Monday, September 8, 2008

Monday Sept 7, 08 first day of painting in ToscanaAmericana Cortona Workshop

We began the day with sunshine and after taking the students on a short photo tour, I did a demo painting.

Cortona Sept. 6,7 08 054

Above, my students enjoying their first real look at Cortona.

Cortona Sept. 6,7 08 083 

Doing my demo painting, just before it rained!  We broke for lunch but the rain suddenly came down in buckets; no problem, that is why they have large cafe umbrellas here.  Not a problem for eating lunch, but big problem for painting watercolors.  So we retreated to the hotel where I put a photo up on my laptop screen for the students to look at and everyone learned to paint stone walls and stucco.

Wine tasting was at Patrick's friend Ivan's shop Il Pozzo an art gallery with a fabulous Etruscan history.  Ivan showed us the Etruscan well he found while renovating (now tropical fish swim in it) and the ancient Etruscan walls and arches.  He also showed us an old pot and other Etruscan artifacts he found in the well.  Just unbelievable to  touch such ancient and rich history, and the gallery exhibits some of the best watercolors I have seen in any European gallery!  Dinner was fabulous again, of course!

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