Venice - Final 2 days

Wednesday 14 October was our wettest day.  David Pilgrim and I dutifully trogged off to the fish market and searched for a subject.  Out of sheer frustraion more than anything else I sat down under an arch and tried a pastel of the market:

By The Fish Market - pastel

We decided to go back to Ken's via Campo Santa Maria Formosa and by the time we got there the rain had eased so we had a go at the corner of the square:

Corner of Campo S Maria Formosa 10x12

The rain set in again and we made for a favourite bolt hole in Campo SS Giovanni i Paolo (it has a loo!) where David filmed me underneath the leaking awning, enjoying the beverage and bun he had bought me.  After a rather depressing stay in the square we made the brave decision to run for cover and paint at Ken's.  David painted me working at Ken's big table and I hope he won't mind me borrowing an image of the work from his Facebook page:

 Painting At Ken's by David Pilgrim ROI

Karl and Tony left on Wednesday afternoon so there were just 3 of us living at Ken's.  Thursday promised to be a better day so we started early for St Mark's square.  Another aqua alta was due later so we made the most of the absence of tourists and water:

A deserted Piazetta

Soon, people started to arrive and before long the place was a sea of umbrellas.  I tried a 11x14 using a compositional idea that had worked well for Paul and Karl:

Wet Day In San Marco Piazza 11x14

We went back to Ken's for a break and a sort-out of kit before walking to Campo San Giovanni i Paolo.  The weather was still dull and I started a study of one of the well heads near the Colleoni monument but then at last the sun came out and changed everything.  The most sensible thing to do was what David did - wipe the painting and go somewhere else.  I stayed and lived to regret my persistence.  The finished painting was a waste of time.

I wended my way to Campo S Maria Formosa to find David there painting the south east corner with green awnings out and people sitting around and saw that he was making an excellent job of it.  Here he is in action:

I started the same view and he moved on.

Afternoon in Campo Santa Maria Formosa

David Bachmann then caught me up and we walked through the city up to the Arsenale for our final pitch of the day.  David P caught us up having knocked off another gem and the three of us prepared for sunset over the Salute from the Riva opposite the Arsenale entrance.  I decided to use pastels - for speed and convenience.

I managed three in the next 90 minutes so these images reflect the passage of time from near sunset to after sunset:

San Giorgio from the Arsenale - late afternoon - pastel

San Giorgio from the Arsenale Riva - near sunset - pastel

San Giorgio - Dusk.  Pastel

I also had another go later at the Salute sunset of 11 October in pastel:

The Salute - Sunset (pastel)

All in all it was another great trip, made so (despite the weather) by my painting friends who always  inspire and encourage me and are enormous fun to be with.

We never got to paint the Colleoni Monument again - maybe next time.