Florence is possibly my favourite Italian city. I’ve been fortunate to travel there several time since my first visit back in 1998 when I sat on one of its bridges under the warm autumnal sun and painted a watercolour of Ponte Vecchio in an Arches Watercolour Block. During my last visit there in 2011 I … Read more
Whilst painting in Italy in September, I saw Fiona Bruce being filmed on Ponte Vecchio in Florence. I stopped to take a photograph of her, along with dozens of others, wondering which programme she was being filmed for. On Sunday evening I discovered that it was for a documentary written and presented by herself titled … Read more
You never quite know who you are going to see whilst painting on location. I was crossing Ponte Vecchio when working in Florence recently and noticed BBC’s Fiona Bruce being filmed by a camera crew. I’m not sure for what programme, perhaps another series of Fake or Fortune? I’ve painted several watercolours on location of … Read more
Probably the best view of Florence is from Piazza Michelangelo. I’ve now painted several watercolour studies from the piazza which boasts stunning views of the Duomo, Ponte Vecchio and the River Arno. Last Sunday afternoon was hot and sunny in Florence which meant that the watercolour paint dried very quickly, in marked contrast to the … Read more
My Summer Exhibition is now open at my Studio & Gallery in Ponteland. The subjects range from local scenes from the North East including the one above of a River Tyne Sunset which was inspired from reference I took back in 1985. The view has now changed but it does capture a bygone era of … Read more
Going to Florence in February has its advantages and disadvantages. You don’t get the crowds or searing heat that you can experience in the summer months, however the weather is usually cold and sometimes wet. I recall painting a 14″ x 10″ watercolour on location with Susan standing over me with an umbrella to keep … Read more