Venetian Spendour

Val Kenyon commented: Excellent pen and wash Thea. I wouldn't have known where to start with all that architecture and would have chickened out but you have made a super job of it. Good on ya for trying something that would scare the pants off me and probably a lot of others as well :)

Deb Jones commented: Well, I see you've beaten me to it lol! and a very good job you've made of it, still struggling with my Bridge of Sighs, but hope to get there very soon now, I put it away and decided to take a trip with Alice instead! ps It's a super photo.

Louise Naimian commented: As I've always hoped that you would, you've filled the whole of the paper and with great success! It's lovely to see you try something different and I'm wondering what's next? Very well done, it's a super pen and wash, just enough detail and good shadows.

Thank you very much Val, Debs and Louise. Hope you don't mind me including your comments in this re-posting. I had actually put a pencil line framing the work, but as soon as I saw it on the screen I hated it and had to delete the posting and get rid of the constraining line. It s funny how sometimes you don't see things until they are on a screen in front of you. As always, I am very grateful for your continuing support and encouragement which is especially valuable when I are trying to do something new and a bit alien to me.

Well done Thea.I agree with Val,I wouldn't even know where to begin this !! I'd run a mile. Great piece

I'll add now, that it does look better without the pencil line, less confined. I do agree about paintings looking very different sometimes on screen. Some thing that I hadn't noticed about my own paintings jumps out at me when in real life I like to think that they look alright. My verticals and horizontals always cause problems but I know that's just due to my poor photography skills!

Very ambitious Thea, but I don't think anyone could call you a novice where watercolours are concerned even if you have used pen too. Very successful - it's lovely in its delicacy.

I was in venice last month what a place great.Love the colour of the water.

Thank you very much Larry, Louise, Jane and Pauline for your interesting and encouraging comments. Pauline, I haven't actually been to Venice as Roger went on a solo photographic trip and came back with 1,800 photos for me to wade through!! However, I think his photos are very atmospheric and I was able, I think, to get a real flavour of the place.

Much to much for me to attempt, I admire you, lovely pen and wash

Lovely work Thea, I agree you need to include the ornate architecture very much part of Venice.

Beautiful drawing Thea, very well done, I like the simple palette too.

Excellent work Thea!

Thank you so much Glennis for your very nice comment.

Thank you very much Denise, Carole and Fiona for your continuing encouragement - much appreciated.

Not an easy subject Thea but you have produced a really lovely pen and wash painting.

Thank you very much, Christine. Halfway through the pen work, I suddenly felt very daunted but kept the faith, so to speak, and battled on. In the end I really enjoyed doing it. Am working on another of Venice at the moment, drawing finished - cross eyed at the end of it!

Lovely clean palette and a nice pen drawing.

The architectural detail is definitely warranted here, Thea, and you did a superb job - it has your very artistic flair, yet conveys just the right amount of information without overwhelming the viewer. It's such a very delightful piece!

Thank you very much, Seok, for such lovely feedback - I do so appreciate it.

Excellent ! I like everything about it. The colours and the wobbly lines !!! It jumped out of the gallery .... This style really appeals to me. Bravo for these three pen and washes.

Thank you so much, Avril, for your continuing and valuable support. I'm afraid wobbly lines is the name of the game for me - not capable of a very precise drawing, but I rather like them as I feel they make for a looser feel. Still experimenting - another Venice one in the pipeline.

It is a lovely watercolour Thea! I woudn't be able to even start anything like this and I admire your courage. All those stairs, ornaments, bridge, windows etc. Wow! I also like your wobbly lines which add to the overall charm. If you haven't been to Venice you must go! It is so special.

Thank you so much, Satu. I think Venice is a very special place and I will go one day - I have promised myself that. It was also a special place to draw as to leave out all the detail wouldn't have reflected what Venice is about. However, I think I need to go to SpecSavers now as trying to decipher all that detail from a photo was a nightmare and I had double vision by the end!

the bridge of sighs - a place I want to see for myself one day but how you drew this is beyond me as I would have looked for a small section of it but it wouldnt be the bridge of sighs ! Your skills have kept developing - I have been busy this year even though I retired early I just dont know where the time goes and I have been getting out doing plein air about once a week but in oils till I sort out my values, tones, hues and all those things I should have done years ago ! My husband was diagnosed with Parkinsons this year too so we have had a busy time, I started using facebook to keep in touch with my 2 sons who are abroad and there is lots of good art there too but not the same us this gallery so now that I am settled in to a sort of routine I intend to keep an eye on all your great paintings. Thank you for your kind comments on the hay bales - it is one I wanted to do for ages but it is difficult to find a field where you can park safely and the farmer is obliging but it was more difficult to place the bales than I thought so spent ages on the thumbnail and design but then rushed the trees which I didnt soften on time to diffuse them and make them a bit distant - are we ever happy with our painting

So lovely to hear from you, Norah, and thank you for all your kind words about my painting. I am so sorry to hear about your husband - what dreadfully bad luck, but I hope he is managing to keep as well as possible. Retirement never seems to end up being relaxing as I have found - you just go and fill the time you spent at work doing a hundred and one other things! I was lovely to see one of your paintings on the gallery again. Don't leave it too long until we all get the pleasure of seeing the next one.

Great painting Thea! just had a quick browse at your works as I hadn't seen any for a very long time now. Great to connect again :)

Very Venice! You have captured the essence of the place without having too much detail. Well done!

Beautifully done Thea.

Beautiful painting Thea

Thank you very much Paul B, Chris, Paul F and Petra for leaving such encouraging comments.

This is a lovely bit of draughtsmhip. It stands alone without the colour washes. a you ever drawn on Bristol Board supplied by Daler Rowney? I think that you'll find it ideal for both drawings in graphite or ink. The two drawings I have posted today have been drawn on that surface. Regards, John.

Thank you very much John - that is a very nice compliment as I have been trying to improve my drawing. Perhaps it is beginning to pay off!