progress between thunderstorms

The colour is antique brown, which sits better with the house than the peeling black and white did. No doubt the "ringhiera" looked very smart in the 50s or 60s, but I like the softer more neutral colour it is going to be. 

Today I am grateful for anti-rust paint. 

six guests from four countries

...and five of them will arrive from three different directions on the same day.

Roll on Tuesday... but in the meantime, there are a few things to attend to!

You may not be hearing from me for a while...

Today I am grateful for my interesting life. 

concert at Arce

When I figure out how to get the videos onto the computer (they are not copying across at all) then I'll try to upload a little bit of the concert. 

Today I am grateful for visitors and animated discussion. 

guess who is back in town...

I thought I was out having a leisurely after dinner walk.

And then I received a phone call, the voice I had been waiting to hear :-)

I didn't know that I could walk so fast! Vrooooom! I was home in record time.

Walk was abandoned, quick change, and off to the concert...

Today I am grateful for a phone call from my favourite tenor. 

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time for other things...

That's it for now, I need to do other things. Hopefully I can paint again tomorrow morning.

As you can probably see, there are still a lot of weaknesses to be sorted, and of course all the detail of the ornate parts of the arches is still to be done. The landscape in the bottom section is still evolving in my mind. 

But overall I am starting to feel good about the work and am really looking forward to working it up more when I next get a chance. For now, though, the brushes are washed and the painting is off the easel and leaning on the wall where I can contemplate it at my leisure. 

Today I am grateful for a gentle breeze in the studio. 

immediately

As soon as I pulled up this photo on my computer I could see a glaring error that I hadn't noticed on the canvas. Can you spot it? (No, not the angle of the pillars, that is because I had to photograph at an odd angle to avoid light reflecting off the wet oil).

I have decided today, after contemplating it for a few days, to paint the roman road in under the present day water. There is a hugely exciting new dig going on very close to this arch, and the road being uncovered is pristine. The baths are complete, so much new information coming to light. Open day is coming up... I will be there! So, in honour of that dig, I am putting the road back in under this arch and letting the water flow over it. 

PS: I am tempted to paint Rome in the background instead of my beloved hills... well, after all...

Today I am grateful for a little self discipline :-) 

in the real

I can't believe I just wrote that! (Previous post).

In the real.

What has happened to my mastery of the English language?

Yikes!

Bloomin' 'eck!

I'm a lost cause...

mamma mia!

Slopes away to paint some more...  muttering as she goes "I will not edit that last post... I will not edit... I will not... 

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