Under the Tuscan Sun

What a hot summer it has been! I love sunflowers for their color, shape and texture and especially the fields and fields of yellow when you are driving down a road through Tuscany or riding on a train. They seem to never end. I painted this watercolor starting in August in the height of the heat season and this one took me a bit longer due to the humid days and nights throughout the month. There was a lot of work in this 11x15 inch painting, but it was enjoyable and challenging with a lot of work on each flower. Now on to my next painting. Until next time, enjoy!

St. Paul's Island - Malta

This is a watercolor I painted in late 2009 of St. Paul's Island and of course the sail boat, which is the main attraction. The picture I took inspiration from had vivid colors of blue and the composition was perfect. I have tried to find an accurate description of St. Paul's Island, and the best one is in the Good Book itself. Acts 27 & 28 gives the best description of how Paul of Tarsus was in transition to Rome when the ship he was on was struck by a violent storm. Paul did teach the Good News to inhabitants of the Island of Melita (Malta), but this did not transform the island to Christianity. This did not take place until 300 years later during the era of Constantine. Anyway, this gives you a brief background of this island full of history.

I liked this painting once I finished it, but then once I had the painting Matted/Mounted it was something I loved. The dimensions are roughly 9 x 12 inches and 16 x20 with the Matting. The sky was painted wet and drops of water were dropped in to give the effect of clouds. The rocks were painted and then I used a razor to give them texture. In the coming year I will be taking part in an exhibition and I this will be one of the paintings which will be part of my exhibit. I hope that you enjoy this painting as much as I do.