I sacked it and plodded off.  Someone more dedicated to their calling would have stuck it out but, hey ho, I am not that soldier and anyway I was hungry.

Now we enter the final, somewhat exhausting, two days...............................

2 comments:

  1. Very nice! San Barnaba has a cracking composition. More top stuff from Mr King :)

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  2. Enjoying this little diary - bringing some great memories. My favourites are "San Marco Facade 12x10ins" - great painting, and 'Gondola, Gondola', San Barnaba 10x6ins - great composition and use of colours.

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