A Beautiful Time - A Peek into our Orvieto, Italy Watercolor Journals

Our time together in Orvieto was magical.  Each day was a new adventure filled with painting, creating, exploring and learning about the rich history and culture.   The Colors ofUmbria, Keeping a Watercolor Journal group was creative, fun and always up for learning new things.  I loved making new friends and painting with our artistic group.  As the week unfolded, our watercolor journals evolved into exquisite memories of our colorful time together.  Thank you to all the wonderful participants of this fabulous time together, laughing and sharing good times! 

A Peak Inside my Watercolor Art Journal, Italy and Croatia

Traveling to new and unusual places gives me the opportunity to paint in my watercolor art journal. I am always on the lookout for some fun and creative ideas. Sometimes I sit in little alleyways to paint on location, and sometimes I finish my paintings in my journals in the evenings with a glass of wine. The painting of the little church below is of a Church that my husband and I hike to while on a recent boat trip to 3 islands near Dubrovnik, Croatia, This lovely Church was built over 1,000 years ago!  It had a tiny door.  I  guess people were smaller back then.   If you are interested in painting with me and learning about keeping a watercolor journal,  I am teaching four different classes at the Seattle Create art retreat  There are several seats still available in each class.

Getting to know the Local Artists

Local shoemakers,  Federico and Hannah, are a lovely couple and very talented.  They design and make shoes as well as purses and other leather goods. After Kristi showed me her zippered pen pouch that they made for her, I thought I would see if they would design and make a leather watercolor brush holder for me  "No problem!" was the answer.  We spent several days measuring and working out the kinks and here it is!

Painting and Mixed Media in Orvieto, Italy

It is very scenic here in Orvieto. Every view could be a painting. We have been enjoying some mixed media art too.  It is a fun treasure hunt to look for and collect wine bottle labels, restaurant cards, napkins and other creative things to add to our journals.

Fun Itailian Pens

There is just something about pens. I love them, collect them, and I am always on the search for the perfect pen.   Do you like pens? I found some fabulously pen stores in Italy. Do you collect pens hoping to find a new favorite pen? 

Singing in the Rain

Oh what a wonderful feeling!  80% chance of rain and the Italians were serious about that. When it rains in Orvieto,  the heavens just open up and dump a whole bunch of water with a large splash of lighting and thunder.  It was market day in Orvieto and the lucky people owned umbrellas. There were no umbrellas for the dogs but this cute one found a dry spot under a table at the market.  Eventually we had to take refuge in a pastry shop. OH darn!

Roaming around Roma

Rome is a lovely city to roam around. It is even fun to get lost in the tangled web of cobblestone streets. I found a cute restaurant in a pedestrian area, Vitti, enjoying an aperol spritz while I painted the scene before me in my watercolor art journal.  I was shadded by giant umbrellas and entertained by charming Italian waiters eagerly watching the evolution of my painting.