Creating Watercolor Memories in Cortona September 8, 2010

Rain was predicted for today, but the morning began with the sun playing peek-a-boo with the clouds so we parked ourselves on this cute street near the Porta Colonial and began painting.  If it rains plan B is to pick up the watercolors and run down the street to the cafe umbrellas where we are to have lunch, just about a hundred feet away.  Plan C if it rains so hard the umbrella can’t hold all the water off of us, is we run inside the restaurant.

Rose Michelle parked herself under a tree and drew the stump attached to the tree.

There are door knockers of every description all over this town, but this clever home owner found a new use for one.

I like this photo of Mary Jean.

This is Mary Jean’s watercolor sketch of the a charming little house on the street  called Via Della Mura Del Dumo.

The view over the wall behind Mary Jean.  That is the very elaborate and old Cortona cemetery at the bottom of the hill.

oops its starting to rain big drops, time for Plan B - run under the cafe umbrella.

Here is the view of the Porta Colonial (one of 5 gates through the wall surrounding Cortona) from under the umbrella.  Below is the watercolor sketch I was working on when lunch was served.

 

During lunch it rained harder and harder until the umbrella could no longer hold all the water so everyone grabbed their stuff to make a dash in the pouring rain across the street to the restaurant inside dining room. 

 

Sylvia has her priorities right – she grabs the wine!

After lunch it was still raining, so we  decided to finish our paintings in the breakfast room in the hotel (a newly refurbished convent run as a hotel by nuns).  After much gesturing and repeating the words “Aqua color“ several times the girl at the desk received permission from “Sister Mary Efficient” for us to paint in the breakfast room.  The tables have clear plastic over the linen table cloths.  But one plastic covering was note enough evidentially because Sister Mary Efficient produced a huge plastic bag that must have covered a mattress and carefully cut it to perfectly fit over the plastic that was over the table before she permitted us to paint.

The evening was spent at Donatella’s Cooking School where we all had a fun time learning about Tuscan cooking and getting right into the making of the pasta, the flipping of the crepe like things etc.  I was too busy watching to take photos but Bill took videos so we will have great photos of the event I am sure.