Coming from a relatively young country like the US, I was continually impressed with how old everything is in Italy. The historic buildings have a look and feel to them that only comes with the passage of time.
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| 10″ x 7″, watercolor & ink (black Pigma Micron pen), Stillman & Birn Beta sketchbook |
Everywhere you turn there are stone walls from Roman times, marble balconies carved during the Renaissance, hand-hewn doors with antique iron hardware, and terra cotta tile roofs that look like they’ve been keeping out the rain for centuries.
Each building is unique, and they all have so much character. I took hundreds of pictures of balconies, shutters, gates, and wooden doors, and there were thousands more that I wanted to photograph or sketch. It got to the point where I felt a little silly taking a picture of one more old wooden door, but each one tugged at my heart and called me to stop. There’s just something about those old handmade things that speaks to me.
The castle tower in the sketch above is one of twenty-four in Marostica, all part of a castle built in the 14th century. On the misty, rainy day that we were there, the castle on the hill almost seemed like a mirage, sitting with its head in the clouds, in the place where it has stood for over six hundred years.
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| 10″ x 7″, watercolor & ink (Pigma Micron pen, brown), Stillman & Birn Beta sketchbook |
On page 13 of my journal, I drew a picture of the home where we stayed in Poianella. My friend, Ann, and her husband were so generous in allowing us the use of their house while they were away. It’s a lovely place with high ceilings, marble floors, a gorgeous new kitchen, and plenty of space. It was within walking distance of the little town of Poianella, but right on the edge of town, so we had the pretty countryside just steps away from our door.
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| 10″ x 5.5″, watercolor & ink (brown Pigma Micron pen), Stillman & Birn Beta sketchbook |
Most of the houses in Italy have shutters or shades for security and to keep the blazing summer sun out, and almost all of the yards are fenced and gated, very different from where I live here in the states.
Now, back to painting, so I’ll have even more Italy sketches to share with you!
2 Comments
You make it look so effortless that even I think I could do it. 🙂
I live in Marostica! Brava! Molto belli i tuoi acquerelli 🙂