Italy + Vatican
I made it to Rome. I couldn’t resist finding out whether all roads really lead there. After following the Via Francigena, I received a very unpleasant welcome at the pilgrims’ house, so I decided to stay in a hostel instead. That decision gave me the chance to cycle to the Colosseum at night and have the city almost all to myself.
Photography is forbidden in the Sistine Chapel. A security guard watches visitors at all times. I decided to draw it instead. Bad luck for him.
It started to rain while I was painting the Duomo in Milan. Rather than miss the opportunity, I decided to let the raindrops become part of the painting. Watercolors need water anyway, don’t they?
I came across a street band while walking through Florence. I decided to paint them on the spot while they played. It was my first time doing that.
Seeing the colorful houses, I experimented by mixing watercolor with white gouache to create the full color palette and paint the scene in gouache.
The day I visited the colorful Cinque Terre, I forgot my brushes. I improvised by applying the watercolors with a metal strap, my fingers, and by spraying water directly onto the cotton paper.