I’ve been thinking of working on a larger painting for a while and found a photo of this market in Venice. I’m travelling there for the first time soon and felt this was a good opportunity to look at the colours and architecture of the city.

I’m happy with the basic drawing and some of the colour work but its not the painting I set out to paint. I wanted to try out a much looser style but I always fall back to the safer, more detailed, route. I think the looser style will come eventually but only after lots of practice.

Its taken me about 9 weeks since the op for my interest in art to return. I think the healing process made me internalize and I have been more  focused on the physical side, such as walking and rehab. I’ve taken art materials with me on the walks but have not managed to sit down and create. (It’s been so cold).

Recently I was looking on Pinterest, at the amazing work (watercolours) people post. I felt I could rekindle my relationship with watercolours by copying a painting I really admire, using the artists techniques to guide me and learn from their composition and palette.

I found an artist called Brian Robinson, who has a wonderful style with watercolours, having been a graphic designer and now a full time painter. His paintings of Venice are glorious and I selected one called Black Knickers. I hope he doesn’t mind me making a clumsy attempt at learning from his work. My brushwork is so poor compared to his and my colours are more elementary but I enjoyed the process and felt I had gained a lot from the task. Even if its only to get me painting again.

I wanted to produce my own work now and so I looked through my photo album and this brought many memories flooding back. I’ve been relatively happy with my work from Morocco and Italy and I rediscovered a photo of Limone, on Lake Garda. I had a wonderful dancing holiday there and we visited the town one afternoon. Wandering it’s picturesque lanes was so relaxing and I found this view taken by one of my friends.

I’ve tried to maximize perspective, light and tonal variation through the painting. I feel its composition works but I worry that its too busy.