Gondola Veneziana - Landscape Acrylic Painting

"Gondola Veneziana"
     11"x14" 
Acrylic on Canvas Panel


Venice holds a very special spot in my heart: I grew up few miles from it, and I went to the University in Venice. I've always enjoyed the city and its atmosphere, so rich of history and architecture, so artistic, and so poetic.
Painting Venice can be intimidating. There are many things that are different from what our eye would expect. Lines in Venice are never straight. Walls, sidewalks and buildings have almost organic structure: they curve, soar and lean, in a harmonious way.  
When I saw the A Day Not Wasted blog posted a painting challenge with a Venetian Gondola, I thought this was my chance to break the ice and start painting my beautiful Venice. Though the reference picture is darker than the Venice I like to remember, I needed the incentive to get started on my first painting of Venice, and it worked. I tried to brighten up the colors a little and added some flowers on the climbing vegetation. The ripples on the canal were particularly interesting. I tried to give the same effect of “oily” water.
If you want to see the reference photo and know more about the challenge click here.

Comments

  1. HorstFebruary 24, 2011

    Wonderful painting, great colors and simplification of shapes, very well done.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Robie BenveFebruary 26, 2011

    Thank you Horst. I really appreciate it!

    ReplyDelete
  3. yashaMarch 02, 2011

    This is a wonderful painting Robie.The colors of the buildings look great and loved the way you painted water.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Robie BenveMarch 03, 2011

    Thanks so much Yasha!

    ReplyDelete

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