"Without the water, the lilies cannot live, as I am without art." Claude Monet.
A glorious day landscaping upstream on the Arno in beautiful sunshine. Fresh breezes whip up the clouds and send birds up in rollercoaster flight. Peace comes with brush in hand, surrounded by chirruping birdsong and the sound of water gurgling over the weir. Cranes wait patiently at the waters edge, keen eyes searching for fish in the shallows, while some distance away fish jump - loud splashes teasing and coaxing their predators in different directions. The challenges of landscape painting are greater than most due to constantly changing conditions - light, wind, rain, temperature, etc. But it is the most wonderful challenge as it affords us the opportunity to escape the confines of the studio and feel the sun on our faces, the wind in our hair and fresh air in our lungs - reminding us what it feels to be alive and living our dream painting from life outdoors here in Tuscany.
