Afternoon in Venice

Winter in Denver has me dreaming of a painting trip to Venice. This watercolor painting depicts one of the small canals where laundry hangs off the balconies and little bridges cross the water. I was attracted to the cast shadow on the walls and the colors reflected on the water in the canal. Dripping paint was used to show the weathered texture on the walls which are a mixture of earth tones and violet. Different values of indigo blue were used for the dark colors of the gondola and the warm colors in the water are a mixture of mineral violet and yellow ocher. The effective use of white paper is important in watercolor painting and the lightest colors, the laundry, balconies, and window frames are actually unpainted white paper. When in Venice if you wonder away from the grand canal you will quickly find enchanting quiet scenes like this where the tourists seldom go. You can stand on a bridge like I did, listen to the gentle lapping of the water and marvel at the beauty of this ancient city. If you enjoy my emails please go below the picture where you can post this on Facebook, twitter, etc. Happy Painting! Dennis Pendleton