Huff and puff up the steep bridge, through the Porta Santa Maria, turn and look back at this view as you emerge into the Piazza San Pietro. The workshop group often sketches here in the morning while we sit in shade and the facades are bathed in crisp morning light, plus the bar (what we call a cafe) on the piazza opens early and serves yummy lattes. Appropriate, as apparently there was a market here long ago.
Look carefully at this wide-angle view and you’ll see blue sky in some of the windows of the Renaissance era Palazzo Colesanti…yes, the building collapsed into the valley below and all that is left is the facade! The outdoor stair is called a proferlo and is typical of this area of Italy. The gray stone around the windows is a very dense balsatina, which is mined locally. It’s also used for some amazing fireplace throughout town.
In terms of technique, this is where we learn to leave a swath of the paper as white untouched by paint in order to get a sense for the sun hitting the face of the building and ground. This is also where we learn to do varied washes of color so the color isn’t flat and also talks about the materials and stone texture. Just look at all the colors that are dropped into any one facade! That was done with one layer of watercolor wash. And my favorite part, just look at the arch on the far right under the stairs…that glow of red is a drop of Daniel Smith Quinacridone Burnt Orange into wet paint. I love that color!
I am looking back as a way to dream about next year…gosh I miss this place!
How amazing. What a lucky group of sketchers to get to see and sketch this place with you!
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Indeed, we are all really fortunate to get to experience and sketch this place!
Hopefully, next year too…
S
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… to get to have seen …
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Really enjoying these last posts about Civita – brings back lots of good memories and I too miss being there…one day….
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Wouldn’t that be wonderful? That’s you in the photo above, Ron. Baci to you and Susan…
S
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Thanks Stephanie! I was there four years ago and sketched in some of the same places! Thanks for the great descriptions and drawings in these posts. You stirred up great memories!
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That’s so great you were there, and sketching too!!! So glad you like this trip of memories…
S
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Once again, really enjoy your sketches – superb and very inspirational! Joining you in Civita sometime would be a treat, Italian scenery and getting your sketching expertise all in one… some day perhaps. And you are absolutely right, wild boar and pasta (pappardelle) is the best!
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Add this workshop to your bucket list for the future! Fingers are crossed, we can all go back sooner rather than later…thanks so much!
S
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