WOW! That's an in depth weather report...I'll try and match it tomorrow. Those words do paint the picture for me. Cheers ~ Anni

Hi Anni. From the Edge & the Fens (Spot height +5m the Fen field across the road -1m) AKA Diesel City with a Cathedral (Peterborough which is in the middle of nowhere but on the edge of somewhere)...The weather report is...Strange golden circle on a cerulean blue backdrop with off white fluffy bits...The weather station would have it as +30 C. (sensor faces the sun at this time 09.00hrs)...studio temp with windows open +21 C. Fresh brewed Colombian coffee and a slice of Gluten-Free Cake (GF)...a bit to early for an ouzo today...all domestic tasks completed...the rest of the day is mine...

Yay...this is exciting, just had a quick checkie on my blog and there is a post! Hi Rob, Mmmm Sorerento and warmth sound lovely (went there far toooo long ago, I know of its beauty). Glad you found time to pull yourself away from the wine and food to do some art. I'll be very interested to see the paintings you do from your initial sketches, hopefully you'll post them on here or flick them to me? Good to hear how you used the watercolour pencils....the dry hatching and blobbed in water techniques. I remember seeing another technique...basically to just use them dry to sketch and then when the sketch is finished spray them with a fine mist of water. I suppose watercolour pencils are easier to use when you are outside sketching. Thanks for the tips.Enjoy your summer warmth (although my brother Rob in the South of England said the weather was rather windy of late).

Hi Anni; home sounds lovely so you won't mind me telling you I have just returned from the hills above Sorrento, where the warm sun is tempered by a light breeze from the Tyrrhenian Sea! I managed to fit in a few watercolours between wine by the jugful and pizzas straight out of the wood oven. Funnily enough they don't look too bad and will form the basis for a couple of studio pictures. Watercolour pencils are great fun for experimenting with, I like to mix dry hatching with blobbed-in water. Some colours become much richer with just a little water. I have used them for outside sketches instead of watercolours and find I can get quicker results which is useful for capturing fleeting moments. Keep the posts coming!