Quiet Morning Venice Watercolor Painting

I am currently teaching a workshop at the Art Students League of Denver titled “Paint Venice with Dennis” and each evening we work on different things like windows and doors,water reflections, bridges gondolas, etc. This is one of the more quiet locations in Venice which you can find if you wonder off the main tourist walkways. To give the impression of an overcast afternoon I left out cast shadows and used more somber colors. This was painted on toned paper because it gives an overall tone to the whole painting. If I was painting a bright sunny day I would have used traditional white watercolor paper. I sometimes think that Venice was created with watercolor painters in mind. The dark and gloomy canals with their wonderful reflections, the weathered buildings, ever present boats and gondolas, and the absence of cars and buses, all add up to make this the perfect place to paint with wet washes and hard and soft edges. As I look at this painting, I am reminded how much I love exploring this enchanting city and finding locations like this.