A view of the duomo of Siena

A famous view of a famous building. How many tourists to Siena turn the corner by San Domenico and stop to see the city rising like barnacles on the opposite hill? I know I did.

This etching is based on a pencil drawing I made on site, which you can see here. I made a quick watercolour as well, as the sun went down. See it here.

Note how both watercolour and drawing show a mirror image of this picture. That's because the process of etching flips the image.

careful thoughts

rest for the wicked

A small painting made from life with pencil and acrylics.

secrets to know

woman with cat

a ticking bomb

the hero's face

Let's be selfish

Drawn with a ballpoint pen at the Locomotive cafe - I left my china marker at home.

Fonte Nuova d'Ovile, Siena.

This was, I think, the first picture I made in Siena, Italy. I cycled from Florence - not a short ride - and into the hilltop city. My route to the city centre took me past the Fonte Nuova - that's the new fountain, of course, built as recently as the late 13th century by a pair of architects with the portentous names of Carmaino di Crescentino and Sozzo di Rustichino.

Of course I had to stop and get out the watercolours. I used the fountain's water for my brushes.

SaveSave

exploratory impulse

Let it be

something happened

Drawn from life with a Pentel brush pen and an old Copic marker.

too quick for me

the best medicine

do not disturb

Drawn in the library with a brush pen and china marker.

Light and colour

An old picture, done with pencil and acrylic on paper.

getting ahead on class

In the student lounge in early September

Part of Santa Maria Novella, Florence

everything ends

friend or foe?