Just come back from a nine course Easter meal at a local restaurant. Too full to move so did this sketch lying down on the sofa!
Another day of showers but
managed to do this sketch of our farmhouse before the rain. We are very
lucky to rent this house because it’s location is great - open views and
only a five minute drive down to Barga. It also gets the sun most of
the day so good for the veg plot! The house looks more French than
Tuscan with the pale blue shutters as nearly all shutters in Italy are
Green or Brown, not the most exciting colours.
The weather over the past few days has been changeable but this creates great images for a landscape painter. Just after strimming the terraces, the sky turned very dark. Grabbing my sketchpad, I quickly sketched this view looking from the house before the heavens opened. I also liked the vertical tall trees that cover the steep hillside with patches of green.
The attraction to sketch this view at this particular moment were the clouds above the hilltop village of Sommocolonia, just outside Barga. Standing at just over 700 metres above sea level, the village has magnificent views over the valley below. Very few people live permanently in Sommocolonia, there is no bar or shop like so many small villages in Italy but there is a peaceful atmosphere and in the heat of summer it’s good to stroll around and get some cool air.
Here is yesterday’s sketch today! We set off late last night from France, arriving back home at 3.00am this morning. Leaves are now on the trees, blossom in full bloom and the grass has grown by several inches - back to strimming the grass every few weeks now for several months! This old barn in front of our house has loads of character. It would make a great little house but would cost a fortune in Italy to renovate and masses of red tape and form filling. Not worth it so we just enjoy the crumbling walls.
The last rays of sunshine provided inspiration to do this sketch down by the marina in Menton. Tomorrow will be my last sketch of the Italian/French Riviera before I head back home to Tuscany. Rain is forecast for the next few days so expect some atmospheric sketches!
Ventimiglia is the last coastal town in Italy before you cross into France. Its a bustling place, just a normal working town. Being right next to the sea you would imagine it to be geared up for tourists, like the French Cote D'Azur but the Italians don't seem to market themselves, which would bring much needed employment. to the area.
