- Venice Flood

I'm going to have to update my painting of St Mark's Square! Venice is the most beautiful place I've ever visited (in 2007) and the place I would most like to revisit. It's been flooded like this before so I hope they get back to normal again soon. Good Luck!

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- sketching in Sorrento, Italy

Been on our travels again - escorted tour with Riviera Travel to Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast. My first Urban Sketch was of the Belltower of the Cattedrale di Sorrento from the narrow Via Reginaldo Giuliani.

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Seville, Spain

While my wife and friends went on a riverboat trip on the Canal de Alfonso X111 - an arm off the Rio Guardalquivir I spent the morning drawing the Cathedral and part of the afternoon painting it. I was sitting under a shady tree just outside the exit from the stunning Alcazar which we had visited the day before. A guide on one of the many packs of tourists that stood in front of me while I was drawing said to them that it was the best view of the Tower - my instinct to sit in that spot was spot on! 

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Duomo di Siena, Italy

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Duomo di Siena from the terrace alongside the Basilica Cateriniana San Domenico. I think I'll stop the painting there.

Siena, Tuscany

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Lines, lines, lines.... love them!

Capelo Corpo Santo, Funchal, Madeira

Capelo Corpo Santo on the east side of the Old Town, Funchal, Madeira. This lunchtime sketch turned into an afternoon sketch. Nice place to while away a bit of time!

Siena Cathedral doodle

My memory of our first view of Cattedrale Di Siena as we walked around the massive Basilica Cateriniana San Domenico to reveal this view across the valley.

'omage to Van Gogh & San Gimignano 02 - finished

'omage to Van Gogh & San Gimignano 02 - finished and ready for submission day. This is the central section - hopefully it'll all become visible at the Great Sheffield Art Show in July.

'omage to Van Gogh & San Gimignano 02 - stage 1

'omage to Van Gogh & San Gimignano 02 - stage 1 - the pencil sketch. It's A3 size and follows our visit to Tuscany last September and my lifelong liking for Vincent VG's paintings. This one is for the Great Sheffield Art Show Selection Day in April. I'll post the finished acrylic painting tomorrow.

Siena - the Duomo - first view

Our first view of the Siena Duomo as we round the corner from the Basilica de San Domenico with a large Tuscan cypress tree on the left..... work in progress.

Siena, Tuscany, Italy

Thursday, 3rd October, Siena, Tuscany. After a hard morning's guided tour we found the Ristorante San Desiderio for lunch at a shaded table in the open air - and a quick sketch of the Belltower to the Duomo.

Italy, Tuscany, Pisa

Tuscany again - Sunday afternoon 29 September - Pisa. Had to paint this one sitting on a stone post surrounded by people being photographed "holding up" the leaning tower. We had flown into Pisa airport the previous day (see the plane to the right of the tower) and had spent the night in Florence before being driven back to Pisa via Lucca.