Grindstone

After a day of doing nothing, it is back to the grindstone. How we suffer for our art. Bella is back and she has been for a walk. More laundry has been finished and even more started. Maybe some people are coming tomorrow or the day after or maybe not. We are headed up to the piazza for 2nd breakfast and to start a new painting. Already it is hot in the house and also outside. The sky is a rich blue and there is not a cloud to be seen. There is not much to be seen as the laundry is obscuring the view. I am covered head to toe in bug bites. The tops of my ears have bites as well as between my fingers. This is incredibly annoying and makes it hard to fall asleep, but it is not my outstanding memory of Italy. I had even forgotten how much trouble I have falling asleep here.

This is where I started a pastel this morning and also a picture of the progress that was made. It was so easy to draw compared to other things I have done lately. There were supposed to be 6 doors and I only fit in 4, but so what? I will go back in two days to finish it.

Victorio came by and told me the symbol to the left of the words is a Nazi sign. He said that the words are opera and ballet. I knew it said opera, but had not realized it said ballet. I just thought maybe opera meant something else. I still do not know for sure.

This painting is done on Colorfix and I like it best of all so far. The color is terra cotta and is perfect for Italy. The pastel goes down like the paper has already been sprayed the first time. It does not hold as much pastel and keep the airey look that Wallis does. I have sprayed this twice already and am ready to start the third time over. I like the little white edge which emulates a mat. I have always wondered about doing pastel on a dark board and then using a light mat so this solves that question.

I am working away on both my books and using my blog from the first year to fill in detail in the mystery novel. There is a new and exciting plot twist, but don't hold your breath.