Plein Air Painting in Venice
“My enthusiasm for Venice increases by the day. It is so beautiful. ”
In April, I took my first solo trip out of the country to paint in Venice with the Leo Marchutz School of Painting and Drawing.
Painting in Venice felt like going back in time, like you’ve stepped right into a Monet or Turner painting. It’s as if the world is changing, while this magnificent floating city remains the same.
It didn’t take long to adjust to life in Venice, each day blending into the next with lots of painting and cappuccinos!
I started most painting sessions by walking around and following the light. Then I took my time looking and drawing, before mixing paints to begin painting!
The repetition of painting in the morning and the evening is such fun and allows your hand to catchup with your vision. By the end of the week, everything feels like it’s clicking into place and flowing effortlessly!
I challenged myself to embrace the surface as part of the painting, using the white of the canvas to add luminosity. So you’ll see bits of the canvas in the finished pieces!
If you want to read a detailed account of what each day looked like, I kept a diary here!
Even though I traveled by myself, I quickly felt right at home. It's extraordinary to spend a week painting in a beautiful, historic city with a group of artists! We geeked out about color and composition, and cheered each other on. All the while, watching our art practices change and grow throughout the week. I feel really lucky to have been part of this incredible group, and I've made dear friends for life!
Venice has a beautiful, melancholy feeling to it. Perhaps it’s the memories it holds. Or perhaps it’s knowing that the magic that was this gorgeous week with this lovely group of artists can’t be repeated. Our week together is now a sweet memory, well-documented in paint!
In total, I created 14 oil paintings that were then packed in a suitcase! In addition to eight watercolor paintings and countless sketches.
At the end of the week, Brantley met me in Venice! I was so glad he got to meet my painting group, and see us in action for our last painting session.
From Venice, Brantley and I traveled to Lake Como, Paris, and Aix-en-Provence to visit our friends at the Leo Marchutz School! (I’ll share more about the rest of our trip in another blog.)
I’m releasing my collection of plein air oil paintings from Venice online on Thursday, June 4!
Email subscribers shop first at 10 a.m. EST. Paintings will be publicly available at noon.
I’ve also curated a collection of studies and sketches from Venice that are available for purchase here!
