OK, here we go...starting in Venice...

My wonderful crazy summer of globe-trotting sketching started with a bang in of all places, beautiful Venice. Although I was there with family, I spent my days sketching with one of my sketching heroes, Marc Taro Holmes and his wife Laurel, who captured everything in photos. 

Marc had just taught a workshop in Cortona, Italy, and I was about to teach a workshop in Civita di Bagnoregio, Italy--so we all decided to meet in the middle, in Venice. Honestly, I was pinching myself on a daily basis.

First sketch of the trip, found Laurel and Marc at the center of Venice, the Piazza San Marco.
Can you see the influence of jet lag in the sinking buildings left and right?

OK, I was absolutely intimidated attempting to keep up with Marc.  He works so fast, so beautifully, using his brush to paint in such a gestural way.  He draws very little and paints a lot, the opposite of me.  His was the one workshop I took in Paraty last year, and he is so good, so clear in his instruction--a really natural teacher and incredibly talented artist. Sitting next to him, I found myself trying to work faster and faster, trying to paint like him, which of course, I can't--although I wish I could! 

Sitting below a bridge, next to Marc and my husband, Rich,
this is the famous Bridge of Sighs.

Eventually, I found my way back to my trusty mechanical pencil and the drawing of architecture I like to do, but it took a few days of sketching before I could settle down. You can see my search in the sketches.  


Having a few days of adjustment to a new place happens pretty much every where I go, and I discovered that this is very common for everyone else too, which is why instructors try to arrive a little early before the USk symposia.

Panorama view of the canal looking across to the famous, Ca D'Oro after a huge rainstorm. Click on the
image to see it larger!

Venice was absolutely beautiful, with glorious color-saturated views at every turn. It was also crowded and hot (or so I thought before I went to Asia...), all adding to the blur and magic of this beautiful floating city. 

Small, quick sketch of the bridge across from the train station, sketched from our hotel,
sipping delicious caffe latte in the morning light, before running to the train. I'm sketching
this view in the image at the top of this blog page!

Next post, sketches of the Piazza San Marco...