The end of the summer of color.

Fernande

 It's the final week of the Summer of color :(

The final color combination is Sepia and sage, oh no I thought, that is just not me! I then started to think about my trip to Florence and Pisa earlier in the year. I saw some fabulous fresco's

 I loved them so much!!

These ones were in Pisa. I took so many photograph's!!

So I did like the colour combo! I just had to choose a classical type of image to use the colours.

I used some watercolour paper to make my background using layers of paper.

I then added a thick layer of gesso over the papered layers

Gave my Italian lady a face. I used a thick layer of copper acrylic paint for her hair and scratched through to the base paper.

For the ferns I used fern napkins which I tore up and stuck down around my figure.

fern napkins

  So my final piece for the summer of color is 'Fernande'

Fernande

The summer of color has been challenging and yet fun thanks so much to Kristin at twinkle twinkle for hosting such a great party!

Also linking up to Glue it Tuesday

View from the Uffizi

My Artists Playroom entry  this week is a collage/pencil/watercolour of Florence cathedral seen from the Uffizi Art Gallery roof terrace. The challenge to use orange and blue or 'blorange' was very appropriate as I just returned from Tuscany, where everything is terracotta and brilliant blue, My post yesterday showed a small selection of my photographs. I have a feeling Florence will be influencing me for some time to come. I usually choose blues and pink/greens in my work, rarely orange, so I am pleased at the vibrant result. If I had to choose my favourite combination it would be 'magencerulean '( magenta and cerulean blue) but now I'm wrapped up in all things Florentine that may well change!

An Italian adventure

I have just returned from a fantastic trip to Florence and Pisa.

I have always dreamt of going to Florence, I visited Venice a few years ago and made my mind up then that Florence was next on my must, must, must do list! I love Italian Renaissance paintings and the 'Uffizi' gallery in Florence has the greatest collection in the world. Including the beautiful 'Birth of venus' by Botticelli. Nothing really prepares you for seeing iconic images like this close up. As it was February the galleries and museums were very quiet..

The weather was cold but clear and bright....

The Americano coffee was great ( can't do espresso, sorry :) )

The cakes were yummy!!

 The views were breathtaking along the river Arno..

 And also looking down into the valley from the Pitti palace gardens...

And everywhere, sculpture......from the famous....

Michaelangelo's David

 To the not so famous..

Beautiful cathedrals....

Fabulous churches....

(me doing a little shopping :) )

Frescoes.......

                                  
Dark atmospheric streets...

And the most wondrous architecture ...

around every corner...             

 This trip has fuelled my appetite to see more of this beautiful country...

I took zillions of photos of sculptures, patterns, ironwork railings, fabrics.... loads of ideas for loads of projects, just not enough hours in the day......

Ran out of time( updated post)

  Collage Obsession post update,                                                                                                                                                              This weeks Collage obsession challenge is 'Time'. Rather than go down the route of clocks and timepieces I decided to concentrate on how time changes things, Age and decay if you like.... Things often become more beautiful with the passing of time.This is a mixed media collage of the ruins of St Mary's Abbey, York, North Yorkshire.                                                                                                                                                                  

                                                                                                                                                                   I took some photos last summer when visiting my Daughter who lives in York and the collage is based them. The ruins can be found in the museum gardens in the centre of the city. I love the way the greenery pushes through the stonework.The ruins of St Mary's Abbey, first built in 1088, are all that remains of one of the wealthiest and most powerful Benedictine monasteries in England. It is a beautiful place...

I loved the contrast between the greenery and the old stonework.

I did a bit of messing around with the image.. Im not very good at this sort of thing but I wanted to play around with contrasts.

As an update I tried to link it up to the obsession site but the link didn't work, then it shut so I missed the boat....

looks like time got the better of me. :)